Water usage

[revvinkevin]

Like Gordon I typically try to be frugal with my water usage. More for actual conservation then cost because I'm not too worried about the monthly bill. It's usually between $30 - $40 (2 of us in the house).

I prefer using front loaders for my weekly laundry needs (for a few different reasons). I too, tend to cringe a little internally when using too many deep-fill machines on a regular basis, tho I always have at least one top load washer connected in my line up (of 4) in the garage for the 4 - 5 loads I do per week. With exception of my 2 year old TOL Kenmore Elite FL washer, my other front loaders are older and use noticably more water then the new ones.

If I'm having a party or wash-in, the water usage never crosses my mind because everyone is having such a good time and it's worth it.

As for using a 2nd rinse? In a top load, deep fill washer, almost never (only when using the "whitest whites" cycle on the KM Elite Catalyst or WP Calypso), but in a front loader, always.

Kevin[this post was last edited: 1/3/2012-16:03]

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Guilt ???? And for what reason?

My washers use the water amount that needs to be used for a GOOD washing not too much not to less!
Said this to start I will go ahead....
Conservation is a good thing but needs to be really apllied on a daily basis and on everything, I'll make the example of when you wash your teeth or face or taking a shower ...do you close water while brushing and soaping?
I admit sometimes I do not!
A research I read time ago revealed that many don't as well, I do not remember the numbers but remeber were a scary numbers, just think at the gallons of unused water that goes under the pipes each day, now think in a month, year etc....

I hear many people boasting themselves of going more green like: "Hey, now I have an HE appliance I did an investement for a better future!" (I will let alone this speech also as it is way pretty stupid), and then you see them leaving the water opened while washing soaping and brushing the car outside, or leaving all day long the water for garden opened soaking all around the street.....those are the things for wich I would take them face to face and explain them something with the good manners!

I would not for anything in this world change my washer for an HE or stuff like as I think my laundry must be washed in a right amount of water that a regular washer provide to come out REALLY clean,a thing that most of times with an HE machine like Calypso or wash plate doesn't and cannot happend without talking about their doubtfull washing actions!
Said this, I do care about water and I admit mostly is for economical reasons, but I do not see why renouncing to a really clean laundry or dishes and a good appliance also just to save those few bucks that with an HE you maybe could do with a big renounce in terms of cleaning as most of reviews and ratings of unsatisfied customers tells also.
Another thing that get me a little upset of modern days also is this "fashion" of owning an HE appliance, because it is just a fashion! And also a marketing find to force people changing their "still good" and old appliance because they claim you'll save alot with them, marketing find because manufacturers did this and took out these "HE" news just to improve an appliance market who sufffered alot the crisis!
This is the truth!

I met and hear many people saying:"oh but this is an HE I can run it anytime just with a T-shirt and it does not waste energy as consumption is related to it's load" nothing more stupid!
Also an HE toploader is not that different on consumption than an old one with a water level selector, and many times there is not even a difference on water consumption!
And where isn't a water selector??? I'll make an example:
What difference could make a Robert (I beg to take you as an example Robert)with his Unimatic or the beautiful vintage and functional dishwasher with the glass window I seen on youtube wich are always run at full load always getting a wonderfully clean laundry and dishes, and a Lady with an HE or FL machines who most of times run them half of their capacity and who has to washing twice because spots and stains still remained on the son's football stuff, and has to deeply prewash dishes before dishwasher as most people today I know is obliged to do with an HE dishwasher? A lady that maybe also waste tons of water for her car and or garden? "But I've an HE!"
In conclusion:
Owning an old appliance or an HE is not that makes the difference as someone also stated before, and I think this is not just for the members but for everyone, I think it's rather a matter of how you use your appliance and water and how you're a waster character....

[this post was last edited: 1/3/2012-17:29]

 

[yogitunes]

Incomming water temps play a factor in winter for warm rinses.......

but as useing FL's mainly as daily drivers, for the most part, warm/warm is always the preference, not so much as water expense, but heating the water is the concern.....

I conserve for myself as needed, not for the environment.......most all wash water is drained out onto the lawn, which is super plush deep green, on one side of the house only...lol.......

as for water useage or waste, I pay a flat rate per quarter for 26000 gallons($50.00), what I hate is during summer restrictions, It is requested to reduce water useage, but my bill does not go down for lower consumption, and I know what some of you guys are gonna say about running out, but we never have, so I never pay attention to it........as for possible waste, I have running water in a wash-bay of the garage(not attached to the house, and only heated during use), even during the winter, and although the pipes are wrapped underground, rather than pay the expense of digging up the ground to replace a frozen busted pipe, I let the water drip all season long.....have never gone over my limits, but if I did, its only 1.50 per 1000gals, cheaper than a plumber....

 

[DirectDriveDave]

No guilt whatsoever. We are very efficient with the water usage.

For example, anytime we wash something that only requires the lowest water level, we make sure we get a bunch first that safely satisfies that water level, we never just drop two things in and then start it several times just because they are there.

