# New washer and dryer. Wow on the energy savings!



## Brian26 (Dec 30, 2017)

I caved in and replaced our 10+ year old still working washer and dryer with a Samsung pair about 2 months ago. I was reluctant as I am sure many of you are with all the electronics and stuff that could go wrong on these new units. But I kept the old ones in the basement just in case something goes wrong and have a 5 year extended warranty on the new set. If one has issues I can swap in one of the old units in literally a few minutes.

I hooked up my kill-a-watt meter on the washer and was blown away that it only used 0.15 kwh on the normal wash setting for an entire cycle. Our most recent city water bill was also reduced by about $30 and that was with only 2 months of use. The dryer has dried clothes in a fraction of the time of the old one due to the 1200 rpm spin cycle on the washer. The clothes are just damp coming out and cut my dryer run time in half. So far I am very impressed.


----------



## EatenByLimestone (Dec 30, 2017)

Awesome!


----------



## Where2 (Dec 30, 2017)

I know the feeling of doubt, we replaced a perfectly operating set of old mechanical timer top load washer (Kenmore), and simple mechanical timer dryer (Maytag) that still worked to install our first Samsungs. I didn't have space for two sets around the house, so we dumped the old appliances on CL for $150 and managed to get around $125 for the pair. We have now had our Samsung front loaders for 9+ years. We actually own two sets, now.
Over 9+ years of use (on the original set), faults have been limited to inlet valves (both hot, & cold, but not at the same time), one front seal (replaced as preventative maintenance) and the rubber flapper valve on the drain pump outlet (simply bought a new pump to obtain this simple part, considered the pump preventative maintenance). The electronics have actually been flawless, although the house has a whole house surge suppressor.
Just for comparison sake, I have my kill-a-watt on the washer right now, running a "Normal" cycle load to see how this compares to your consumption. _(straight "normal" runs 0.18kWh on mine, a "Normal+Extra Wash+Extra Rinse+Prewash" is 0.40kWh)_

We hope the second set we bought (second hand) work as flawlessly for us, as our first set. We dragged the second set 2,000 miles to our farm (occupied seasonably at best), and parked them there. The second set was picked up off CL in pieces. The washer came from a set where the dryer had issues within the first year and the owner got the store to buy the dryer back. That got us a 15 month old washer for cheap. The dryer (with a pedestal) came from someone who didn't know how to repair appliances. It had a broken belt, had a faulty heater element replacement that could have burned their house down and it needed the drum rollers replaced (one was missing entirely). After I got done replacing parts on the dryer, it had a new belt, a new heating element, 4 new drum rollers, had had a thorough cleaning inside, and should basically work as new. I searched an entire summer for a used set near the farm, at best they were 2+ hours away, and were priced at or above what I ended up spending for the set I have now.


----------



## EatenByLimestone (Dec 31, 2017)

Our washer has been flawless.  The dryer has had 2 faults.  We've  had them probably 5 or 6 years.  The first one was hose buildup that fried a fuse.  I couldn't figure out how to get the top open so I called a repair guy.  I watched him open the top so I'd be ready next time.  Next year I was ready.  The error was, well, I don't remember what the issue was.  It was something I couldn't test like a fuse and I narrowed it down to that thing.  I ordered it online and swapped it out, making sure I cleaned everything really well before I put it together.

Sadly, it's a gas dryer and the wife has never liked it.  She likes the absolute dry feeling you get from electric dryers.so, the dryer runs 2x as long as it really needs to.  But electricity per btu  is 6x more expensive than gas.  I say nothing and make sure the hose is clear every year.  That reminds me.  I should check it now that it's the end of the year and I'm cleaning the basement...


----------



## Where2 (Dec 31, 2017)

EatenByLimestone said:


> Sadly, it's a gas dryer and the wife has never liked it.  She likes the absolute dry feeling you get from electric dryers.so, the dryer runs 2x as long as it really needs to.  But electricity per btu  is 6x more expensive than gas.  I say nothing and make sure the hose is clear every year.  That reminds me.  I should check it now that it's the end of the year and I'm cleaning the basement...



