Designgeek
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2004
- Messages
- 865
All this about inflexible water levels is just another ramification of *too much computer control* to make things that *idiots can use* but that drive anyone with brains raving mad.
As for "can't get the stink out of sweaty clothes," the computer-control enthusiasts are working on that issue, and when they're done, the Smellotronic Washer will be released to the public. This will come with an automatic Snifferator that can tell when your sweaty clothes are clean enough (even if you can't tell the difference!).
What really makes sense is to just go back to the old mechanical controls as far as possible, and then have two water controls, one for wash and one for rinse, so you can adjust each separately. A little less water for wash, a little more for rinse, for example.
My preferred version of a FL would have basically manual controls. (Uh oh, heresy department!).
The Wash section would have a knob with three settings, Gentle, Normal, Strong. Next to that, a time selector, 0 - 15 minutes. Next to that, a water selector marked arbitrarily 0 - 10, and a water temp selector marked from cold to 200 degrees. Finally a Start button. The Rinse section would basically duplicate the Wash section but you could set up different times and water levels and temps, and agitation strength. The point of this is so you don't have to fiddle with the controls on the Wash section when you want to rinse. The Spin section would have a 3-position selector: 600, 900, 1100 rpm, and a timer 0 - 5 minutes, and a Start button. The only concessions to electronics would be a temperature indicator and a water meter that would show gallons or litres from the time you closed the door to the time you opened it (i.e. for the full cycle), and a power meter showing KWH used for the entire process (down to hundredths).
You load your laundry & detergent into the machine, set up the controls as needed, and press the Start button on Wash. It fills, heats, agitates, and then when done, drains and stops. Next you press Start on the Spin section, perhaps set to 900 rpm for 2 minutes. It does its thing and then stops. Next you press Start on the Rinse section, and it follows the settings you've dialed in, and does its thing and then stops. Press Spin again. Press Rinse again. Repeat until you don't see suds in the rinse water. Then change the Spin settings for final spin, perhaps 1100 rpm for the full 5 minutes, and press Start.
Yes, it means you have to stick around and go into the laundry room and press a button every five to fifteen minutes. For most of us here that wouldn't be a problem because we're watching the washer anyway. And I'll bet that a machine like this could be used off-grid in houses running on solar (turn off the water heater) and would be highly efficient in terms of electricity consumption.
I suspect that having the water and power meters on there will encourage people to tweak their cycles to optimize efficiency without compromising cleaning, i.e. "how little water and power can I use while still doing the job effectively?" That's been the experience with automobiles whenever MPG indicators are fitted: people subtly change their driving habits so they still get where they're going on time but don't use as much gas to get there. Best of both worlds.
Question is, if one wanted to build something like this "from scratch" by hacking an existing FL, what machines would be suitable for hacking this way (both new and vintage machines)?
As for "can't get the stink out of sweaty clothes," the computer-control enthusiasts are working on that issue, and when they're done, the Smellotronic Washer will be released to the public. This will come with an automatic Snifferator that can tell when your sweaty clothes are clean enough (even if you can't tell the difference!).
What really makes sense is to just go back to the old mechanical controls as far as possible, and then have two water controls, one for wash and one for rinse, so you can adjust each separately. A little less water for wash, a little more for rinse, for example.
My preferred version of a FL would have basically manual controls. (Uh oh, heresy department!).
The Wash section would have a knob with three settings, Gentle, Normal, Strong. Next to that, a time selector, 0 - 15 minutes. Next to that, a water selector marked arbitrarily 0 - 10, and a water temp selector marked from cold to 200 degrees. Finally a Start button. The Rinse section would basically duplicate the Wash section but you could set up different times and water levels and temps, and agitation strength. The point of this is so you don't have to fiddle with the controls on the Wash section when you want to rinse. The Spin section would have a 3-position selector: 600, 900, 1100 rpm, and a timer 0 - 5 minutes, and a Start button. The only concessions to electronics would be a temperature indicator and a water meter that would show gallons or litres from the time you closed the door to the time you opened it (i.e. for the full cycle), and a power meter showing KWH used for the entire process (down to hundredths).
You load your laundry & detergent into the machine, set up the controls as needed, and press the Start button on Wash. It fills, heats, agitates, and then when done, drains and stops. Next you press Start on the Spin section, perhaps set to 900 rpm for 2 minutes. It does its thing and then stops. Next you press Start on the Rinse section, and it follows the settings you've dialed in, and does its thing and then stops. Press Spin again. Press Rinse again. Repeat until you don't see suds in the rinse water. Then change the Spin settings for final spin, perhaps 1100 rpm for the full 5 minutes, and press Start.
Yes, it means you have to stick around and go into the laundry room and press a button every five to fifteen minutes. For most of us here that wouldn't be a problem because we're watching the washer anyway. And I'll bet that a machine like this could be used off-grid in houses running on solar (turn off the water heater) and would be highly efficient in terms of electricity consumption.
I suspect that having the water and power meters on there will encourage people to tweak their cycles to optimize efficiency without compromising cleaning, i.e. "how little water and power can I use while still doing the job effectively?" That's been the experience with automobiles whenever MPG indicators are fitted: people subtly change their driving habits so they still get where they're going on time but don't use as much gas to get there. Best of both worlds.
Question is, if one wanted to build something like this "from scratch" by hacking an existing FL, what machines would be suitable for hacking this way (both new and vintage machines)?
