What can happen if you overload your washer

[tolivac]

Saw this on the "Darwin Awards"A man trying to do 50lbs of laundry in one load--got caught in his washer while stomping in the clothes-and as he was doing it-hit "start" on his washer.He was able to witness first hand the agitate and spin cycles of his washer.The dog even came in to help....He didn't survive his laundry session.Could this be ANOTHER warning posted on the inside of washer lids? Read the entry "the Laundry was clean" in the left column.

Darwin Awards: Urban Legends

Urban Legends: Darwin Awards are TRUE stories, but Urban Legends are included here by popular request. Apocryphal stories (JATO, Dog and Jeep, Raccoon Rocket) are examples of Herculean Darwinian efforts. Be glad, be very glad, these people don't exist!

darwinawards.com

 

[DADoES]

If I understand the entry correctly, it's a fabricated story to play off the Darwin Awards concept.

 

[tolivac]

How disappointing!figured if folks were putting gasoline in their washers--this would be next.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I saw the Myth Busters set this one up on their show. They had one of their artificial people with lower legs in the washer. It was limp so it draped over the side, but the arms had rope around them so that when the demo started, they could raise the "body" into an upright position. What happened would have killed a person, but how much room is in a washer with 50 pounds of clothing in it? I would say it was packed too tightly for feet to be caught and lower legs trapped. And now, washers start when the timer dial is pulled out or a small button is pressed in. There was no explosion from the baking soda-urine reaction. Rubbish, I say.

 

[jasonl]

Yeah, they used a direct drive Kenmore for that one. Pretty funny and obviously it was a legend.

 

[frigilux]

I like the MAD TROMBONIST story better...

 

[tolivac]

Yes,I liked the "Mad Trombonist" as well-great story.I was suspicious of the dog peeing in the baking soda-don't think much would happen except some fizzing.You would think it would take one of those compactors to squeeze 50 pounds of clothes into a washer.And if it was stuffed into the washer drum like that--the agitator wouldn't be able to move-would end up tripping the washer's line fuse or circuit breaker.And wouldn't be much room for the WATER either!!Now I am sceptical of anything on that site.

 

[MrX]

It doesn't sound very plausable to me. The machine wouldn't have even held 50 lbs of laundry, unless he was washing chainmale !

Also, how many washers would enter the spin cycle with the lid up ?!

This guy doesn't sound sophisitcated enough to have by-passed the lid switch(s)

I don't think the machine could manage to get to spin anyway with 50lb of clothes + a person on board. The motor's arn't THAT powerful.

 

[tolivac]

Many new washers won't even agitate when the lid is open.Yes,would be difficult to see how a 1/3 or 1/2 Hp washer motor would get up to spin speed with a normal load of clothes and a persons weight in it.Again--even if the machine went to spin with the lid open-bet the extra weight would trip the line breaker or blow the fuse.The persons weight would be too much for a typical washer motor.and another thing-If the fuse or breaker held,the belt would slip in a BD machine-or the coupler would break in a DD machine.the coupler acts as a mechanical "fuse" if the load is too great.Now we are all analyzing this story-the more we talk about it-the less likly it would happen that way.