Keeping the dryer vent line clear is amazingly important to proper function, no matter what heat source your dryer uses. I'm fortunate that mine makes two 90° bends through a telescopic (periscope shaped) flat sheet metal hose, and then exits through the exterior wall. I can clean 60% of the duct by hand with a flashlight from the outside of the house, if I just remove the plastic duct cap flaps. My sister's house requires the bottle brush looking gizmo and climbing on the roof!!  Not sure who thought that was going to be convenient for routine maintenance??

One of the reasons our 4.4kW PV array can only generate 55% of the energy our home needs is due to the enormous energy consumption of running our electric dryer.  The nearest gas line is 3 houses away, and adding natural gas would add to our monthly bills thanks to the gas company's *$20 minimum* monthly meter charge. We can't put a gas well in the backyard, but I could install a ground mount PV array to make more cheap electricity...  Back before we changed out several appliances (dryer, water heater, & stove), we debated bringing gas to the house.


----------



## peakbagger (Dec 31, 2017)

Time to look for a heat pump dryer if you need to run a dryer with solar.


----------



## sloeffle (Dec 31, 2017)

peakbagger said:


> Time to look for a heat pump dryer if you need to run a dryer with solar.


I looked at those when they first came out. I wonder what the ROI is? They are about twice the cost as a standard electric dryer though. Our HPHW cut our electric bill by $50.


----------



## Brian26 (Dec 31, 2017)

sloeffle said:


> I looked at those when they first came out. I wonder what the ROI is? They are about twice the cost as a standard electric dryer though. Our HPHW cut our electric bill by $50.



I looked into the heat pump dryers and with having solar panels they were not worth the extra cost. My new Samsung dryer has a eco setting that supposedly uses 25-30 percent less power. Looking at the energy star ratings my new dryer is just slightly below the heat pump dryers in power usage.  

https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-clothes-dryers/results


----------



## peakbagger (Dec 31, 2017)

Not sure its easy to compare apples to apples on a Heat Pump Dryer compared to a resistance based dryer.

If you have room for more PV and are grid tied I agree its may be better to put in more panels.


----------



## georgepds (Jan 8, 2018)

Old dryer habit.. wood stove in the winter, rope in the sun during the summer

Once you get used to it, it's second nature


----------



## 3fordasho (Jan 8, 2018)

georgepds said:


> Old dryer habit.. wood stove in the winter, rope in the sun during the summer
> 
> Once you get used to it, it's second nature



Started doing more of this, hang stuff up in the furnace room, especially heavy towels or jeans.  Electric dryer is 3 years old and still a current energy star rated model.  Still when it's used for a few loads my daily electric use doubles or triples (from 12-14 kwh to 30+).   Normally I buy gas dryers but this time went electric because of everything else there was to do for a move, no time to run the required gas line. Starting to regret that decision now.


----------



## OhioBurner© (Jan 13, 2018)

I need to get one of those kill a watt and see what my washer is consuming in power. But I only do a couple loads a week so I can't imagine the efficiency of a new unit would make economical sense (and I'm on well, so water/sewer cost of no concern). It's old mechanical unit, so far been perfectly reliable for almost 20 years, but guess it could go any time now. Electric dryer!?! I haven't used one of those in a few years, one of the easiest ways to go green! I enjoy the few extra minutes outside in the sun hanging clothes out in the summer, and winter helps humidify the inside air hanging clothes on the rack by the stove. If only they still put lint filters in wash machines now-a-days...


----------



## Brian26 (Jan 13, 2018)

OhioBurner© said:


> I need to get one of those kill a watt and see what my washer is consuming in power. But I only do a couple loads a week so I can't imagine the efficiency of a new unit would make economical sense (and I'm on well, so water/sewer cost of no concern). It's old mechanical unit, so far been perfectly reliable for almost 20 years, but guess it could go any time now. Electric dryer!?! I haven't used one of those in a few years, one of the easiest ways to go green! I enjoy the few extra minutes outside in the sun hanging clothes out in the summer, and winter helps humidify the inside air hanging clothes on the rack by the stove. If only they still put lint filters in wash machines now-a-days...



My Samsung washer has a lint filter on it. It's quite suprising how much lint gets sent out the drain line when I empty it. I think I heard those on septic it's bad to have all the lint sent into the tank.


----------



## Highbeam (Jan 14, 2018)

Brian26 said:


> My Samsung washer has a lint filter on it. It's quite suprising how much lint gets sent out the drain line when I empty it. I think I heard those on septic it's bad to have all the lint sent into the tank.



