Washer Dryer Filters

[spankomatic]

<span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde; font-size: medium;">Some reason I have filters on my mind so I thought I would spark up a topic. I'm wondering what appliance filters people like or dislike in their machines.  I have been a fan of G.E filter flo and Maytags filter in agitator. I also like G.E. Dryer filter right up front. Not so fond of Maytags Halo of Heat filter in the back or Kenmore/Whirlpool pull out filters on top (dust). Filter photos old and new would be great to see!</span>

<span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde; font-size: medium;"> </span>

<span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde; font-size: medium;">Jim</span>

 

[cfz2882]

washer lint filters

Like:
-filter flo
-westy T/L trough style
Dislike:
-westy T/L agitator filter
-maytag agitator filter

 

[abcomatic]

Washer Filters

I like the one that was used in the adgitator of the older styled Maytags. It is very affective and does a great job of collecting lint etc.

 

[toploader55]

Dust from Kenmore/Whirlpool on Top

As soon as I turn my Dryer on, (Whirlpool) I clean the filter while it's running. The fan pulls the dust down into the vent. I find this keeps the top of dryer cleaner.

 

[akronman]

Maytag Agitator lint filter

I have a late 70's Maytag, and the lint filter has worked very well for ages, AFTER I soaked it once for an hour in CLR and used a fingernail brush to push through all the holes. Now, about once a month it goes in the dishwasher, stays perfectly clean, and gets lint from every load of clothes, no problem. Of course, for small loads it doesn't do much, I'll agree.

My question----Why did all machines stop using lint filters? Was it originally to filter out soap scum, the lint was a side benefit, and with modern detergents and equal suspension of dirt it is relatively uneccessary for soap scum? OR, as more home got tumble driers which automatically remove tons more lint than a washer, was there simply less need to filter the washer?

Not necessarily a fascinating question, but I wonder sometimes.

 

[polkanut]

I would say that cost was also a big factor.  One less part that needed to be manufactured, stocked, installed, etc.

 

[cornutt]

Well, with an impellor-based top loader, there obviously isn't a place for an agitator-mounted filter, so the alternative is a water recirculating filter a la Whirlpool. To take the GE Harmony as an example, in order to have that type of filter, they'd have to add more plumbing to the machine and either a reversing motor or a valve to switch from recirc to drain. And then the pump would have to run all the time, and everyone who owns a Harmony knows that the pump is by far the noisiest part of the machine.

Were there any wringer machines that had lint filtering? I know some people rigged up contraptions using the drain nozzle and pantyhose (my great aunt tried that once), but did any of them come with a lint filtering capability from the factory?

 

[cornutt]

Oh, and as for filters that I've seen: My mom had two Kenmores at various times. She had an early '60s model with the waterfall lint filter. It was hard to clean; as a young boy one of my chores was to clean it, and picking the lint off was difficult. Then she had a later model with the marbles-filled self cleaning filter, which I don't recall ever having any problems, although as I understand now they are leak prone. The style of self cleaning filter Whirlpool uses now doesn't seem to be as effective. Used a lot of laundromat Filter Flos, and had one for a while in an apartment I lived it, and I always considered that a simple and effective design; the agitator motion tends to make the lint all ball up and at the end of the cycle you just grab the lint ball and toss it. And the filter pan doubled as a powdered detergent dispenser, which was handy back in the days when detergents were harsher than they are now.

As for dryers, the only ones I've experienced are the pull-out Whirlpool style and the front-mounted GE style. What I didn't like about the Whirlpools was that if you dry a particularly linty load, then as you pull the filter out, the lint peels off and then falls down into the machine. Plus it does get lint all over the top of the machine. I've found now flaws with the front-mounted GE style.

 

[polkanut]

Our Maytag Dependable Care dryer circa 1998 has the lint filter in front.  It is flat, and slides into a slot.

