They Just Don't Build Appliances Like They Used To Anymore

[panthera]

bearing problems

John, I have been in Europe since the early 1980's. Lived with, worked on and sold quite a few FLs.
Certainly, after a period of 15 years or so, one can expect the bearings to start to show a bit of wear on the less expensive brands. But Miele, the Real Bauknechts AEG, etc. seldom have bearing failures.
Certainly there have always been bearing failures in the classic American built FLs, but then, thanks to Bendix and their absurd patenting of everything but the water, the other manufacturers had horrid suspension problems to work with. No wonder their bearings didn't hold up that well.
Not all FLs have bearing problems, but all Frigimores will have trouble if they are run too long using anything but HE detergent or do too many washes with chlorine bleach.
I was told by a Sears salesman a few weeks ago that not all Neptunes were identical and some model years, respectively some repaired units very reliable. Anyone know more on that topic? My impression had always been they were all junk. Guess I was wrong.

 

[launderess]

Maytag Commercial Neptune

Machines must be better than some of their residential models, as it stands to reason since commercial laundries wouldn't put up with machines that give too many problems. Have read elsewhere that many laundromat owners report their customers love the Neptune machines. Only problems come from over sudsing since customers cannot "see" what is going on.

L.

 

[gadgetgary]

I have the original Neptunes from 1997

They have been running fabulous. Only problem was a new wax motor and circuit board.

It washes beautifully and seldom has issues distributing the load for proper spin.
The new circuit board puts the clothing to spin without first starting the drain pump such that the water is flung against the outer tub keeping it clean, clean, clean! Mold was an issue with these machines at first. The tub light stayed on while the door was open making this machine difficult to air out. I had the power outlet wired with a switch so that I killed power to the machine so that I can leave the door open. I now have the outlet switched so that I can leave the door open freely to air dry the machine.

 

[gadgetgary]

Old/Temporary

Switch

 

[gadgetgary]

New

Permanent

 

[toggleswitch]

Just love pratical, efficient, safe, to-code permanent well-grounded toggles!

 

[gadgetgary]

Agreed

Thank you so much for the wiring!

P.S. Gadgetswitches are't bad either(ducks and runs)

 

[gansky1]

GASP!

To code? Your code allows exposed wiring?? ;-)

 

[johnb300m]

Cook County IL code demands that all wiring be run through galvanized steel conduit with steel junction boxes.

 

[toggleswitch]

Hey! at least now his washer is grounded and the wires can h

*LOL*

It is to code based on another hosue I had seen where the 60a cable feeding the electric strip heaters (heat-pump's emergency heaters) was in ROMEX (plastic sheathed!)and VISIBLE

Technically those wires are in the wall that is "to be sheetrocked" So there! LOL

 

[toggleswitch]

From Gotham City to Mayberry. Sing it girls *Green Acres is

New York City did not allow Romex (plastic-sheathed wire) anywhere for any reason, till lately. And I think they only gave-in because the national electric code now mandates a separate groudnding coductor for BX (mteal-sheathed wire) runs of over 6 feet (circa two meters) [i.e. you can't ground using the metal wire sheathing.]

Gary is in CT in a part of the state where the laws applicale to electricity appear to be much more forgiving!

Methinks in Farifield county, CT (elsewhere) you may not have bathrooms switches in any room that has a tub or shower. The switches are therefore outside the room! Great fun when you are a kid and others are purging! LOL

 

[toggleswitch]

As a matter of fact I had a hard time finding an electrican to re-do my main service.

Here on Long Island the main residential service is allowed to be brought in via plastic sheathed cable (romex) stapled to the house. You can get PVC plastic pipe easily as an upgrade. I went through hell finding an electrician willing to do the job to sricter NYC standards, (i.e. running the main service in through a steel threaded pipe.)

The trick apparently was to find an electrican with offices on both sides of the NYC border. They know the laws here and are willing to work as hard as they usually do to meet the tougher standards there.

 

[petek]

I had a plumber in today to show me how to take care of our 1957 hydronic boiler and to add an air-bleed valve as well. He pronounced it fit as a fiddle and probably good for another 20-50 years service, knock on wood. Moms 10 yr old Carrier hi-efficiency furnace has already had 3 hi pressure exhast fans replaced along with a circuit of some sort. Previously she had 2 original 50's gas furnaces working fine but switched them out just to have one furnace and one central air unit instead of two. It's beginning to look like she'd have been better off keeping the old ones and having two a/c's installed if the thing breaks again.

 

[launderess]

NYC Electricans Are In Short Supply

For many residential jobs, from what one hears from friends. With the construction/building/remodeling boom going on, many NYC electricans can make a good days work doing those sort of jobs rather than bothering with "easy" household jobs that can take only an hour. When most are willing to do the job it runs almost a full days rates and or one only gets junior workers doing the job.

Great freinds of mine have been trying to get some electrical upgrade work done, including installing a 220v outlet. So far rate quotes run $3000 or more for what is easily a mornings work if that.

L.

 

[bajaespuma]

Romex vs. BX

NY didn't allow ROMEX because rats can't chew through BX as easily as they can chew through ROMEX. Also, for a while there was a rash of copper wire thieves and those rats had trouble with BX too.

 

[gansky1]

Wow! $3000 for a morning's work - I would fall over dead. The new construction market has been a little slower here in the last few months, one the largest "starter" home builders went under amid horrible scandal so that has set things back some. I haven't had much trouble finding people to do work in my kitchen remodel project, but the wiring was very simple and I did most of it myself. You can see the wire coming out of the walls for the under-cabinet lighting. I replaced all the wiring for the outlets and lights/switches that had not already been done a few years ago.

I used 12 gauge wire in my project as well, a bit of overkill I guess but it matches what was already there.

 

[toggleswitch]

12gauge/ 20a wire is good! And IMHO what is normally used for appliance circuits!

 

[peterh770]

Back to the Neptune

There is no difference mechanically between commercial and domestic Neptunes. Maytag didn't, and Whirlpool certainly wouldn't, run separate production lines to produce basically the same machine.

Note that Maytag put the Neptune into the commercial market. Note also that Maytag did NOT put the Norgetag into the commercial market, but kept the orbital design almost exclusively for that market.

While home last week, I took all my sister's family wash to a local laundromat and used the commercial Neptunes. They did pretty well, except I went about nuts without a window in the door. I hope WP keeps them around and puts in a d@mn window!

 

[logixx]

I doubt there'll ever be a window in THAT door because the door contains a vibration absorber:

Cabinet Vibration Absorber
The purpose of the cabinet vibration absorber
is to provide a dampening effect to the washer
during the spin cycle. By dampening the
machine vibration, the washer is able to maintain
and achieve optimum spin performance.
The stabilizer is attached to the inner door plug
with two screws.

(Laundry Products -> Maytag Neptune Washer)

http://servicematters.com/tech_ref/JA/ja_main.htm

 

[spiralator60]

Commercial vs. Residential Neptunes

From what I've seen in self service laundries and apartment complex laundry rooms, the commercial Neptunes offer only the most basic of choices to the operator. Unlike the residential models, there is not much you can do to customize the cycles already programmed on the machine. In other words, once you select a cycle and put money into the coin slot (or use the card reader), that's pretty much it - no Quick wash or Spin Only selections, either. Come to think of it, I don't remember that there was an option for an extended spin, Max Extract, like there is on the residential Neptunes, but that could be different.