It is bad! Those fibers are often synthetic so they don’t digest and worse than that is that they don’t settle out properly so the fibers shoot into the drain field and plug it with plastic.

Modern Samsung front loaders have a lint filter on the discharge line? Is it easily accessible for cleaning? Mind blown!


----------



## woodgeek (Jan 14, 2018)

Highbeam said:


> It is bad! Those fibers are often synthetic so they don’t digest and worse than that is that they don’t settle out properly so the fibers shoot into the drain field and plug it with plastic.
> 
> Modern Samsung front loaders have a lint filter on the discharge line? Is it easily accessible for cleaning? Mind blown!



My LG does.


----------



## Seasoned Oak (Jan 14, 2018)

Still keeping a 17 yr old Kenmore front loader on backup duty for a new GE Hi efficient top loader. Been using it for work clothes just to keep it hydrated. I have to say i think the front loader go the clothes cleaner and was more stingy on water and electric, and the GE top loader is kind of noisy.


----------



## Highbeam (Jan 14, 2018)

woodgeek said:


> My LG does.



My whirlpool has the coarse filter before the discharge pump but it is only good for catching nails, coins, and small clothing from getting wound up in the pump. Lint requires a very fine filter.

Also, the coarse filter is not easy to get to plus dumps a gallon or more of liquid when you open the filter chamber.


----------



## OhioBurner© (Jan 14, 2018)

Brian26 said:


> My Samsung washer has a lint filter on it. It's quite suprising how much lint gets sent out the drain line when I empty it. I think I heard those on septic it's bad to have all the lint sent into the tank.


Wow I am surprised, my mom has been complaining for years about lack of lint screens ever since her ancient washer went up, and I looked too and didn't see any (but not looking at expensive units). My washer isn't tied into my septic tank it goes out in the yard with the gutters and floor drains, but still it's quite a mess on my clothes when I leave a kleenex in a pocket once and a while. I don't like the idea of bleach in the septic either, though I rarely use it. I'm re doing my laundry room right now, probably wont be finished until spring/summer time frame, unsure if I want to plumb it back into the septic like it was or keep it on the grey water drain.


----------



## CaptSpiff (Jan 14, 2018)

OK, stop keeping it secret, where is the lint filter on your Samsung or LG front loaders?

I have a old Roper agitator with a lint screen at the base of the agitator. I have to lift out the agitator and run my finger across it to clean it each wash. I also have my wife's old stocking rubber banded to the discharge hose, and a lint trap in the washtub drain. I can't believe how much lint I trap in each of these successive items.

My dad put the fear of god into me about discharging into the cesspool and clogging it. Haven't needed the sewer guy in 20+ years, so I'm sticking with what I know.

Trouble is,... wife wants the new front loader, and I don't see any lint screens.


----------



## venator260 (Jan 14, 2018)

OhioBurner© said:


> Wow I am surprised, my mom has been complaining for years about lack of lint screens ever since her ancient washer went up, and I looked too and didn't see any (but not looking at expensive units). My washer isn't tied into my septic tank it goes out in the yard with the gutters and floor drains, but still it's quite a mess on my clothes when I leave a kleenex in a pocket once and a while. I don't like the idea of bleach in the septic either, though I rarely use it. I'm re doing my laundry room right now, probably wont be finished until spring/summer time frame, unsure if I want to plumb it back into the septic like it was or keep it on the grey water drain.




Be aware that this is against code in some places. I put in a new septic this summer; part of that was plumbing everything into the septic system

Not that I think it's harmful to discharge laundry water to the woods. Other places allow the use of grey water for irrigation. Just not in PA


----------



## woodgeek (Jan 14, 2018)

@Highbeam has it right....I think mine, while full of lint sometimes is more of a coarse screen.


----------



## 3fordasho (Jan 15, 2018)

CaptSpiff said:


> OK, stop keeping it secret, where is the lint filter on your Samsung or LG front loaders?
> 
> .



My LG front loader has a filter access door in the front lower left corner.  Also a small drain hose in there. Cleaned it for the first time last night (my bad) and didn't find much in there. As others mentioned, pretty coarse filtration, for pump protection and not so much for lint.


