My view on the USA's palty usage of home FL washers befo
Here in the USA, Westinghouse marketed the FL washer in the early 1940's. This advert from 1944 mentions it is a post war dream product already come true that has two years of war time service. A revolutionary appliance. Thus FL Westinghouse washers go back to at least 1942. I believe the 1944 advert is a teaser advert, since WW2 halted the production of many consumer items. When I was a kid a neighbor had one of these from about 1941/42.
My dad bought one in 1947, and another in 1976. Some families like mine in the USA have used FL washers for over 1/2 century, and that is the only type we have ever owned. The 1976 Westinghouse was marketed to save water, reduce ones usage of soap and hot water too, plus less wear on clothes.
The drawback of the older USA FL home washers were there NOT giant. ie the basket on the 1976 Westinghouse is about roughly 2.5 ?? cubic feet as a wild guess. Thus for marketing; before the mid 1990's US FL washers were considered dinky. These older machines had a niche market with stackable sets in condos, apartments etc.
A major reason FL washers did not sell well in the USA is they were smaller in capacity and often cost 50 percent more. It was not a problem here with a family of six. In many places water usage was not a concern too. My current house in 1971 did not even have a water meter, it was not until 8 years later where a meter was added.
The USA's new generation of mid 1990's washers had bugs, mold, stink, wax motor issues, boots that collected water. ie stuff that the 1942 model did not have.
Thus here as a long time FL USA owner, my take is that few bought FL washers before 1995 because they were smaller in capacity and cost more. Plus the marketing blurb of the 1976 machine being a "New Generation" that saved water did not matter to most folks all all.
