Why Has Whirlpool Never Sold a BOL Power Clean Module?

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Let’s face it:

Just about everything Whirlpool is associated with fancy-schmantzy hi-end’s…

Why would you buy an “Automatic Refrigerator” that’s a small capacity manual defrost?

A non-self cleaning oven without a clock, timers and other automatic gadgets and features—a waist-high broiler on a gas range, for example?

What about automatic drying on even the cheapest dryers, done with a thermostat and a humidistat on the top of the line models, that also feature a drop-down door…

Self-cleaning lint filters, the Magic Clean, on all its washers, both large capacity and even standard capacity on all but the cheapest… Boasting controls for water temperatures and water levels (an Ex. Small, Ex. Large, as opposed to timer-filled, when not using variable, or Small, Medium, Large and sometimes Extra Large on the majority)

The only compromise to “go low” is a manual defrost upright freezer, or a chest you can only get as such… But some are willing to put up the expense for self-defrosting!

My friend Barbie whose father worked for GM probably saw her family replace all those Frigidaire appliances with luxurious Whirlpool-brands, just judging from the super-large top freezer fridge and flagship-model gas range…

Only saw through a kitchen window, so I’m certain even the crappy plastic-lined Frigidaire dishwasher if they had was not a cheapy one-knob deal, and if so, the salesman surely sold those folks on the value and virtues of a dishwasher that you will be able to put everything in and never have to hand-wash anything ever again! Take that in-door silverware/utensil basket: Yep! Buy BIG, go super-duper up line, top o’ the line sky’s the limit, money is no object full-featured!
Breaks? Get it fixed! Unrepairable, just throw it away! The appliance shop is ready to sell and deliver a bells ‘n whistles replacement!

Oh, and take that jet-cone washer, they must have gone from a clam-shell to a slant-panel of, complete with a flimsy-door dryer, replacing the push-button child-entrapment one, that must have been warm, even hot, dizzying fun to go spinning in!

Yes, the Mrs. just signed the order form for an Imperial, maybe Supreme, that sounds like the neighbors got a washer that sounds like a washer, not a wood choppers’ festival… Whirlpool replaced the Frigidaire product of General Motors or Frigidaire/GM, there, given the how big the family was of four-siblings quite frequently done in that laundry room!

Otherwise you can put the blame on that cheap back then $3 advertising…
 

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Dave, WP for many years didn't have high-end features on the lower- and mid-models.

Thermostatic auto-dry was initially only on the top-of-line model ... then it trickled down to mid-line. Sensor dry was only on the upper models initially, with thermostatic on mid-line and timed-only on lower. Thermostatic is on low-end models nowadays to meet energy requirements. Lower- and mid-lower washer models had manual-clean filters into the 1980s, from the very popular 5700 (even some of the 5800 18lbers) series down. Fully bottom-of-the-line models in the '50s and '60s had no filtering.
 
Well Dave, there are two parts to it I feel: the drive mechanism and the control mechanism. Why use a more complex drive mechanism when similar if not the same results can be achieved with a simpler control mechanism?

The direct drives were offered from one speed single cycle single temp to three speed motor with dozens of cycles and dispensers, catalyst, DA ect. In the end the transmission, suspension, ect was all the same and gave consistent results across the lineup.
 
Catalyst recirculation/drain valve, as I understand, is the same valve assembly that was used on the early frontloaders that had low-level fill and recirculation to keep the load saturated.

Belt-drives had a range of single- to three-speed models, varying dispenser arrangements, filtering designs, etc., particularly so among the Kenmore-branded offerings.
 
Yup, yes & yes.

I think that was the key to Whirlpool's success and customer sanctification. The base drive mechanism was bullet proof, and from their customers essentially choose what complexity they wanted overlay-ed upon a perfect design based on their needs at hand.

Unfortunately that was less so for automatic dish-washing.
 
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