----------



## CaptSpiff (Jan 15, 2018)

3fordasho said:


> My LG front loader has a filter access door in the front lower left corner.  Also a small drain hose in there. Cleaned it for the first time last night (my bad) and didn't find much in there. As others mentioned, pretty coarse filtration, for pump protection and not so much for lint.



Yup, that's what I suspected, pump protection. Guess I'll just continue the "stocking and drain lint trap" process. Anyone else drain into their cesspool and use lint trap methods in the laundry tub that work?


----------



## semipro (Jan 15, 2018)

Concerned about the lint going into our 30 year old septic field I installed a fine screen filter at our clothes washer discharge.  I found we had to empty it often -- pretty much every load (lots of pet hair).  The amount of synthetic lint we caught convinced me we needed to keep the stuff out of the drain field so I installed something like what's shown below.


----------



## CaptSpiff (Jan 15, 2018)

semipro said:


> .....  The amount of synthetic lint we caught convinced me we needed to keep the stuff out of the drain field so I installed something like what's shown below.



What is that and hows it work?


----------



## semipro (Jan 16, 2018)

CaptSpiff said:


> What is that and hows it work?


Its a filter system that is installed in place of the outlet tee in a septic tank.  It filters the liquid that goes to your septic field.  You pull out the filter cartridge periodically and wash it off with a hose.  On the model we installed, a ball in the bottom acts as a floating valve that prevents flow to the field when the filter cartridge is removed. 

When we last had our tank pumped the guy doing the work sawed off the old tee and I was able to install the filter without getting into the tank.  I installed a riser and removable lid for easy access.  

http://polylok.com/?q=catalog/product/PL-122 Effluent Filter


----------



## Highbeam (Jan 17, 2018)

Called a septic tank effluent filter. They’re now required in my area. I have one but it’s not as advanced as the one semipro describes. For instance, no ball to seal the outlet when I pulll the filter for cleaning.

I would like to upgrade this but my 55 year old tank only has the small access port over the outlet.


----------



## begreen (Jan 19, 2018)

We're in the same situation. I don't know the age of our tank, but it is old. SemiPro, how often does the effluent filter need cleaning?


----------



## semipro (Jan 19, 2018)

begreen said:


> We're in the same situation. I don't know the age of our tank, but it is old. SemiPro, how often does the effluent filter need cleaning?


It depends of course.
Based on what I've seen so far, yearly at most. The filter has quite a bit of surface area.
I do wish I had some sort of alarm that would let me know if it clogs and the tank backs up before the backup reaches the house.
Below is the view of the access hatch to our tank outlet.  It sounds like those on other tanks must be much smaller.


----------



## Highbeam (Jan 20, 2018)

Common septic tanks in my area from the 60s were 1000 gallons, no divider, one manhole in the middle, and two 6” round access lids. One over the inlet and one over the outlet.


----------



## Brian26 (Mar 25, 2018)

Turns out the electric savings is nowhere near as impressive as the water savings. My water bill has been almost dead on the same amount the last 5 years we have been in this house. It was about $50 less than previous bills. I am looking to save around $150 a year on water alone.


----------



## EatenByLimestone (Mar 25, 2018)

That sounds like a win!


----------



## begreen (Mar 26, 2018)

Highbeam said:


> Common septic tanks in my area from the 60s were 1000 gallons, no divider, one manhole in the middle, and two 6” round access lids. One over the inlet and one over the outlet.


That sounds like what we have. Not sure if it is 1000 or 750 gallon.


----------



## Highbeam (Mar 26, 2018)

begreen said:


> That sounds like what we have. Not sure if it is 1000 or 750 gallon.



Bigger is better on these.


----------



## begreen (Mar 26, 2018)

Highbeam said:


> Bigger is better on these.


For sure, our system is old. I have thought of putting in a 750 gal second tank before the distribution box.


----------



## Highbeam (Mar 26, 2018)

begreen said:


> For sure, our system is old. I have thought of putting in a 750 gal second tank before the distribution box.



Since a septic tank works on residence time with settling (and floating) velocity of the particles being the determining factors of efficiency, two 750 gallon tanks would be no better than one 750 gallon tank. This is because if there wasn’t time for the stuff to settle out in the first tank then it won’t happen in tank #2. One 1500 gallon tank would double the residence time and allow significantly more settling to occur.


