What a fantastic community I have found

[kenmore1978]

US/Canada/Mexico

electrical standards are the same, 120/220 volts, 60 Hz.

Some areas of US were 50 Hz as late as 1940's

Some areas still have 208 volts

 

[spiraclean]

Thanks Steve and Jaune,
So does the USA actually use two voltages within the home; I presume the latter 220 Volts 60Hz is for use in appliances with heaters? In the UK only one voltage is used within a domestic dwelling Single Phase 220-240 Volts 50Hz with all power points being 3 pin 13 Amp capable of supplying appliances up to 3000 Watts. Industry has various voltage options but most commonly this is 3 Phase 415 Volts 50Hz. I find the variations in voltages between different countries very interesting and there is no doubt a safety advantage with a 120 Volts system also 60Hz would allow Induction motors to run faster. The 240 Volts used in the UK can easily kill and let me tell you it can give a very nasty shock, I have had my share of them over the years LOL.
Steve attached is a pic of the Whirlpool I will take a pic of the Hotpiont Drier later.
Regards.

Hugh.

 

[kenmore1978]

power

Hugh, there is a thread on here somewhere where power standards were discussed in detail. I'm not sure if it's still current or in the archives, but the shortened version is:

Most US homes, with the exception of very old ones that haven't beenupgraded, have 120 and 220 volts 60 AC available. 220V (or 208V in some areas) is generally used only for high load appliances such as

electric ranges that plug into a special dedicated 50 amp outlet
full-size electric dryers that plug into a special dedicated 30 amp outlet (compact portable units run on 120V)
room A/C units with a capacity over 12,000 BTU
electric heat of any kind (baseboard, ceiling or floor radiant, electric furnace) except for portable units, which run on 120V up to 1500 watts.
Central A/C or heat pumps
electric water heaters over 5 gallons

Some things (well pumps, swimming pool pump motors) can be wired to run on either voltage, depending on size of motor and voltage availability at point of use.

Manufacturers adhere to a Worst Case Scenario power draw of 15 amps at 120 volts, since that's the standard even very old homes used. Newer homes are wired to 120 Volt 20 amp standard, and some neweer 120volt appliances can utilize this, but they have a different type plug and outlet. Otherwise, everything else runs on 120 volts. For quite a while now we've been getting a lot of appliances that are dual voltage and 50/60Hz, you just move a switch and put an adaptor on the plug to fit where you are at. Some of the newer appliances are even self-sensing (my IBM laptop power supply is like this) and automatically knows which voltage/frequency is in use.

 

[DADoES]

My parents' house built in 1972 has 3-phase 220V volts for central air conditioning / heat pump.

 

[tolivac]

208V supplies

208V feeds are usually 3 phase fed from the power company.They are the most common 3 ph use voltages.The advantage with it is you get 208V between phases and 120V from phase to neutral or ground.this makes it easy for balancing 120V loads evenly in a building or premises fed with it.Its common in apartment building(most common user in residentail building)Condo buildings,and most commercial buildings.If a building has a 230 Delta 3 ph feed-you will need a transformer to step the 230 down to 120V. YOU CANNOT GET 120V FROM PHASE TO NEUTRAL-you will get what they call a "bastard voltage"around 160-170V that will instantly damage any 120V appliance connected to it.Have seen it fool some elctricians-they think-"Oh it 208/120V"--but SURPRIZE!!The 220-230V 3Ph is common in older buildings.In some cases they had a system called "red-leg delta" in which the red tagged leg is center tapped for 120V-this is a big disadvantage-It puts all of the 120V loads on one phase!!!Power compnaies hate it-load balancing and power factor goes nuts.and if you have phase load sensitive equipment-anything with a 3Ph rectifier in it-the heavily loaded leg will reduce the efficiency of the recitfier circuit.Years ago saw the effect of the loaded phase while doing SN noise readings on an FM transmitter-the noise meter fluctated to the blinking of the tower light beacon(those ran on 120 V 2 750W bulbs per beacon)When the station converted to 208/120 that problem was eliminated.most of the radio station studio and transmitter buildings I dealt with had 208-120V 3ph.One building had 230V 3Ph delta with wall mounted stepdown transformers for 120V-they had one per phase to balance the load-there were two FM transmitters in the building.Any of the apartment houses I lived in had 208-120V.The building I work in now has a 208V supply too-they just step down the 4160V building feed to 208/120V with a transformer bank.

