Soliciting thoughts re: "Best" washer and dryer for residential use. This will be Mom's Christmas present. Her existing machines are approaching ~3x of their design lifetimes; they s queal and shake so much it's amazing the clothes come out intact, let alone clean!
Mom's 77, and she's always had top loaders (as have I). And only recently have I started to use the high-efficiency top loading was her.
I've heard that front-loaders have problems with mold, etc.., or you have t o keep the doors open - which wouldn't be a problem since her machines sit off a side room in the garage. Seems everyone has an opinion about this. Hence, my question since Google searches all seem to recommend front-loader s as "best" - though it's hard to tell an ad from a legitimate review these days.
Anyway, I'm mostly wondering if there's too much bending over to deal with a front loader, or if they are actually easier to use??? There's plenty of room, so I suppose I could pay a contractor to build/install a pedestal fo r them?
Oh well. Suggestions are much appreciated. Since this is an engineering newsgroup, I guess I could at least mention th at at age 77, ease of use will trump any supposed energy savings. Plus, Mo m has plenty of money. --our inheritance :)
We got a Kenmore w/d pair from Sears, in Truckee. The top-load washer is hubless, kinda cool, easy to use. Sears installed them, nice job, and everything works fine.
We then got a Kenmore dishwasher for home, again from Sears, installed. It's better than the Kitchen Aid that it replaced.
I think most of the major appliances are made in the same few factories in China. I do think that GE appliances tend to be crap.
--
John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc
picosecond timing laser drivers and controllers
jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Mom's 77, and she's always had top loaders (as have I). And only recently have I started to use the high-efficiency top loading washer.
I've heard that front-loaders have problems with mold, etc.., or you have to keep the doors open - which wouldn't be a problem since her machines sit off a side room in the garage. Seems everyone has an opinion about this. Hence, my question since Google searches all seem to recommend front-loaders as "best" - though it's hard to tell an ad from a legitimate review these days.
Anyway, I'm mostly wondering if there's too much bending over to deal with a front loader, or if they are actually easier to use??? There's plenty of room, so I suppose I could pay a contractor to build/install a pedestal for them?
Oh well. Suggestions are much appreciated. Since this is an engineering newsgroup, I guess I could at least mention that at age 77, ease of use will trump any supposed energy savings. Plus, Mom has plenty of money. --our inheritance :)
We bought the high-end GE set (top-loading washer) about a year ago, and they're one slick set... vibration free and they talk to each other via some "network" cable... really nice performing _and_ efficient. Washer spins the clothes to so nearly dry that dryer has little work and little power consumption.
And even _I_ can run them ;-) ...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: skypeanalog | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
This new GE we bought a year ago is "hubless" (no agitator :-), and does a wonderful job of doing the clothes... and it's so "green" it weighs the clothes before and after adding some water to optimize water usage. ...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: skypeanalog | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
We moved to HE front loaders a couple of years ago.
Clothes are much cleaner. We use less water (important, here, but wasn't a factor in our decision -- the "savings" aren't going to make or break us).
SWMBO had sensitivity to the HE detergents (we tried several "hypo-allergenic" brands, all were bad) -- perhaps aggravated by the lack of water in the wash. As a result, *her* loads get a second "wash" (rinse) with no detergent. (kinda defeats the "low water usage" issue). We determined this on our own but, when MD was confronted, he indicated it is a relatively common problem (body rashes, etc.)
Door is left open at end of "laundry duty" to let the washer dry out (which happens relatively quickly, here). Unfortunate as washer is just inside door to garage -- if either of us are "out", the door would be damaged when we blindly open the door from the garage to regain entry to the house (so, we lock the door as a signal to the other party in such cases -- knock to gain entry).
Periodically, you have to run a "cleaning cycle" on the washer. Most brands require you to purchase a "cleaning agent" for this (ours doesn't). But, if it decides you need to clean the washer, then your wash effectively gets delayed (it may allow you to override this prompt... we've never tried as we can clean when it wants us to do so).
Much quieter than (old) toploader. Doesn't "walk" because it senses imbalances, stops and "jostles" the contents to try to rebalance the load.
Wash times seem to be much longer! Drying is lickety-split.
Bending over to retrieve the wet/heavy clothes after wash is a bit of a challenge for your back (we defered purchasing the pedestal bases as we value the top surface of the washer/dryer as a place to stack folded clothes, etc.). Note that a top loader washer feeding a front loading dryer allows you to use gravity to help "toss" the wet clothes into the dryer "on their way to the floor".
There's a filter located in the water drain line that catches "stuff" that might otherwise get washed into the drain (the equivalent of a dryer's "lint filter"). We've only had to clean it twice (the washer tells you when this is needed). *But*, the filter is located at the absolute lowest point on the washer -- which is literally 1/2" above the floor, in our case (or 1/2" above the pedestal drawer if you purchase those!). In either case, I am not sure you would put a plate, pail, etc. under it to catch all the water flowing from this once it is opened (with the washer on the floor, there is nothing that we've found to keep the water from spilling onto the floor -- even a dinner plate isn't low enough to get under!)
I opted to use right-angle adapters on the water lines so they fall straight down instead of having hard kinks develop *in* the hose at the ends.
At 77 I'd let Mom decide what SHE wants, she may be satisfied with a top loader, and might end up cursing that stupid front loader for the rest of her life. Mikek
When I went hunting for the washer the GE and a Samsung were touted as the best hubless washers. But after watching some videos on youtube I wasnt impressed. Load size and placement affects operation, a common complaint. And most of them are noisey. I guess I was sold on this video: If you have to watch water usage, you may have no choice.