----------



## begreen (Mar 26, 2018)

Interesting. I was just talking with a friend today about this. They have a two tank system. About a year after they had moved into their current home I asked if they had pumped the system. They had not and found out from the prior owners that they had never pumped the system since new, 20 yrs prior! The first tank was almost 90% full of sediments. The pumper fully expected the second tank to be the same, but there was hardly any sediments in it. Go figure. Maybe this is because it was designed for 4 person occupancy and only 2 person have lived in this house?


----------



## Highbeam (Mar 26, 2018)

begreen said:


> Interesting. I was just talking with a friend today about this. They have a two tank system. About a year after they had moved into their current home I asked if they had pumped the system. They had not and found out from the prior owners that they had never pumped the system since new, 20 yrs prior! The first tank was almost 90% full of sediments. The pumper fully expected the second tank to be the same, but there was hardly any sediments in it. Go figure. Maybe this is because it was designed for 4 person occupancy and only 2 person have lived in this house?



So if the first tank was a 750 or 1000 then it makes sense it would have done 90% of the job. After all, that is the size of tank most single tanks have because it offers enough residence time for sufficient settling to occur all by itself.

That’s why the second tank wasn’t doing anything and why I wouldn’t recommend you add a second 750. 

If you were really good you could plumb the two tanks in parallel and gain efficiency.


----------



## begreen (Mar 26, 2018)

Good to know. So far we are on a 5yr pump out schedule and each time we've been told the tank is healthy and to keep doing what we're doing.


----------



## Highbeam (Mar 26, 2018)

Some people swear that you never need it done! You do, some things don’t decompose. Our county requires pumping every three years but 5 years plus a history of good reports after several 5 year cycles seems like plenty. 

We’re on 7 years right now. We’ll do it by 10.


----------



## venator260 (Mar 26, 2018)

This is an interesting read. My wife and I had to redo our septic system last summer (so current pa code) and we have a 1000 gallon tank, but with two chambers. Wouldn't this effectively make it 2 500 gallon tanks, and therefore make it less useful than without a baffle?


----------



## Highbeam (Mar 27, 2018)

venator260 said:


> This is an interesting read. My wife and I had to redo our septic system last summer (so current pa code) and we have a 1000 gallon tank, but with two chambers. Wouldn't this effectively make it 2 500 gallon tanks, and therefore make it less useful than without a baffle?



Yes! Baffles are stupid! I had university professors that were extremely upset that the divider was being required. It demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of septic tank function. 

I’m a civil engineer and sewage is our bread and butter. I took some specialty classes in onsite sewage disposal. It’s pretty cool stuff.


----------



## venator260 (Mar 28, 2018)

Highbeam said:


> Yes! Baffles are stupid! I had university professors that were extremely upset that the divider was being required. It demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of septic tank function.
> 
> I’m a civil engineer and sewage is our bread and butter. I took some specialty classes in onsite sewage disposal. It’s pretty cool stuff.



I thought that would be the case. I would say that it would do better than the old 250 gallon tank from the 50's, but since it was an all new system and all up to code, all the sewage goes to the tank now, not just from the bathrooms. So I have a larger tank with at least twice the flow.


----------



## blades (Mar 28, 2018)

We have that same pasture paddy rules on grey water here as well. Wish I knew what .015625 watt brain power engineer came up with that.  We also have the pump every 3 years rule , good/ bad/ indifferent I do not know. Ain't no expert but some of the rules are way out in left field.


----------



## maple1 (Mar 28, 2018)

Highbeam said:


> Some people swear that you never need it done! You do, some things don’t decompose. Our county requires pumping every three years but 5 years plus a history of good reports after several 5 year cycles seems like plenty.
> 
> We’re on 7 years right now. We’ll do it by 10.



I finally had ours pumped a couple years ago, after procrastinating severely since we built the place - and I know better, since I also have to dabble with septic things now & again for work. I think it had been a year away from 20 years. And it was pretty full, the pumper earned his way that day. Field still doing OK, but suspect either we got lucky, or it is about ready to bung up.

The thing that really grabbed me was all the baby wipes in the bottom. After raising 3 kids - that was a lot of wipes. Those things don't degrade at all, despite what the package might claim - they looked like the day they got flushed. Very ugly.


