Yay! I have my own Speed Queen Series 9!

[eurekastar]

Thanks to LukeS, I decided to purchase the old style Speed Queen Commercial Washer.  I also order a control panel from a Series 9.  The washer came today by motor freight, so I decided to take off work and do the conversion. 

 

What a simple procedure too!  Remove the screws across the rear top of the control panel.  Remove the top trim piece.  Tip the control panel forward.  Snap off two wiring harnesses.  Using a nut driver, remove the four screws holding the control board in place.

 

Reverse the process!  Easy conversion!

 

To ensure that it works as it should, I ran a load of towels on "Large" rather than "Extra Large."  It operated as it should on its maiden wash.

 

I suppose the only way you could the difference is that the commercial unit control panel is white.  The Series 9 home unit is a brushed aluminum. 

 

[iiijohnnymaciii]

Enjoy!

Enjoy! Stains and odors won’t stand a chance! And just keep the original panel safely stored in case you need to put it back on for warranty issues. Good stuff!

I’m going to get myself a home style dryer to match my 2017 doing the same thing you all are doing. I originally had a 2017 8 series. With 3 kids the shorter cycle times weren’t quite enough to get the worst of stains. After I bought a 9 series control panel, I wash on whites cycle with tide original mountain fresh powder and I don’t even have to pre-soak. Those extra minutes do make a difference.

 

[frigilux]

Congratulations, Bill and I'm glad the console conversion was easy to do. I purchased a Series 9 washer and dryer in the summer of 2017. My daily drivers since 1987 had always been front-loaders (a couple of Frigidaires followed by a Maytag) but decided to go with the SQ top-loader when I sold my house and moved to an apartment. I've grown to love the truly vintage experience of the washer.

 

John, I agree completely that the extra few minutes of wash time on the Whites cycle improves cleaning performance.

 

Having said that...now that the new SQ front-load model is available, my longtime preference for that format is getting the best of me. Two brothers who live in the apartment downstairs (I've known them since they were tykes) have a Whirlpool top loader that's on its last legs. I may decide to gift the SQ top-loader to them and spring for the new front-load pair---if I don't choke on the washer's $1900 price tag, LOL. And I'm assuming the dryer is similarly priced. The footprint--especially the depth--of the SQ front-loader ensures it will fit well in the tight quarters of my laundry area.

[this post was last edited: 4/24/2019-20:49]

 

[eurekastar]

Thanks guys!  I've discovered one problem...when it spins out water for the final rinse, the flow rate overwhelms the standpipe. I tinkered with one reduction fitting but it restricted flow too much.  I tried a second one and it wasn't enough.  I may get the plumber to cleaning out the drain, but I honestly don't think that will help.

 

[frigilux]

Bill- I had the same problem with a AWN542 at my house. Plumber cleaned out the drain but it did not help. He suggested I install a laundry tub and let the washer drain into that, which of course would temper the water flow into the drain. I gifted the washer to a friend. No problems with draining here in the apartment building. Good luck; I hope cleaning the drain solves the situation for you!

 

[eurekastar]

I have a plumber coming out tomorrow to clean the line, so we'll see what happens.  Meanwhile, I can wash on PP and it provides high speed agitation and a low speed spin out.  The standpipe handles draining on low speed just fine.

 

[eurekastar]

Plumbing Success!

Plumber just left and the drain is clear (at least for a year!).  He said that he's never seen a Speed Queen pump out water at such a high volume and he works at a lot of apartment complexes and laundromats with Speed Queens.

 

[eurekastar]

A couple of observations and a question

Now that I've used the SQ for a couple of weeks, I have a couple of observations and one question:

 

1) the Delicates Cycles is really a "hand washables" cycle.  It agitates intermittently on low speed.  To get what I think is a genuine Delicates Cycle requires using the Bulky Items cycle.  It provides continuous low speed agitation. 

 

2) All the cycle times are preset.  Agitation time is shortened or lengthened according to fill level requested.  A heavy duty cycle with medium soil level is preset to 31 minutes.  Agitation is longer for lower fill levels and shorter the maximum fill level.  On Max it agitates for about 7 minutes.  On medium, it is about 8 1/2 minutes.  But no matter what, it will always be 31 minutes.

 

3) Is normal for the tub to index?

 

[gusherb]

The indexing will go away after about 6 months.

 

[frigilux]

Bill— I don’t use the Delicate cycle, either. When I want slow agitation—for me that’s usually when I don’t want a small load to be thrashed to death—I use the Bulky cycle.

