Spin Speed--How fast is fast enough?

[iheartmaytag]

As everyone knows I have been looking at new washers for my eventual purchase hopefully next year.

What I am curious about, is that there is a range of so many spin speeds. Even among the Whirlpoos Duet line they range from 1000 RPM to 1200. The E-lux machines has a final spin of 1350. I have seen some of the upper end models from Miele that does 1600.

Just how fast is fast enough? Is there a point were the water is removed, and it doesn't matter and more speed is just that more speed and really doing nothing?

In looking for a machine is there a minimum capability I should be looking for? Be assured I will have many other questions before the purchase happens, this is just the one I am obsessing about right now.

 

[iheartmaytag]

2nd part of the question

Does the drum size have any effect on the extraction/spin speed? One would think that if you have a big 4.4 cu.ft. drum that spinning slower would still be more effective or at least as effective as a smaller say 4.0 cf drum spinning faster. Is this true or is my logic screwed up?

 

[logixx]

True: the larger the drum (in diameter) the slower it needs to spin. Here's a chart from Gorenje that lists residual moisture content in relation to spin speed. Note: this is for a 24 inch wide EU washing machine. US washers, having wider drums, would have higher moisture removal for the same rpm.

-800 rpm 70%
1000 rpm 58%
1200 rpm 55%
1400 rpm 50%
1600 rpm 44%
1800 rpm 43%
2000 rpm 42%

Alex

 

[favorit]

drum size - spin time

@ a settled spin speed, the bigger is the drum radius, the bigger is the G-force/ the better extraction is achieved

So the 2nd question is right if bigger drum means also larger and not only deeper.

If you have a surf on http://www.miele-professional.co.uk
you'll notice that their small commercial machines (little giants, large 60 cm. as standard euro FL) work @ 1400 rpm max.(Residual moisture: 50 %), while the TOL household model(navitronic, sold in EU-AU-NZ only see on miele.co.uk) reaches 1800 rpm (resid. moist. 43%). The difference over 1600 rpm (44% resid. moist.) doesn't seem so remarkable.

Probably it is very remarkable for bearings, this could explain why they havent pushed so much over 1600 rpm in the last 10 years

Spinning time : this counts a lot, many machines have profile spin routines that hold on max speed for a short time.
As a miele owner I can tell you that the machine is capable to sense the resistant torque. So a load of towels is spun with a different profile and with a longer max speed time than a load of light sheets

 

[laundromat]

I have had Asko(1600 rpm spin),Frigidaire(1050 rpm spin)Whirlpool (1200 rpm spin) and LG(1400 rpm spin)front loaders and the Asko really did show actual dry spots on some of the shirts,towels,and slacks as they were removed and shaken pre drying.Most of the shirts,jeans and slacks were line dried and ready to wear in 15 minutes max.
The LG came in second but,the clothes were not as wrinkled and dried more evenly.The L.G also ballanced the loads qiicker and more evenly.The L.G also would spin during extraction either clockwise or counter clockwise. There is no set way to extract.All others will spin the direction they were set for at the factory.

 

[ronhic]

It all depends...

...on how many wrinkles you are prepared to put up with to some degree.

More extraction will lead to faster drying and, if the machine spins at a higher intermittant speed, could mean better rinsing too...

I have pretty much lived with a range from 800rpm (Hoover Electra to 1300rpm (Blomoberg). The Electra held that for 4min at maximum revs and was OK. The Blomberg v.good. The others have all been 1200rpm (ASEA/Electrolux/Westinhouse).

I suggest that 1200rpm is a good compromise. Solid extraction and not as many set wrinkles

 

[dj-gabriele]

Can anybody confirm about the Aqualtis getting down to only 38% residual moisture at 1600rpm? I know it has a bigger drum (more G-force) but still, that seems so low!

 

[sudsman]

If you love Maytag so much

Why is there a question?