----------



## Highbeam (Mar 28, 2018)

maple1 said:


> I finally had ours pumped a couple years ago, after procrastinating severely since we built the place - and I know better, since I also have to dabble with septic things now & again for work. I think it had been a year away from 20 years. And it was pretty full, the pumper earned his way that day. Field still doing OK, but suspect either we got lucky, or it is about ready to bung up.
> 
> The thing that really grabbed me was all the baby wipes in the bottom. After raising 3 kids - that was a lot of wipes. Those things don't degrade at all, despite what the package might claim - they looked like the day they got flushed. Very ugly.



Wipes! The packaging now says “flushable” which they are but those dang things are horrible for sewer utilities and septic systems. In sewers they wrap around pump shafts and cause maintenance or spills. 

Don’t flush wipes, woman things, etc.


----------



## maple1 (Mar 28, 2018)

Highbeam said:


> Wipes! The packaging now says “flushable” which they are but those dang things are horrible for sewer utilities and septic systems. In sewers they wrap around pump shafts and cause maintenance or spills.
> 
> Don’t flush wipes, woman things, etc.



Yup.

One of those 'there otta be a law' things.


----------



## JRHAWK9 (Mar 28, 2018)

We just bought a new washer/drier set.  Went for commercial quality and superior cleaning ability over -everything- else.  All the service people I have talked to during my search told me to stay away from Samsung, LG, etc.  Before the local mom & pop appliance store (where I bought mine from) started carrying Speed Queen they were receiving a call a day from angry customers because their new washer developed issues.  At first they were a hard sell for him as they cost more and don't look the part.  Over time though people have been coming in asking for them.  Just as I did.  The owner of this store gave his wife two choices when it came time to buy their new washer, both were Speed Queens.  One was the manual controlled one and the other had an electric control panel.  He didn't care which one she picked, but it wasn't going to be anything but a Speed Queen.  Currently, you can't beat their quality and ability to clean clothes.  Almost all washer's today are designed for a 5-7 year life.  Speed Queen's are designed for 8 loads a laundry a week for 25 YEARS.

Here's what we bought, the AWN432 model.  We have the manual control one with the rotary knobs.  It's nothing to look at, but I buy things for a purpose, not to sit and look pretty.  I'll leave that up to those selling in the big box stores, where you are paying for aesthetics more-so than quality.  Another plus is I can fill the tub up to the top with water if I choose to do so and with a simple "tweak" can also open the lid without the washer stopping.   

http://time.com/money/4688676/speed-queen-best-washing-machine-american-made/

http://mikestrejcek.com/best-non-high-efficiency-he-washing-machine-speed-queen

You can all have your HE washers, I have ZERO use for those things.


----------



## WiscWoody (Mar 28, 2018)

JRHAWK9 said:


> We just bought a new washer/drier set.  Went for commercial quality and superior cleaning ability over -everything- else.  All the service people I have talked to during my search told me to stay away from Samsung, LG, etc.  Before the local mom & pop appliance store (where I bought mine from) started carrying Speed Queen they were receiving a call a day from angry customers because their new washer developed issues.  At first they were a hard sell for him as they cost more and don't look the part.  Over time though people have been coming in asking for them.  Just as I did.  The owner of this store gave his wife two choices when it came time to buy their new washer, both were Speed Queens.  One was the manual controlled one and the other had an electric control panel.  He didn't care which one she picked, but it wasn't going to be anything but a Speed Queen.  Currently, you can't beat their quality and ability to clean clothes.  Almost all washer's today are designed for a 5-7 year life.  Speed Queen's are designed for 8 loads a laundry a week for 25 YEARS.
> 
> Here's what we bought, the AWN432 model.  We have the manual control one with the rotary knobs.  It's nothing to look at, but I buy things for a purpose, not to sit and look pretty.  I'll leave that up to those selling in the big box stores, where you are paying for aesthetics more-so than quality.  Another plus is I can fill the tub up to the top with water if I choose to do so and with a simple "tweak" can also open the lid without the washer stopping.
> 
> ...



Huh... that’s interesting. I’ve been thinking about getting a washer and dryer set sometime in the next 6 months or so. I’ve been going to the laundromat up here for 8myears now but it’s not so bad since it’s small town laundromat and it’s pretty nice actually. The problem I have is that I, like many up in this clay laden land have a 3,000 gallon septic holding tank that needs to be pumped out when it’s full so water efficiency is a must. I use dual flush water saving toilets and I don’t flush them every time they are used for example. But I could run a grey water pipe out the side of the house from the laundry room too. Another consideration is if I had a set that I could stack then I’d have room to put a nice laundry base cabinet in the mud room with a deep sink. Decisions decisions.....

