Speed Queen Front Load With Heater?

[Chetlaham]

Water Heater

The advantage to heating in a front load is two fold.

1) The water is heated in real time and only the amount being used. Vs keeping 40 gallons of water hot 24/7. In addition to partly filling with cold water, then having several gallons of heated water cool of in the piping afterwords.

2) Starting cold and gradually heating the water lets detergent do its work, in steps, for best soil removal.

The best approach IMO is to fill with cold water, and start tumbling while the heater runs until the desired temp is reached.

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

What about the other way around? Such as washing machines

That would have a thermostat that once the water has heated it would start tumbling, what about that?

 

[ozzie908]

Static heating

In front loaders was quite common on early models, Indesit L5 would fill tumble and when the heat phase started it would wait until it reached the set temperature, it also if on a hot cycle would leave the heater on whilst tumbling going way past the desired setting if you turned the dial around to the start of the wash section you could get it to actually boil whilst tumbling...

 

[Chetlaham]

Tumbling would start after the water is hot, not enough time to let the detergent shine on the cold side of things. EU detergent works in stages as the temperature rises.

Personally I think the industry needs to move away from thermostatic interlocks in wet appliances and just let the heater run for the duration of the cycle with only a stat in series with the heater acting as an upper limit (180*F). Build the temps into the cycles themselves via the time spent washing.

 

[pinkpower4]

Update to Reply #29 for Top Load Owners & Idea for FL?

For top load owners...

The OdoBan (or something similar) used per instructions (key is to soak in as little water as possible to allow for the concentration of solution as recommended), machine wash as usual, and use the anti-bacterial cycle on a dryer (extended heated dry) seemed to have finally done the trick for that pesky item. The anti-bacterial, if available, dryer cycle may not be an option for some items. Also, it did not seem to work on its own before trying more concentrated enzyme solution.

BTW, I keep wondering how they got the TC5 in this video (link included) to operate with so little water? The cycle I needed extra hot water for is usually a small load of whites. I waste water and chemicals washing this even as a half load.

The TC5 "normal eco" along with the "Heavy Soil" option is a very long soak/wash cycle and seems to use tap hot. Wonder if that is similar the the sani-cycles on other machines without internal heaters?

With that said, I do believe front load washers can even use less water and more efficiently to clean clothes because of the tumble wash action. It may be an especially good idea to run some tap hot near the washer machine location before using, so it fills with tap hot. For those few loads where no internal heater is present, I wonder if one could add some heated water before adding clothes and letting the washer fill? I have a gas stove. Obviously a little more of a scald risk than just making dinner, but...I don't have that many loads that need the internal heater either if it meant a better quality washer or a significant savings. With that said, the TC5 will probably last longer than a front load in the same price range(bought before price went up) and basic model means easier and possibly less costly for me to repair. However, you will also spend more on water and detergents (and other additives too) for top loads. It may be a "wash" there when comparing that to a FL LOL.

Any front load sold should use tap hot when hot is chosen. Any temp sensing should just be used to ensure that warm is warm and cool is warm enough to dissolve detergents. I also think the same should apply to top loads. Instead of crippling products, it is just better to educate people on how to use them which in turn will reduce the energy use. I highly recommend a spin dryer to reduce line or machine dry time.

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>PinkPower4: Instead of crippling products, it is just better to educate people on how to use them which in turn will reduce the energy use.</blockquote> The typical consumer doesn't want education.  He/She wants to mindlessly toss-in the load with a premeasured pod, press one button (too many options!!!) and be done with it.

Regards to the TC5 in the video, the woman is a repair tech and likely can find a way to test-run it with minimal water.

 

[cavimum]

"For those few loads where no internal heater is present, I wonder if one could add some heated water before adding clothes and letting the washer fill? "

During really cold weather and our FL SQ is chilly (sits against an outside wall),
I have filled it with HOT but empty and no detergent, let it run five minutes, and then canceled the cycle so it all drains out. This is what I call a pre-heat measure. I always prime the HOT water pipes in the laundry room sink, but the washer interior is quite cold and laundry room temp is under 68F, so that HOT water is chilled down rather quickly.

Once a week for whites, for a couple of months, is not wasting as much water as our old TL ful-fill water hog did for every single load of wash.