Wash Time Kenmore vs. Whirlpool vs. Maytag

[georgect]

(Also posted at ths.gardenweb)

Of the three washers offered by Whirlpool (HE5t, Duet & Epic), wash times can differ by as much as 45 minutes (comparing Kenmore 1:45 to Maytag 1:00 in the Whitest Whites cycle).
The Heavy Duty cycle differs by 20 minutes between HE5t and Epic.

The Duet, for the most part, is usually in the middle between the two in cycle times.

So what's best?
1.Short wash times would be easier on clothes but would optimal temperatures be reached (using the onboard heater)?

2.Are Maytag's temperatures lower since wash times are shorter in cycles that use the heater?

3.Are the long wash times on the Kenmore's giving lower ratings on "gentleness" in the tests by Consumer Reports?

4.What are the average wash times for Euro washers?

5.There are just so many variances...how do we decide what's best overall in cleanablity/time savings/gentleness?

 

[rp2813]

My Duet allows me to extend or shorten wash times, so "whitest whites" can go for well over an hour or as quickly as 40 minutes. It seems odd that Kenmore with their penchant for superfluous bells and whistles wouldn't offer this option also, but maybe they don't. Maytag is anybody's guess. Whirlpool is dragging that brand through the mud so who knows what options you have on the Epics.

Tumbling speeds vary by cycle. On "whitest whites" the tumbling action is on the faster side, like it is on the "heavy duty" cycle. On "normal/casual" it's a medium speed. I've started basing my cycle selections on tumble speed and can still customize the wash time, water temp and spin speed.

 

[lederstiefel1]

Euro washers

In Europe, or better all machines I have seen in Europe and I haven't been to all countries yet, there are usually THREE different tumbling speeds in FLs/TLs (the only type of washers we have in Europe are tumblers, generally spoken): fast (about 10-12 sec. tumbling and 1-3 sec. stop, then a reverse), medium (about 6-8 sec. tumbling and 5-8 sec. stop, then a reverse) and gentle (1-3 sec. tumbling and 10-12 sec. stop and reverse) which in some machines is no more than a rocking as the drum sways just back and forth with no full turn-over.

The wash-time is generally 10-15 minutes in normal programmes and 5-10 minutes in gentle cycles but can be prolonged for extra washing performance or lower temperatures and also on some machines can even be reduceded to just a wash-time the heating-up needs, so that the machine, when reached the correct temperature, after a minute goes on further in the process to the rinsing cycle.

Just some examples:
Boil-wash cycle normally heats up in medium tumbling and goes to the fast tumbling during the wash-time afterwards; when extra performance is needed even the heating process switches to the fast tumbling and the wash-time is up to 25 minutes afterwards. Machines do spin between rinses and have a final fast spin.

Synthetics/perma-press/no-iron/wash'n'wear/drip-dry/easy-care progammes have the medium tumbling action during the whole cycle but can be boosted up to the fast tumbling after the heating-up when heavily soiled; also wash-time can be longer as well and they usually do not spin and end up in a rinse-hold which can be completed with usually a slow and short spin manually or you let the machine just pump the water off for no-iron drip-dry synthetics. Older machines do that wash-cycle with high water-levels whereas modern ones have lower water-levels in that wash-cycle.

Gentle cycles for hand-washables or silk and woollens use high water levels, short wash-times and the gentle tumbling action and do not spin unless you switch to it after the machine finally stops in a rinse-hold as above mentioned under synthetics; you can have a short fast or slow spin for these items or just pump water off for drip-dry items like silk and curtains.

The total washing-process time is therefor up to 2.5 hours for a boil/hot wash in regular cycles when a pre-wash is added (without 1.5-2.0 hours) and 45 min. to 1.5 hours in perma-press/gentle wash cycles depending wether with or without pre-wash as before mentioned (gentle-wash for woollens has no pre-wash of course!). These long wash-times occur because in Europe (except UK) machines normally do not have a hot-water connection but only cold-water inlet.

Ralf

 

[customcadillac]

fluid wash times- HE3T

I have an HE3T. As that's the first generation of the various Duet clones, the software may have since changed or been updated. On mine, the time is an approximation, as the machine will toss the load, then attempt a short spin in an attempt to balance it, pre-spin. Given that every load is different, this "toss-n-try-it" process can take several minutes before the microchip is satisfied it can manage the spin. I once washed one of those rubber, anti-slip bathtub mats with a few old towels. Fortunately, I was near the laundry room by the time we got to that "toss-n-try-it" period. The washer struggled for 20 minutes, trying to balance that mat before I gave it a break, paused the cycle and yanked out the rubber mat. After that, one more "toss-n-try" and we were in spin-city. Any machine that "senses" any aspect of its process can only approximate its time-to-completion, as each cycle will have unique properties that will take varying amounts of time to get "with acceptable parameters" (e.g. more rinse-time, spin-time, wash-time, etc.).

 

[panthera]

good explanantion from Ralf, just

One thing sounds a bit confusing. At least to me.
The machine runs a medium or (older Siemens) slow tumble for as long as it takes to get up to temperature.
This means the "wash" time is not 10 to 15 minutes, but roughly 90 seconds per one degree rise plus 10 to 15 minutes at the ultimate temperature.
It is this slow rise which, of course, makes the most of the enzymes and explains why European washers do such aa good job on protein based stains and greasy stains.
(logical conclusion deleted to prevent another war)