Okay- something else you don't know squat about. And Sears will be going out of business any time now, the announcement is imminent, another oldie destroyed by the bean counters.
ey squeal and shake so much it's amazing the clothes come out intact, let a lone clean!
washer.
ve to keep the doors open - which wouldn't be a problem since her machines sit off a side room in the garage. Seems everyone has an opinion about thi s. Hence, my question since Google searches all seem to recommend front-lo aders as "best" - though it's hard to tell an ad from a legitimate review t hese days.
ith a front loader, or if they are actually easier to use??? There's plent y of room, so I suppose I could pay a contractor to build/install a pedesta l for them?
n that at age 77, ease of use will trump any supposed energy savings. Plus , Mom has plenty of money. --our inheritance :)
Front loaders were around in her day, they're nothing new. You know about a s much about washers as you do politics, history, government and law, which is to say: nothing.
Arizona, being a desert, has no water problems >:-} ...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: skypeanalog | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
That's a little over the top isn't it? I agree that with someone of advanced age (including myself) it isn't a wise idea to change things for the sake of change. In fact, unless she is asking for a new machine, I wouldn't consider getting her a new one. Just wait for the old ones to die and get her a bottle of "Tea Rose" or something you know she'll like.
Get a front loaders! The top loader high efficiency washers are terrible If I use bleach per instructiions, then I get burn out bleach spots on clothing. Ruined! I never had that before on any top loader. Knowledgeable sales people will know what I am talking about. So use a front loader.
Also, a top loader willl also get mold if you do not leave the lid open after use to allow drying out.
Use should always use beach on sheets and undergarments! Acne is kept alive and healthy residing on pillowcases unless bleached often. Uundergarments still have bacteria even if washed without bleach) and body odor soon gets strong after wearing undergarments only a day.
Female infections are hastened unless bleach is used on their udergarments.
What is worse is that the bacteia is still in the washer tub so an alternate load of bleached stuff followed by a load of other stuff without bleach (the nice colored outerware) has the benefit of having a tub that was just bleached, i.e. sanitized.
--
John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc
picosecond timing laser drivers and controllers
jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com
http://www.highlandtechnology.com
Nonsense. Our new GE has a bleach dispenser that flushes water thru it when it adds bleach to the wash cycle so that no clothing gets exposed to concentrated bleach.
Same with the Fabric Softener dispenser. ...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: skypeanalog | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
Ask the honest salespeople who are knowledgeable!!!! You may have a machine that has corrected this problem. Goodie for you. I talked to many after buying the one I have and they all say the same thing; very poor bleach dispensing on many top loaders.
So come on over and see what it ha done to my clothes. Proof positive.
Our (old) top-loader "solved" the problem by routing the liquid bleach to the bottom of the tub -- below the level of the bottommost clothes -- so it could be diluted (with a few gallons of water) before ever coming in contact with them.
The (new) front-loader uses less water in the entire wash than the top-loader
*assumed* would be present "below the tub" (in the above scenario). So, all "washing agents" (soap, bleach, softener, etc.) are preloaded into specific "compartments" and then flushed into the wash at the appropriate point in the cycle.
The front-loaders, I think, have a tighter seal, by necessity. Top-loaders have gravity to help keep water from "getting out".
As mentioned previously, we keep our washer's door open after we're done with "the laundry". But, it's rarely an hour that things are bone dry and the door can be closed.
We've learned NOT to close it so that it latches -- primarily to save one more "latch cycle" from the flimsy, plastic, overly complex "latch mechanism" as it's already been replaced once in the first 18 mos of its life!
[Door has lots of metal castings. Did it never occur to them that the latch would see the same sorts of abuse as the door? Why opt for thin plastic??]
squeal and shake so much it's amazing the clothes come out intact, let alo ne clean!
asher.
to keep the doors open - which wouldn't be a problem since her machines si t off a side room in the garage. Seems everyone has an opinion about this. Hence, my question since Google searches all seem to recommend front-load ers as "best" - though it's hard to tell an ad from a legitimate review the se days.
h a front loader, or if they are actually easier to use??? There's plenty of room, so I suppose I could pay a contractor to build/install a pedestal for them?
that at age 77, ease of use will trump any supposed energy savings. Plus, Mom has plenty of money. --our inheritance :)
Top loaders pretty much disappeared in the UK in the 1970s. Front loaders u se a small fraction of the water & electricity per load - but here at least they are smaller. Consequently washday has become chuck some in each morni ng on the way out rather than do it all at once.
Modern front loaders use hardly any more water than the clothes soak up, so run costs are tiny by comparison. Walking on spin is not a problem, that w as solved long ago.
Its best practice to run a boiling wash once a month in empty machine with either washing powder & soda, or an acid eg vinegar, citric etc. Not doing so, and closing the door routinely when not in use, can sometimes result in mould buildup. Most people dont follow this though. And ignore the mfr's g uides re detergent use, they're trying to sell the stuff and normally recom mend several times what's actually needed. Liquid detergents are worse for muck & mould than powders.
Not all machines are bleach compatible.
Detergent dispensers seem pointless, you get better performance by chucking the stuff straight in the drum. Fabric softener is also pointless except o n towels, and encourages buildup of muck & mould, and sometimes triggers sk in reactions. Prewash programs are now also pointless, even with severe soi ling.
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