More than at any time in my life, I’m a “press start and walk away” guy. Had never noticed that agitation was longer when selecting the small or medium water level. I thought maybe the countdown timer got itself back into sync by pausing during the fill for the deep rinse or something. Interesting.

My nearly two year-old machine still indexes a little—about one-sixteenth of a turn on medium-to-large loads. This is substantially less than the amount it indexed during the first year-and-a-half. At any rate, it no longer indexes enough to compromise rollover.

 

[appnut]

From the above description, sounds like a bunch of compromises and what I consider unacceptable limited agitation.  The fuller the water level, the shorter the wash agitation.  Sounds completely bass ackwards.  My front loader sounds even better than ever before!!!  

 

[iiijohnnymaciii]

Wash Times

I see what you are saying, but agitation is not shortened. For example: for Whites Max soil, you get a minimum of 13 min agitation. If your tub doesn’t fill in time, the clock pauses to make sure that you get that 13 min of agitation. Once your tub fills, your timer starts again. However, if your tub is set to small load, you will get a longer than 13 min of agitation, because your tub will most likely fill to the small load level before the clock gets to the agitation cycle time. They could remedy this by fast forwarding the clock for smaller loads. But, be rest assured that using a larger load will not cut into your agitation time. Having a small load will just give you more.

Yes, your tub will index in the beginning. I do one to two loads a day and after about 11 months of use, I couldn’t and still can’t after 14 months get it to index no mater what I throw at it.

Also, bulky has a fast spin speed, so I wouldn’t recommend it for truly delicate items.

I use tide mountain fresh powder line 4 1/2 to 5 for extra large loads, 4 for large loads, 3 for medium loads, and line 2 for small loads. I don’t pretreat. Using warm water on the whites max soil level I’ve never had one stain remain other than a car oil stain. I’ve never had a smell remain either. And that includes my cat using a my laundry hamper as a litter box after she accidentally got locked in the room.

Hope this helps.

 

[lukes]

With the new Speed Queen Classic model I assume people will no longer do this conversion. I am still happy I did it as I love the machine and it gives the option of water level selection which the classic does not have.

The timer starting on fill is probably my biggest frustration with the controls. Did the mechanical timer SQs do the same thing?

The tub indexing is not intended? Once the break wears down it will go away? So indexing does not help rollover the cloths?

 

[eurekastar]

@ LukeS

I had a 2016 Speed Queen before I moved a couple of years ago.  I don't think the timer began advancing until the requested fill level was reached. 

 

As for tub indexing, I don't know.  Some people say it will go away in two weeks.  Others two months.  Some say one year, while others say it will never completely go away.  The only problem I see with it is that it tends to shift loads to one side of the tub, thus creating some imbalance. 

 

I did notice on the parts list that a silicone grease is used on the brake assembly when replacing the pads.  Maybe it takes a while for that to be adsorbed or evaporate. 

 

I don't really know how the brake system works and how the pads exert pressure on the brake rotor.  But I wonder if it takes several uses in order to conform the pads to the shape of the rotor, thus creating more area for contact and gripping. 

 

Even though SQ is introducing the Classic model, I think I still might have made this conversion.  While I mostly use the Heavy Duty cycle, I still like the flexibility provided by the other options, especially with the water level selection and the availability of Rinse and Spin only.

 

[DADoES]

 
Electronic controls beginning a time count immediately on start typically is an "estimated" total cycle time that adjusts as the cycle progresses.  Fill time varies per the selected level and water flow-rate, so an estimate is usually based on an accumulated "history" of previous runs.  SQ apparently does theirs a little differently in that the cycle time is a fixed length based on maximum fill so the wash time is extended for lower fill levels.

Mechanical timers don't operate that way.  Solid-tub, time-fill machines of old, of course the timer (not a pressure switch) controlled the fill so it did begin advancing immediately.

 

[combo52]

Tub Indexing On Transmission Style SQ TL Washers

The tub is not designed to move during wash, The brake pads are greased apron assembly so the brake pads will not rust to the brake rotor during shipping and storage of the machine, this is especially likley if the machine is in a very humid area.

 

Tub indexing does NOT help rollover, it may reduce stress on clothing on really big or heavy loads but overall it is counterproductive to good washing action.

 

Cheaper to build washer designs leave out the brake and have to use a lid lock, machines without a brake generally can not wash as big a load and never wash as well in the same time range.

 

John

 

[eurekastar]

When put into commercial use, I would imagine that the tub indexing goes away much more quickly due to the constant use, seven days a week.