On the 1990 Whirlpool, that machine has yet to use the extra rinse cycle.

Also, for those that have seen my youtube videos (with the exception of just one) all the things that were in the washer legitimately had to be washed, so it was being run for a purpose.

Probably the only time the washer would be run with full water and no clothes is cleaning purposes. Though, one thing I didn't mention when I was replacing the drain pump is that, when I saw the outer tub, it had ZERO build-up inside of it, I was shocked, though, it may have to do with our water temperatures.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Also, I totally agree with Dave.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I'm hoping that my water bill goes down (I get billed every 3-4 months) w/ the purchase I'd made of a new shower head!

-- Dave

 

[combo52]

WATER COST AND CONSERVATION

I feel no real guilt because I try to always do things well and efficiently, I have always believed in having my cake and eating it too.

 

My water&sewer bill is usually running between $10-15 per month billed quarterly. 

 

I use FL and older TL washers every wash day, I usually drain the Hi efficiently machines into the older TL washers and wash my dirty work jeans etc.

 

I use Natural gas fired dryers almost exclusively, sometimes I use the old Frigidare Filteraters in the winter to add heat to the basement.

 

I keep my hot water set in the 125 degree range and wash everything in hot water, and always rinse in cold year around. I respect my vintage machines and the environment and water temperatures much over 120 degrees are not only very costly and wasteful but they GREATLY shorten the life of your water heater and every piece of your homes hot water system and many parts of any washer especially vintage machines.

 

One of the biggest problems in using vintage washers and dishwashers is that often people don't fill them to capacity or with DWs they pre-rinse the dishes. All washers, dryers and DWs were designed to do a job and most were designed to do it efficiently. Some 1950s and 1960s appliances would actually get an Energy Star rating if still being made today. Early automatics if used with thier Suds-saver feature and the matching electric ignition gas dryer are extremely efficient, to say nothing of using a wringer washer or twin-tub washer.

 

Over the years that I have been servicing major appliances, when you consider all the energy saving advice that have given my customers, you would not begin to estimate the water and energy savings that I have encouraged, to say nothing of the increased pleasure, life and utility that my customers have gotton out of thier major appliances. 

 

Everyone of us is IMPORTANT and everyone of us DOES make a difference in the quality of life for EVERYONE in the world. Don't think what you do or do not do does not matter in the big picture, never under estimate your influence!

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Supportive of Keeping Enough Clean Water for Future Generati

But, yes, extra rinse cycles: When I don't want the "acrid smell of detergent" on my handkerchiefs and when washing the baby's clothes!

I use DREFT for washing the baby's clothes & linens and wash 'em separately from our things (well, maybe an ocassional Victoria's Secret panty, that needs to be washed on "Delicate", but when there is not enough for even a "smallest" load is OK)...

I think at some point, it might be OK to use regular detergent for the baby's clothes; she doesn't show any kinds of soap allergies, as long as I thoroughly wash it out...

-- Dave

 

[cehalstead]

water bill amounts

My most recent water/sewage bill is for 4300 gallons. The cost of the water is $48.58. The sewage part of the bill is $41.76. Total bill is $90.34. This bill includes water used for my waterfall humidifier on the furnace.

 

[washerlover]

Arid West

I'm really enjoying everyone's responses! Hey RevvinKevin, I love how the folks in the southwest part of the country have lower water rates than those of us further north. We have lots of water here in the "south Northwest" but our water/sewer bill ranges from about $50 in Winter to about $100 in Summer (watering the yard, etc.) and there are only two of us in the household. But I still don't feel too guilty using the larger machines. I only have one machine with the second rinse option (the Wards/Signature), but it's a manual selection.

 

[washerlover]

Gray Water Flushing

And growing up in California, our first real drought occurred back in 1976, and my oh-so environmental Dad made us fill up a 5-gallon bucket with the water from the shower while waiting for it to get hot, then putting the bucket next to the toilet to use it to flush it. We also used the washer's gray water to water the yard and garden. My dad jury-rigged a water hose to the washer drain hose with a sprinkler on the end of it to water the lawn. Not very effective over time as the lint from the washer began to clog the sprinkler holes!

 

[supersurgilator]

That is very clever hooking the washer up to a sprinkler. Did you ever get any pics of that? Would be neat to see them LOL

 

[cfz2882]

gray water sprinkling

during the warm months,when i have a washer active out in the garage,i use the
washer drain water for extra garden watering;water goes into a holding tank(WCI
franklin "horizon 2000"outer tub)along with runoff from 1 gutter.From the franklin
tub a calypso pump drives the water to the sprinkler- to avoid clogging problems
a "vortex"type sprinkler is used;one of those with two holes of about 3/8 in the
center of each round chamber that the water enters at an angle to cause the water
to exit the hole in a conical spray...Someday i might harness the drain water
from the basement washer lineup,but will have to add a pump to the laundry tub and
run a pipe outside...

