Speed Queen AWN542: I've Joined The Club!

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Stopped by the Speed Queen dealership again to look at the AWN432 on the floor, and was concerned by one other thing that I didn't notice yesterday.

There are some grooves running all the way around the bottom inch of the tub wall. Ran my finger over them and they were pretty rough. Is this normal, or just another thing wrong with this particular machine?

The young couple who own the store are at a buyer's meeting in Minneapolis, and his mom is watching the store for them 'til Monday. She called him last night and said I wanted an AWN542. He called back this morning and said he might be able to pick one up and bring it back with him tomorrow. Yay!!

Calling all Speed Queen owners: What's up with the grooves I saw in the 432's tub?

Thanks, guys, for all your input. I really appreciate your expertise!
 
all to glad to help.....

the SQ lid switch has to be one of the easiest to override, and return to normal if needed....theres many ways to do it, but with a simple clothes pin, easy as pie.....

your talking to the guy who goes outside the box....other changes I have done are:

drilling out the hot water side of the valve to match the cold side, so warm is actually warm.....a 5 minute job

the fill flume dumps 50/50 water into the inner and outter tub.....I took mine apart, and sealed the back portion, so during the spin rinse, all water is directed onto the clothes....

cutting the funnel/restricted end of the drain hose off for faster flow....

not to mention water level adjusment if needed....

but yeah, my next set choice would still be the AWN542....

the agitators on mine are solid fin versions, not the flex fin of the newer ones....the link is a video by our own DanMan, using a certain model number, was able to purchase these for a very, very low price...just a little more aggressive agitation



yogitunes++9-28-2013-11-05-24.jpg
 
There are some grooves running

The Amana built washer and the AWS52 I recently pick up for a friend, both have those grooves.

It appears to be grinding marks on the weld seam where the two portions of the tub are joined.

* Yogi can you go over the process again to drill out the SQ hot side water valve?
 
The Grooves...

I have them on mine too. I think what you are referring to is the fact that the tub is two piece. The cylinder wraps around the base of the tub and meets. I only feel the one groove IIRC. It has not caused any problems. Be aware you may find polishing compound in your tub. There is another thread that refers to that problem. My machine arrived with this "anomaly" It washed out fairly easily. There was never any issue with any of it depositing on the laundry.

BTW Yogitunes: I use your clothespin trick for the lid switch override. That works great! Thanks. You can practically do it blind (with the power removed) by feeling behind the washer. The machine is so heavy and I'm so weak that I can barely move it. :-)

Hot water valve drill out? Does that require any removal of the valve itself?
 
Glad I can help.....

it's simple changes that make a world of difference...I know, can you believe a simple clothespin takes care of this, and reversed in seconds.....love the old school ways of this machine....

well.....you are gonna have to move the machine away from the wall....

but you don't have to remove the valve itself......I did it while it was still on the machine.....

with both hoses removed, using a tiny screwdriver, or needlenose pliers carefully remove both screens.....you will notice the HOT side opening inside is smaller

locate a drill bit that will fit the COLD water sides opening....you want to make them both even...

using that bit, carefully and slowly drill out the HOT water side, the shavings should come towards you, of the few that there are, don't push hard with the drill, you don't want to go all the way thru, your just drilling out that little opening

if you feel the need, squirt some water in there to flush out any debris, but there really should not be any....

replace the screens and using the tiny screwdriver make sure they are seated in place.....or use new washers with the built in screen.....I use both for safety, but the screened washer is placed at the faucet end for ease of cleaning...

hook up water and test...your WARM should be just that!...WARM

not even ten minutes to do this......

let me know if you run into any problems or how you make out....
 
The "grooves" I'm talking about are actually deep scratches that run horizontally around the entire bottom inch of the tub wall, near where the two parts of the tub are joined.

I think Douglas may be right---the scratches look like something leftover from the grinding process. My question: Why are such defects allowed to get past inspection?

I'm concerned because when I ran my fingers across that area, it felt very rough. Wouldn't want fabrics rubbing against it. If the 542 has the same issue when it arrives, I'm not accepting it. I don't care if the thing is a tank under the cabinet; if SQ sends out machines with roughed-up tubs (full of greasy polishing compound, no less) and warped lids, they're not helping the cause for high quality US products.