 

[jeffg]

I much prefer 600-700RPM over faster spin speeds. Clothing comes out a lot nicer, it still dries quickly and, together with warm water rinsing, usually doesn't need to be ironed.

 

[laundromat]

The faster the spin,the more money you save on machine dryin

I have never had to iron anything out of the larger capacity machines no matter what spin speed I select. The dryers had smooth drum finishes ( the LGs were stainless steel God knows why Whirlpool/Maytag/Kenmore insist on staying with a painted finish)and "ironed" my clothes while they dried them.I never let my clothes stay alone in a finished cycle. I promptly remove them and put them away.

 

[launderess]

Until rather recently, American washing machines by and large were not concerned regarding high speed final spin. Well aside from the frmous "rapid dry" Frigidarie models.

Blessed with abundant land and natural reserves, we simply baked our laundry dry in very hot dryers. Many vintage dryers got so hot one could roast a turkey in there! *LOL*

To be fair that was the era of cottons, linens and perhaps some "permanent press". All that heat was needed to get laundry that could almost be soaking wet (coming from a low speed spin in a top loader, or wrung out in a wringer/mangle), otherwise it would take ages to get anything dry.

Being as all the above may, my vintage Miele has only two spin speeds; 900rpms and 1100rpms.

All everyday laundry including towels and clothing can easily have about one pint more water extracted per load by being bunged into the Hoover TT spin dry basket for about 4mins. This is on top of the rather long spin in the Miele.

My Miele only reaches 1100rpms for the last half of the spin cycle.

One pint or so of water probably would not mean that much if one had a full sized and or powered clothes dryer. Know items spun in my Miele, then taken to the laundromat dryers, will dry in 5 or 10 mins.

L.

 

[iheartmaytag]

If you love Maytag so much

Because my Maytag is dying, and Maytag is now made by Whirlcrap. I looked at the Maytag frontloaders, I like them, am considering the steam model. But I am still researching I was confused why the same maker has so many different spin speeds on various models.

I spent $398 having my machine repaired last year, and I was told that it wouldn't last. I need a machine that is dependable, and since I am going to have to spend more money than I paid for my first two cars put together; I want to get the right one.

 

[sudsman]

understandable.

you forget too add Maytag IS NOT the machine it once was either. At this time not any of them really are.

 

[MrX]

I have an Aqualtis and the clothes do indeed come out remarkably dry.
38% residual moisture at 1600rpm sounds about right for those machines. The drum's pretty huge.

 

[moonvalleycacti]

LoL

My HE2T i loud, nosiy and can't balance its self when washin rugs, blankets, etc... EVen if washed with towels or something to balance it out.. It will refuse to spin.. Same if i fill it up more than 3/4 full

 

[dj-gabriele]

Very good! The acqualtis is appealing me more every day I see it! It's a shame that indesit still didn't come out with an aqualtis heat pump dryer!

 

[cornutt]

GE Harmony TL, 1140 RPM spin, which is honkin' for that diamaeter tub. Most loads get dry in about 20 minutes, including a couple of minutes for cool down. One of these days I'm going to get my hands on a battery powered accelerometer and spin it.

 

[passatdoc]

for dj-gabriele

Entirely off topic, but here is a recent photo I took in San Francisco two weeks ago while attending a conference. North Beach is where you find a street full of Italian restaurants, a Catholic church on almost every street, and in the old days, lots of little old ladies wearing black dresses. Yes, it's the "Little Italy" section of San Francisco.

PS...to learn the original name of Bank of America (largest USA bank), click on the link below.

Bank of Italy - Wikipedia

it.wikipedia.org

 

[passatdoc]

centrifugal force

Centrifugal force is proportional to the square of the radius of the circle, so if a US size machine has say 20% greater radius than a compact European model, then the force generated at the same speed would be 1.414 or about 41% greater in the larger machine. As a result, larger machines can achieve equivalent water extraction spinning at lower speeds. It's rare to find the large size machines here with speeds over 1400, and 1000-1200 rpm is more common.