Somewhat OT: Washing Machines

Kate, I do wish you wouldn't be so ambivalent. Do you hate Whirlpoo or not? LOL Polly

"Kate XXXXXX" I loathed my Whirlpoo, almost from the moment it arrived.

I'd have liked the ISE 10, but couldn't quite manage £750. I'm saving

I told my husband any money I find in the washer or dryer is mine. Sometimes, doing the laundry can be very lucrative for me, although, lately, all I've been getting is dog kibble:( He puts a handful in his pocket & gives it to the dog for treats. I love my front loader & I also have to leave the door cracked a little for the little bit of water that is left in the rubber track around the door, but that's not a problem for me. If it was in a heavily trafficked area, I'd probably just run a rag around it to dry it off.

My front loader is a Frigidaire & I love it. I have the hand wash cycle - love it! We are on mandatory water rationing this year, so I'm really glad we bought this a few years ago. I have not had any problems with my washer or dryer - both are Frigidaire. We got the pedestals for them & I have all my laundry junk stored in the drawers - laundry room is neat and tidy!! I would never go back to top loaders!

Pauline Northern California

Yes, that comment about the mangled clothes surprised me as well. I have had mine for about 3 - 4 years & have yet to encounter a mangle:) I can open my machine in mid-cycle too. I remember reading here at rctq years ago that you couldn't, but maybe some brands you can't. I open mine often & so far, I haven't been splashed:)

Pauline Northern California

Yeah Polly. I thought Kate was straddling the fence on the Whirlpoo - or was that Whirl P U?

Pauline Northern California

Door seals CAN go, but I've never had it happen. I'm on my 4th front loader: all of the previous ones died of old age elsewhere, but the door seals were in perfect condition.

Well, I never like to diss summat without trying it first...

I think we Europeans probably read the front loader/top loader debates with amazement! I once knew someone with a top loader - about 30 years ago. I suppose you can still get detergent for top loaders here, but can't say I've noticed any.

Our range of front loader detergent is mind- boggling - even a special one for black things. Personally I just use 2 sorts, both liquids that come in disolvable sachets, one for coloureds and a bio one for whites - oh, and one for silk/wool which I use on the handwash setting. Normal wash I do on 30 degrees, the highest is 90 and the coolest 15.

Mine takes both hot and cold water, but the new ones take only cold and heat it up which is supposed to make the machine perform better, but mine cleans the clothes brilliantly. It is from before the days of being able to add things during the wash which you can now do on some machines. Its companion tumble dryer sits on top (it has a special fitting so it doesn't fall off).

Never had one leak in over 35 years, door seals always intact and never had anything shredded. Over the years I have found things in the place which collects things likely to block the pump - coins, a plastic plant label etc. DH's credit card stayed in his pocket and still worked after its wash.

Mine's a Bosch (chosen because our Bosch dishwasher ran for 24 years), its a 'normal' household size as there are only two of us, but I see from their website that there is now a big capacity one and also a very big capacity one. I think, however that the makes/ranges/specifications are different in the US.

I would guess that well over 98% are front loaders in the uk. We definitely have taken front loaders to our hearts!

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Roberta wrote:

I think I last saw one in New Zealand around 1974. I moved to Pittsburgh after that but when I was there I always used a laundromat and they only had front loaders.

I've had to replace a front door seal once. It was a bit of a pain but not a really skilled job. The same machine developed a leak but that was easy to fix with fibreglass car body filler.

Given Marion's habits they really ought to come out with one that has a mobile phone wash cycle.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === ==== Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557 CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts

Sally, the reason for this is the amount of water they use... My previous ones were hot and cold fill, but the new ISE5 is cold only: they use so little water that they haven't taken anything from the hot water tank or boiler (depending on the type of hot water system they use) by the time they are full. They 'fill' with what was sitting cold in the hot water pipes! This leave the warm water from the tank or boiler cooling in the pipes... No point, is there? So cold fill only. The new generation of water heaters are fast and efficient, and they need to heat so little water, so they get a better 'green' rating all round.

Teenage boys do this too, as Little Sis will attest... Me, I needed a Lego filter. Now it's a coin* and bus pass filter - and one for Warhammer figures.

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Kate XXXXXX wrote:

I feel your pain on that one Jack. I do miss the lego days around here. Taria

Jack Campin - bogus address wrote: after its wash.

Yeah... And James wasn't born until 1994!

Ghosties?

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Kate XXXXXX wrote:

Tina: My sister in law has a unique situation with her washer. It is a top loader but does not have the tall agitator post. IOW, it is similar to a front loader in operation. She likes it a lot as it does not tangle the clothes like an agitator post would. PAT

You are in Coastal FLORIDA? Gee, I thought you were in Texas. Is that a different Tina, or did the Houston Tina move to Florida? PAT, curious in Virginia

I actually used to be Tina of the Atlanta Bunch, remember them? We moved to Florida about five years ago.

Howdy!

R/Sandy