I'm excited to get a new washer, but were it not for all the enthusiasm from members here, I wouldn't go near Speed Queen given the machine I saw on the showroom floor.
 
ok+

Our AWN542 and matching elec dryer were installed 8/14/12. I like how the washer sounds like a belt drive KM/WP at times washing on reg speed and overall a good-not excellent-washer. Is VERY fast-under 30 min cycle at 'norm' wash.

Spin WAS super smooth. In last 30 days it is getting noisier with a buzz and slight erratic booming if load isn't perfectly balanced. Still quieter than our KM DD on spin was.(It's in the basement,I'm 'gonna' replace wear parts & it MAY go back in service some day.)

I don't dig the main tub seam nor the seam at tub wall to tub 'plate'. For a little more $ the tub could be smooth. No problems noticed,but feels wrong.

The KM's were better at removing lint,drying time slightly shorter,with less pilling/small wrinkles. Alliance rep on phone admitted Heat inlet grill design could be better.

Would I purchase again? Yes. If our 1996 KM 90's were available new at similar $,I'd be torn. Love the SQ's old school wash action,but the KM's 3 speeds were great. The SQ could use a wash speed between slow and reg,IMO.

Still the coolest/best tl avail right now.
 
Congrats on the new washer! It sounds like it will be a fun machine to play with. I hope yours arrives without any manufacturing issues.
 
carefully and slowly drill out the HOT water side

I wonder if the same can be done on older Maytag inlet valves??

The hot water fill seems awfully slow on my A712.
 
Just a thought: Slow filling hot water on 712:

Could it be that there are clogged screens in the hot water hose or perhaps the valve itself has deposits that need to be cleaned out?
 
I am just a bit embarrassed at my excitement for the Speed Queen to arrive. A man in his 50s shouldn't be quite this 'kid at Christmas.' I envy people who can calmly say to themselves, "OK, it will arrive in approximately two weeks," and put it out of their mind.

frigilux++9-30-2013-06-32-26.jpg.png
 
A man in his 50s shouldn't be quite this 'kid at Chr

Eugene, if a new washer constitutes your mid-life crisis, consider yourself lucky. I'm having thoughts about bussboys I never dreamed I was capable of. :)
 
Congrats on your new washer, Eugene, I can't wait to hear how you like it.  Sort of a leap into the abyss from your recent Elux/Frigidaire roots!  ;-)  I'm sure you'll like it.

 

 

We stopped over to the Nebr. Furniture Mart over the weekend as I needed a new cable modem and had a look at the new Speed Queen t/l washer models.  Oddly, they have both t/l washer models but no front-loaders at all, not even the stacking set.  They can order any of them and have them within a few days, but no stock on hand like the top loaders and dryers.  The 542 t/l  was $699 and the 432 was $599 but could be had for $20-30 less as is standard when haggling at NFM.

 

Good idea to direct all the water into the basket, Martin, I didn't know they were still doing this.  I hated the SQ washers that had the faux filter ring and directed all of the fill spray into the outer tub.  Spray rinse did little more than make a pleasing "we're using water to clean our clothes" sound and wet the outer tub.  

Can you tell if the non-restricted general water valve from WP would fit into the SQ washer, would save some from drilling if they didn't have that option.

 

 
 
I think for the most part when it comes to valves, they seem to be universal....most parts houses are carrying one size fits all valves....

I did a switch out with the first SQ, I needed to borrow a valve off the SQ temporarily, to use on a Maytag.....

when I got the parts store, and purchased a new one for the Maytag, it was the same one that came off the SQ...identical in every way, so I stuck the new one on the SQ.....but had to drill it out first...

I don't see why a regular valve from an older machine would not fit, check for any restrictors, and as long as the mounting holes match up....you should not have a problem

I know GE filterflo have a restrictor for water flow, not temperature control, again, easy to remove, but you have to take it apart to get it out......and my solidtub SQ have a restrictor, but again, for the time fill water flow...
I remember a few 60's Whirlpool valves having a removable restrictor disc on the COLD water side, behind the screen, simple to remove.......funny how times have changed from a really WARM wash, to a really COOL wash
 

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