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

Re: Whirlpool Photo:

Hi! Hugh, thank you for Posting the Photo of your Whirlpool Washer. It is great seeing one that was made for an Overseas {from us} usage. I've mainly seen the same or similar Console where yours is 2-Tone Blue Color, they've been more of a
2-Tone Tan/Beige Color here in the USA. I wonder if the Manufactures do that purposely, so they know which particular Brand/Model goes where... The only other different Color Consoles I've seen on Whirlpool Washers and Dryers are the ones with the Color-Co-Ordinated Water Temp, Water Level and Timer Settings, in Blue, Red and Yellow or Orange, or maybe even all of those. I don't remember for sure without looking at some Literature, what the Colors being used are, but they are the most Colorful Controls that I can remember for quite some time. The only other Washers and Dryers are the either 1960's or 1970's Philco Washers and Dryers, that had the Multi-Colored Lens above the Cycle Push-Buttons.

Whenever you get a chance, I as well as no doubt others would like to see your Hotpoint Dryer as well.

Peace, Happy Whirlpool Washing and Hotpoint Drying, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

 

[toggleswitch]

HA!

How cool is that-

The pause is labeled- (on this side of the pond it is known/expected)

BIG old US flag on a product! Scary to say but that is refreshing!

 

[toggleswitch]

World leader?

I honestly thought that was Electrolux (Sweden)

 

[appnut]

Hugh, how old is this machine? We haven't had 5 water temp combos in a number of years. Just 4 max (H/C, W/W, W/C, & C/C) I will miss my H/W when my washer goes.

 

[user 12105]

Yeah,..i have 7 temperature combos on my KM and not one with a Hot/Warm.

 

[spiraclean]

Whirlpool

Hi Folks,
Thanks for all the input on Voltage specs I am very surprised by the use of 3 phase in a domestic environment, only single phase is used in the UK for domestic supply.

Steve (SactoTeddyBear),
I will post a picture of the UK Hotpoint Drier later today I intended to do it yesterday but I got side tracked and forgot all about it. I have seen one example of the beige coloured version of my machine and a matching Drier they were a couple of years older than my machine but apart from the colour the washer was identical. I hope you are feeling better today? Did you get my e-mail OK?

Steve (toggleswitch),
Yes indeed the USA flag sticker is very cool and yes Whirlpool were indeed the World leaders in Laundry products at that time however I believe Electrolux Group of Sweden is currently the world’s largest appliance manufacturer.
You may find it interesting that Whirlpool first entered the European market when they took over the Dutch electronic giant Philips’s white goods division; the first line of products carried the brand Philips-Whirlpool after a year or so the Philips name was dropped and the products were branded Whirlpool.

Bob,
My Whirlpool Top Loader is six years old and thankfully has been totally reliable, it works and sounds the same today as when I first bought it. The Whirlpool Top Loader is my favourite washer.

Regards.
Hugh

 

[spiraclean]

Steve (SactoTeddyBear) this ones for you.

Hi Steve,
I finaly got round to it so here you go one UK Hotpoint Ultima Electronic Condenser Drier.
Regards.
Hugh.

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

Re: Thanks Hugh:

"OMG" Hugh, I was expecting the Dryer to look similar to our American Models. That is a great looking Hotpoint, where can I place an Order? {LOL}...What is the Black Disc-Like, with a White Circle around it, on the lower right of the Drum in the Photo? What is below the Drum opening, is this a Condensor Dry Machine? It also looks like the Door can be reversed, for Left/Right side of Washers. I like the Controls, they seem quite simple to understand and operate, for setting everything, as well as being quite flexible settings. Is the Drum Interior Stainless Steel?

Thank you so much for sharing the Pix of your Washer and Dryer. How old is your Dryer, it looks quite new?