 

[qualin]

Heh.. I run my water heater at 160 F.. but only because the regular task of doing things like showering, dishwashing and clothes washing bring down the temperature of the hot water in the tank down to almost lukewarm levels at times.

If I do eventually replace the water heater, it'll be with a larger model. We always run out of hot water too quickly and we're only a two person household!

The main reason why I switched from a TL to a FL was that the TL washer just wasn't doing all that great a job. I bought a Huebsch because it used the most amount of water of any front loader. It's still less than a TL machine.

I agree with Freddy aka Kenmoreguy that HE seems like it's almost a fad. I don't know how much further the manufacturers are going to push it until we're all mandated to wash with a cup of water while the next door neighbor leaves his garden hose on all night watering his lawn.

Our water gets extremely cold during the winter.. Barely above 0 C (32 F).. so when I do a warm water wash, the water is just barely warm, almost cool...

 

[rapunzel]

I'm not a catholic, I don't generally do guilt

I'd feel guilty if I'd accidentally run over some misplaced environmentalist, whilst driving my car to the local shops, where I have everything packed in plastic.

 

[electronicontrl]

Not Guilty

I was raised on wringer washers and suds savers so conservation is still on my mind but no MORE or no LESS than before. If I do sheets and towels I use HOT water and when playing in my laundry lab, I'll "catch" the wash water, diverting it from one machine to another. I'm not that diligent when it comes to a warm water wash. I use my MAH4000 Neptunes most of the time, with extra rinse. In my locality I'm billed for administrative costs which I believe account for 40% of the bill, so trying to save water is not going to save much money. It's a lot in the manner in which it is perceived. I don't believe I waste water. Therefore I don't feel guilty.

 

[kenmorebd]

Water

I now have my own 2002 Kenmore deep fill topload washer. Yeah it uses more water than the 2011 ge hydrowave that mum has but, when you have to wash you gotta wash. The only thing I am a bit stingy on is Hot water. I will only run a Hot wash when I have at least 1/2 full load to do. The washer had a 2nd rinse option but I have never needed it. Also the ge toploader for an HE washer is not to bad with water, it will fill just high enough to handle a good sized load.

-Andrew

 

[mickeyd]

Playing with the hoses and the water

A large part of my becoming a washer man involved draining water and hoses. For the life of me, I can not understand how my fellow and beloved washer brothers hide all or most of their hoses in drainpipes behind the machine and out of view and out of use. I would go crazy. It is just as much that I'm against wasting a natural resource as it is wanting to play with the water and the hoses and pushing the machine into complex, creative maneuvers--although the older I get the more uncomfortable I am wasting water.

 

As a kid, I would let the 57 Uni drain into the large enamel tub, skipping the overflow so as not to dilute the washing liquors, then I would weave the hose under the faucet and cold water tap to the small tub of our double sink, pretending I had the L-shaped WP/KM drain hose of the suds-return models. For the next load, I'd hold the hose down in the big tub by sliding the lid over till it locked against the submerged hose, and create a siphon by starting then stopping the agitation. The suds would then return to the outer tub. Finally, I 'd hold the hose over the washer and pump the suds from outer to inner. Piece of cake. Geraldine did not approve, but she let me do it.

 

Today, I re-route the expelled water to another machine, or with the wringers, there's no end to the high jinx. Here is an example : The 56, washing three white bathrobes, had just entered the overflow, which I aborted, allowing the steaming wash water to drain into the 62. Distracted by another chore, when I returned to the garage the rinse was under way. As the spin was about to begin, I stuck the hose into the outer tub of the 62 in the gap between the tub and top. This was new, never having done this one before. All of this water is clear and clean, perfect for use with a dark load.

 

Later on when I load the 62 with a dark load of biking gear, I will drain the water from the outer tub back into the 56, and rinse the dark load there, after having washed it in the 62. For members unfamiliar: Once the agitation starts, the pump will expel any water in the outer tub. This might sound complicated, but once you start down this road, it becomes very natural, easy and creative.

 

I'm going to show the 56 that I bought from big Ted in a moment; it's got the gray agitator Jon & John were talking about in the 57 Charcoal thread. Have to switch servers.

One moment please ;-D .........

[this post was last edited: 1/8/2012-19:09]

 

[washerlover]

Hey cfz2882, happy to hear someone else does the gray water sprinker bit and found out how to get around lint clogging up the sprinkler spray holes!

 

[garyl]

Gray water reuse

When I had my business, I tested each washer with a load of clothes. Sometimes I ran out of dirty clothes! I used Amway SA8+ with phosphates. I drained the water into my garden. The plants loved it! They grew like crazy, but there was too high an amount of phospates for the zuccini. It grew well, but it would flower, then the flowers would just drop off and no zuccini. The lawn liked it too. It never "clogged the soil". When we lived in Yuma, I tried watering the lawn with washer water, but the lawn did not like Tide liquid. I switched to 7th Generation, and the grass came back. After a while, we could not get it localy, so we changed to a similar detergent. I just used a swimming pool vacuum hose, and moved it around as we did the loads.