Whirlpool H-axis Toploader

[jennooo]

I was given a Whirlpool L7580-750 Toploader H-axis washing machine when I moved here to Hong Kong a year ago. I'd never seen something like this before, what with the clip-open drum and all. Until now, I've been a one-button girl. But, it's nice and skinny for small space living! And it's got charm.
Can't find ANY information on my model, I would love to get my hands on a manual for it but the previous owner has long-since legged it outta here.
Anyone know anything about this kind of thing? I'm posting this in the 20yr+ category but I actually have no idea.
Any info appreciated!

 

[foraloysius]

That machine looks a bit younger than 20 years because it has a white control panel. The styling doesn't look like the Whirlpool styling overhere in Europe. However the three dials and one push button is very Whirlpool like.

I think that one small dial is for the spin speed and the other is for the temperature. The bigger dial is for setting the programme. The push button could be for a small load. A close up of the control panel would help though.

You moved to Hong Kong? May I ask where you are from? USA?

Louis

 

[ronhic]

Jennooo

Just make sure you load the drum to the very top....it'll wash better and spin far more balanced than if you put less in it...

 

It should take 2 queen sheets, 4 pillow slips and a quilt cover with no trouble...

 

But for more information, Louis is right...we need a close up of the control panel

 

 

[jennooo]

Here's a close-up. Yeah it's quite a sensible looking thing. A lot of stuff here comes down from China, so maybe this too? It's unclear in the pic, but the blue strip has the model number L7580-750 in white on it.

I'm originally from South Africa.

 

[foraloysius]

I see there is indeed a spin speed dial (the one at the right). Is the max. spinspeed 750rpm?

The one next to it is the temperature dial ranging from 0*C to 90*C I think.

And then there is that big dial. The one you were using on the machine you were used to I guess. It's hard to see what the symbols are like and what the text around the dial is. Could you make a close up of the big dial?

 

[jetcone]

How about an interior shot for

Louis as well, this machine is his domain and passion too. Thanks and welcome Jennooo

 

[thor]

Jennooo

Your machine has three distinct cycles: cottons (identified by the cotton boll), synthetics (identified by what seems to be lingerie) and hand wash (identified by a feather). Cycle selection alters wash rythm (intensity of wash), lenght of wash, highest wash temperature, number of rinses and highest spin speed.

For instance, when you select the synthetics cycle and 90 °C, highest spin speed, maybe your washer limits the highest temperature the wash water will reach, most probably to 60 °C; the same for the hand wash cycle, maybe limited to 40 °C. The same goes for the higest speen speed. Even if you choose the highest spin speed the machine limits it according to the selected cycle. To prove this, I see the hand wash cycle ends in Drain, so most probable this cycle doesn't even include a final spin.

I hope this helps.
Emilio

 

[thor]

Forgot...

Jennooo, I forgot to add that cycle selection most probably also modifies the water level for the wash portion and rinses. The milder the cycle, the higher the water level...

 

[arbilab]

What I can tell from washer history, H-axis TLs were half the fleet at one point. Really huge commercial laundries still are. Still waiting for that tub shot.

 

[foraloysius]

I found out that Whirlpool has it's own site for Hong Kong. Here's the link. You can contact them and ask how you can get a manual.

http://https//www.whirlpool.com.hk

 

[jennooo]

Drum

 

[jennooo]

Inside cover

 

[jennooo]

Close up of the big dial

 

[jennooo]

Thanks for the Whirlpool HK link! And for the tips about filling it up, etc. I saw some very similar looking machines on the Whirlpool site, just with newer bells and whistles.
One I'd like (which I don't have) is the "drum up" feature which puts the opening at the top all the time. I have to roll it around, looking for the door.
750rpm is quite slow isn't it? Could this be the reason my washing is a lot drippier than in any other machine I've used? Anyway, not complaining. Free washing machines rock

 

[foraloysius]

Ah!

Thanks for the pictures!

This machine has two main cycles. The first one is for cottons and the other one is for delicates. I was already wondering about that. The cottons cycle is the grey cycle. It has the option of a prewash, but with modern detergents you only need that for really dirty laundry. Whites is the longest normal cycle, there is a small chance that it starts with a prerinse, but I'm not sure about that. You will have to test that. If you wash whites separately you can use that cycle and choose 60*C and max. spinspeed.

Colors etc. go on the "Colour mixed" cycle. You can choose the appropriate temperature ofcourse by setting the thermostat. All kind of variations are possibel, really dirty coloured stuff can be washed on "Prewash" or "Whites" too as long as you set the temperature right.

"Rinse and spin" give one rinse followed by the final spin.

Delicate gives a higher water level. Is there something like "Wool" on the delicate side? From that point the wash action is probably reduced. Spinspeed is probably reduced as well.

The 750rpm is not a really a fast spinspeed, but because this machine has a rather wide drum it spins them better than frontloaders with 750rpm. Still a bit on the slow side compared to newer machines, although it differs from country to country.

You might pay some attention to the softener compartment in the lid, it looks like there is mold growing in there. A good cleaning with a brush and a cleaner could make that a lot better. The rest of the detergent dispenser looks rather good.

Free washing machines rock indeed!

 

[arbilab]

Thanks for the photos. That design makes it very compact, yes? Is the drum suspended? Looks not to be. Put one pair of jeans in it and it would chase the cat.

 

[foraloysius]

There is suspension. With my older Philisp toploader I never had problems with going off balance. This machine has a spin drain feature, it rotates with a slow spin speed for a while before it ramps up to a higher spinspeed. It helps deviding the laundry. Even when the drum is not totally full there should be no problem with spinning.

 

[paulc]

Louis

I read the colour coding as Blue for cottons, the grey band for synthetics and the pale green band for delicates. The have the cotton flower symbol for cottons, that funny science beaker thing symbol for synthetic and the feather symbol for the delicates.

 

[foraloysius]

Paul

I guess Emilio thought too there are three different cycles. However, Philips (and Whirlpool after that) didn't think a separate synthetic cycle was needed because the spinspeed was variable. And wouldn't it be odd that the whites cycle would be the shortest and have no rinse and spin?