Peace and Happy Wp/Hotpoint Washing and Drying, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

 

[spiraclean]

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your kind comments; unfortunately this is not in the same league as an American Drier. Like most UK models it is designed to fit under a standard 600 millimetre work top so it only takes a 12Lbs load. The drum is made from Zinc Galvanised Steel and the disc you see is the moisture sensor it detects if the load has reached the dryness level you have selected; once the selected level is reached it switches off the heat to cool the laundry down this usually takes about 10 minutes, it then sounds a buzzer and switches to an anti crease cycle where it gives a short tumble every 2 minutes until you unload the drum.
Yes it is a condenser model; the thing you see under the drum opening is the heat exchanger or condenser unit, it pulls out so any accumulated fluff can be rinsed out easily.
The controls are very easy to use you simply select the fabric type and the degree of dryness then press the start button, the electronics automatically select high or low heat depending on the chosen fabric, the rest is fully automatic as described above. It is a fairly good drier but it does tend to roll large items like sheets into a ball as a result they don’t dry properly so I end up unrolling them and trying again. I purchased the Hotpoint Drier in January 2001 so it is 4 years old now and thankfully apart from its sheet rolling tendencies it has not let me down.
Sadly Hotpoint UK which was previously owned by GE is now owned by Indesit Company (Formerly known as Merloni Electro Domestico) so only time will tell what will happen to the the UKs best selling washer brand.

All the best.
Hugh.

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

Re: Hotpoint Dryer:

Hey! Hugh, thank you for the info on your Hotpoint Dryer. I kind of thought that the Round Black item might have been an Electronic Sensor. Are there more than 1-Sensor in the Drum?

The 1965 Lady-K Dryer had 3-Sensor Bands that ran around the inside part of the Drum, to feel the Moisture content in the Laundry. I've got one of those Dryers, at this time it is covered up outside and is going to need some "TLC" on the Cabinet, besides some underneath Mechanical "TLC" as well. Doesn't your Hotpoint Dryer do a Reverse Tumble, I thought that a lot of the Overseas Dryers did, even if they were Brands of American Companies?

The WP/Kenmore Dryers later on, when they came out with what they called "Wrinkle-Guard" the "TOL" Dryers had a 2 1/2 hour setting, with Air Only every 5-minutes, for about 15-seconds.

It sure is too bad that so many of the Major Companies are selling out and even merging with some of these "odd" companies, that are going to not have the longevity of operating as some of our Vintage Laundry Appliances are able to do still.

Peace and Happy WP Washing and Hotpoint Drying, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

 

[spiraclean]

Hotpoint Dryer

Hi Steve,
No there is only that one sensor in the Hotpoint although you would think there would be more, it does reverse tumble but because it is a condenser dryer it tumbles more one way than the other and this causes the balling problem. I would not recommend this dryer to anyone because of the balling problem it is also extremely noisy with loud roaring fans.

Your 1965 Lady-K Dryer sounds like a nice machine you should do your best to get it running again, we need to keep these real machines alive and running well.
I agree it’s a sad situation with all the distinct brands being absorbed by the giants but that seems to be the way of the world these days.

Peach and happy restoring.
All the best.
Hugh

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

Re: Reverse Tumble:

Hi! Hugh, I've got an "LG" Compact Combo that does Reverse Tumble Washing and Drying and I believe that the Tumbling during the Dry Cycle is equal both ways. I've never Washed/Dried any Sheets in this Machine, but everything else seems to not get Tangled together, except for maybe a couple of Pant Legs once in a while, but everything else comes out separately, not tied together.

Peace and Happy WP & Hotpoint and "LG" Washing and Drying, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

 

[spiraclean]

Reverse Tumble

Hi Steve,
It does reverse but the problem with the Hotpoint is that it tumbles more in one direction than the other. This seems be due to the design of the fans used in its air cooled condenser drying system, the fans are highly efficient in one direction but not so good when reverse tumbling so it tumbles 2 minutes in one direction and reverses for 30 seconds.

Peace and happy Lucky Goldstar drying.
Hugh.

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

Re: Thank You Again:

Hi! Hugh, thank you again for sharing all of your info and Pix of your wonderful Laundry Appliances and how they are similar but somewhat different from our American-Made Laundry Appliances. Please keep up the wonderful knowledge of sharing with us, along with any other info that you would like to share with us about the "UK" Appliances and differences.

Peace, Happy Whirlpool and Hotpoint Washing and Drying, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

 

[spiraclean]

Your Welcome

Hi Steve,
You are very welcome, I am so pleased you fuond my machines interesting. Give me an American washer any day, I just can't stand the tiny drums and pathetic capacity of the vast majority of UK washers.

Peace and happy high capacity American washing.
All the best.
Hugh