 

[yogitunes]

GE Filter Flo is about the best, for capacity to hold a lot, and after the spin you have those puffy little balls to toss in the trash, no soggy lint to deal with...

but a true lint filer I like best, would have to be any solid tub machine with an overflo rinse......all lint filters can be effective to a point....but for the most part lint floats, and the best way to get rid of it, is add water with agitation pushing it over the top of the tub! ! !anyone with a solid tub and overflo rinse will agree, they have the least amount of lint and detergent left in their clothes after washing.....

my Mom's 1960ish GE FF, before miniwash, pulled water from the side of the outter tub, to be filtered........the next models pulled from the bottom.....still a diluted attempt at getting rid of lint from the wash water.....but I do like the drama from these machines, except that pan does get in the way of watching the wash action, and they probably do catch he most lint, without clogging

you know who to ask, Robert, he has a GE solid tub, lint floats over top, and pumped back into the tub, thru the filter first, 100% of the water is filtered before returning to the tub.....thats one example of lint filter removal

but also, different fabrics today do not give off the lint like clothes of the 60 and 70's, and then theres the cost of adding all this equipment to the machines of today......actually remove a self clean filter from your machine, with proper washing procedures you won't even know its gone!

the only example of excessive lint would be New Towels, they can shed lint in the first few times they are washed, and you would have to empty the lint trap from the dryer several times during the cycle....

 

[yogitunes]

Whirlpool's magic mix dispenser filter.......fun to watch, both the waterfall, and the agitation, but once this filter gets filled, lint removal is slowed down, and the lint is available to be redeposited on you clothes...

 

[spankomatic]

Nice photos,Martin. Thanks for posting. Eddie, I never thought of cleaning the filter with the dryer on... Things you learn on this site.

 Anyone know if a 1959 Philco Automagic has a lint filter? Would love to see that!

 

Jim

 

[neptunebob]

Actually, I would think clothes today would give off more lint because the fashion trend has been back to cotton - For example, back in the 70s men wore polyester pants that I remember could sometimes be almost like tights and polyester shirts with bright colors - just watch That 70s Show and you will see what I mean.  Don't forget John Travolta with his white polyester suit.  Polyester clothes hardly gave off an lint at all.  They also could not handle hot dryers - a GE dryer we had back then actually had a polyester setting. 

 

Around 1985 Levis came out with Dockers which are all cotton but permanent press and people started to dress up more in the 80s so there would be more cotton than in the past, though probably not as much as in the 50s.  Also, people don't dress up as much as they used to and wear more jeans, sweats, now.  I think the grunge movement around 1992 had a lot to do with that.

 

[spookiness]

What to buy today?

I like my 27" Kenmore (Whirlpool) dryer with the filter in the front. I dislike top-mounted Whirlpool filters because of the mess.

1. Since I hang a great deal of my clothes, I would appreciate opinions about modern washers and whether any have decent lint-filtering abilities.(TL or FL)

2. My Admirpool does a lousy job of filtering lint, hair, or anything fuzzy. Even though I carefully sort my fabrics, I still get more lint than I ever recall with my old Norgetag. Are there any retrofits, or are there other gadgets or ways to filter lint?

 

[akronman]

Hey Cornutt

My early 60's Speed Queen wringer came with a lint filter mounted on the agitator. Just about useless, it only worked if water level was incredibly exactly even with the filter and water sloshed over the edge. It was added late in the run of wringers, probably to compete slightly against all the added features of automatics.

 

[spankomatic]

Nice photo,Mark! Good info too. I can remember Speed Queens in laundromats,but I do not remember them having a filter.

 

Jim

 

[3beltwesty]

1976

The filter here on my dryer is easy to clean; one just scoops any lint before one uses the dryer for that session. It is just an inverted semicircle filter that is right there at the opening; once one opens the door. The filter is just a metal screen door mesh that never wears out. Mine was replaced a year after Katrina since the filter rusted out due to going under salt water, not a normal failure mode for most folks. A new filter was 15 bucks via ebay. With the 1976 Westinghouse dryer, the air flow is simple. The air enters and is drawn across the back heater coil then goes into the drum of clothes. Air exits into the front doors prefilter; then drops down thru the screen filter; then thru the suction blower; then goes to the exit tube and past the sensor; then exits.

 

[spankomatic]

@3beltwesty, Do you have a photo of the semi circle filter to post?

 

[spankomatic]

Anyone ever try one of these for their washing machine?