Under-the-tub lint filters

[rinso]

Does anyone know if the WP/KM lint filters that resided in the outer tub, just below the bottom of the inner tub, were very effective or were they there for a placebo effect and marketing? Of course they would have been self-cleaning just by default. I had a 1976 TOL washer.

 

[tomturbomatic]

When phosphates were removed from powder detergents, lint filters started clogging with lint and minerals. People who did not take care of the lint filters began to notice the crusty mess and, possibly the lack of filtering. WP moved the filters under the tub so that they would not be seen, but the machine could still be said to have a lint filter. They often got pretty crappy in areas with harder water.

 

[combo52]

Passive wash basket mounted lit filter filters

These were probably less effective than the filters where the water was actually pumped through a filter, by far the most effective filters ever in the top load automatic washers were the self cleaning back flush filters that whirlpool used in their belt drive machines.

Whirlpool went to the basket, mounted ones because they were less costly but most of all it made the machine much more reliable because the back flush filters could be ruined by hard water and no phosphate detergent so it reduced service calls quite a bit.

Gordon, Kenmore 64 claims at the basket mounted filters on belt drive machines actually worked quite well. I was always a little skeptical, but he claims to have proven that they really did catch a lot of lint that would be thrown off when it went into spin and drain.

Of course the little tiny filters that may tag dependable care and later whirlpool direct drive top loaders used were absolutely useless and were really just there so that they could claim that it had a lint filter. Speed Queen also had a passive filter under the basket which looked absolutely useless, as did many WCI top letters.

John L

 

[phillymatt53]

GE had the best idea with the FilterFlo filters.