Speed Queen salesman comments on water level - true?

[galli]

I'm hoping to get a Speed Queen washer this weekend (thank you, forum, for your advice) and am wondering if the salesman is pulling my leg about the water levels.
He says that AWN models 542, 432, and 412 do NOT fill only 3/4 full, and insists that I would have total control over how much the tub fills without using the reset knob. Is this true?

He also told me that automatic temperature control wouldn't be enforced until the new models come out (this year or next year). I certainly hope that is true.

If anyone knows about one of the models above, and can tell me if the tub fills all the way, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks so much.
--Galli

 

[SQueenJJ]

Its True

I have the speed queen AWN 412 that I bought in Aug 2012-- It does fill about 3/4 or a little more full-- You can make it fill all the way up by holding the knob on reset and then releasing it when its full. But there is an easy adjustment to the water level you can do yourself-- there is a video on You Tube on how to do it-- I had a friend who works on washers to do it for me. But most people could do it themselves.

 

[SQueenJJ]

No Auto Temp Control

I forgot-- It does not have auto temp control-- You get pure hot from the water tank on hot, and pure cold from the tap on cold. But your warm is not really warm. They have set the fill valves to about 70/30-- 70 percent cold and 30 percent hot to make the warm mix. So when you use pure hot, it takes the washer a while to fill up, but I have plenty of time. So what I do is fill it about 1/2 full with hot water then switch to warm, so I get a good warm wash. There is a post here about that as well.

The 412 is a great basic machine- with a two speeed motor-- I didn't need a 2nd rinse switch- If I want a 2nd rinse, when the washer finishes, I just turn it back to rinse, put in my softner, and there you go. The other two models have features I just would not use.

 

[billiedyer1954]

i bought a awn432 in september 2012. the water only fills about twothirds full but i watched the video on you tube and fixed it.i did it myself, it was very easy. i love this washer. i have no regrets.

 

[westie2]

Vedio on how to let it fill full

Here is the you tube of making it fill full

 

[tolivac]

I made the same water level adjustment on a Hotpoint machine I bought from the swap shop.It has the ramp bladed agitator.Works SO MUCH better when the tub is allowed to fill up all the way rather than the silly way the gov't wants it.Hey,its MY water bill!And allowing the tank to fill doesn't increase my water bill that much.

 

[jeffg]

What Rex said.

I wish Alliance wouldn't cowtow to these silly Energy Star ratings. By now I think it's a bigger selling point if a washer doesn't meet these standards.

 

[tolivac]

Thats why I buy OLDER machines from the swap shops-those machines at least FILL the tub!The Hotpoint must have slipped thru.

 

[galli]

Got the SQ today!

It's here! I got the AWN432 model.

I cannot wait to use this washer. We're installing it as soon as the short-lived LG High-Efficiency washer gets taken away.

Thank you very, very much for your responses.

When we picked up the Speed Queen today, I asked again about the water level. And AGAIN the salesman (different one this time) said, "No, it fills all the way to the top." GEEZ! I'm so glad that I found this forum. The water issue is even explained in the user manual, which suggests using the reset button...which is what y'all told me

 

[SQueenJJ]

You will Love it

Galli-- you will love that machine. The first thing I noticed when going back to the SQ traditional top loader, is my clothes were softer and smelled better- I got rid of a $1200 Whirlpool duet- I hated it. It takes water for fabric softener to work!

 

[SQueenJJ]

Jeff and Rex

Jeff and Rex-- If a washer says it is "Energy Star" approved, run like hell-- It doesn't use enough water for squat

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Shameful......but glad the good sense of Speed Queen allowed  customers to solve to  this  problem with a trick at least, hopeful their good sense will last and avoid auto temp adjustement for their next machines, everyone is being sucked into this govt regulations and people are dissatisfied and pissed.
Just hope there will be a revolt soon  against these stupid "standards", I totally agree with JeffG and tolivac.

 

 

[tolivac]

Yes,if the water level control has a "reset" function-hold the knob or switch in the "reset" position and allow the tub to fill to how deep you want the water to be-I have done this before on machines that have a reset function on their watew level control-saves having to do adjustments.My Hotpoint didn't have a "reset" function on its control.Think of the dollars saved by the gov't if the rules for water and energy use for machines were scrapped as they should be. At how the budget is-this would be a gain for everyone!This is a matter to let the MARKET decide.Let folks have a CHOICE,please!!

 

[DADoES]

 
Water level controls that don't have a Reset position usually can still be tricked to fill more by (temporarily) holding the control between any two settings.

 

[300c]

Speed Queen AWN 432

I bought one about two months ago. There's no ATC -- hot is as hot as you set your hot water heater. Warm is mixed 1/3 with 2/3 cold water. It does fill to about 3/4 of the way, but that can be easily adjusted, and Speed Queen is OK with you doing that. I'm quite pleased with the machine, especially the rinsing.

 

[mikeske]

My wife is really happy with her AWN412 and it does a great job washing. Since we are now and have been empty nesters are washing needs have dropped to about 3 to 4 loads of cloths a week. I showed my wife the trick with hitting reset to get more water and she has never seen the need to use it.

We have a mound septic system and it is set up to process 260 gallons of water a day. Since the washing machine uses 31 gallons of water a load my wife will do 3 loads one day and then the next day she will do the sheets and blankets

 

[DirectDriveDave]

Knob Between Settings

That's what I do with my bro's 2010 WP DD. Even though it has no water fill restriction I sometimes do that if I have something bulky, like towels.

 

[48bencix]

Went and looked

I went to Capital Wholesale Electric here in Sacramento last Friday. They are one of two Speed Queen retailers in the area, the other is Zajic Appliance. Capital is a small independent appliance dealer and has the Speed Queen AWN 412 on the sales floor. I would like to get the AWN 542 with extra rinse. My Maytag Dependable Care (2001) set still has a few years but I want to make sure I get the Speed Queen set before they totally screw it up with 1/2 full rinses and stuff like that. The models they have are evidently 2013 and are still the 75% fill models, but we know how to remidy that.

I did see a Maytag Centenial at Home Depot that has a switch that will fill to the top for use only with the Heavy Duty cycle. So they know what people want but just cannot make the machine have the full tub as the default cycle. GE models have a similar feature with "Clean Rinse" or rinse for fabric softner which will fill up. One GE model even has second rinse, possibly allowing for two full rinses.
But I still will go for the Speed Queen because of build quality. So just before they change to 1/2 fill rinse I want to get the set. Or get real and sell my Dependable Care units while they are still in decent condition.

 

[mrb627]

speed Queen

Reports that the machines for the domestic market won't get the half fill rinse system. That will remain for the coinop market only.

Malcolm