Edit: from what I see the AWN432 is no longer available and the reviews I’ve seen on YouTube say the 2018 Speed Queen models have been drastically changed for the worse and some say not to buy them...?


----------



## sloeffle (Mar 29, 2018)

If you are wanting a machine that is going to last a long time I'd check these machines out. They built about an hour away from my house.

http://www.staber.com/


----------



## Seasoned Oak (Mar 29, 2018)

sloeffle said:


> If you are wanting a machine that is going to last a long time I'd check these machines out. They built about an hour away from my house.
> http://www.staber.com/


  Is there a large market for machines in THAT Price range. I have a Kenmore Front loading Washerand a maytag Dryer  for 18 years,both still work. $1000 and $400. For me its front loader only. After extensive experience with both types. Now have a HE GE top loader but i dont like its cleaning performance.


----------



## JRHAWK9 (Mar 29, 2018)

WiscWoody said:


> Edit: from what I see the AWN432 is no longer available and the reviews I’ve seen on YouTube say the 2018 Speed Queen models have been drastically changed for the worse and some say not to buy them...?



yep, the jury is still out on the new ones.  They basically changed how it washes and the agitation.  It's a much gentler agitation.  I purposely bought a left over 2017 model because I didn't know for sure about the new ones.  I plan on calling the place I bought mine from in a couple of years and see how the 2018+ models are holding up.  I asked them about the new ones and they told me they are aware of the changes and are "crossing their fingers".  SQ is known in the industry for quality and cleaning ability, and if the bean counters messed with that they would only be shooting themselves in the foot.  They have sold a handful of the new models and so far no complaints.  The new ones are "supposed to" clean even better than the old ones, but seeing the differences in the agitation first hand, I find that hard to believe.  Could be completely wrong though.

Phone book test:





sloeffle said:


> If you are wanting a machine that is going to last a long time I'd check these machines out. They built about an hour away from my house.
> 
> http://www.staber.com/



very cool.  Speed Queens are built about 1.5 hours from our house.


Sure don't have very good reviews online though.     Ran across these two links in just trying to find out more about them and looking for videos of their wash cycle.  After reading what I have read so far, I would have ruled them out without even watching the wash cycle.  It only has a 2.0CF wash tub as well.   That's crazy small.  Seem very prone to going out of balance.  Plus I don't like HE washers.  It takes water to clean well, pretty simple.  We have a private well and a mound system, so how much water we use doesn't really matter, it all goes back into the field of play.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/staber_industries.html

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/misc.consumers.frugal-living/QHf3yG38f2g/dsY51EJUISgJ


----------



## sloeffle (Mar 30, 2018)

JRHAWK9 said:


> Sure don't have very good reviews online though.     Ran across these two links in just trying to find out more about them and looking for videos of their wash cycle.  After reading what I have read so far, I would have ruled them out without even watching the wash cycle.  It only has a 2.0CF wash tub as well.   That's crazy small.  Seem very prone to going out of balance.  Plus I don't like HE washers.  It takes water to clean well, pretty simple.  We have a private well and a mound system, so how much water we use doesn't really matter, it all goes back into the field of play.
> 
> https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/staber_industries.html
> 
> https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/misc.consumers.frugal-living/QHf3yG38f2g/dsY51EJUISgJ


I didn't realize they had somewhat of a bad name. My brother was talking them up awhile ago and he generally is pretty up on top of stuff. I consider myself to be somewhat frugal so we don't have a Staber. We have a HE top loading Maytag that we have had zero problems out of since we have owned it.


----------



## JRHAWK9 (Mar 30, 2018)

sloeffle said:


> I didn't realize they had somewhat of a bad name. My brother was talking them up awhile ago and he generally is pretty up on top of stuff. I consider myself to be somewhat frugal so we don't have a Staber. We have a HE top loading Maytag that we have had zero problems out of since we have owned it.



I'm frugal too (just ask anybody who knows me...lol), however I don't like buying junk.  I have no problems paying for quality.  I learned a long time ago it's easier for me to just cry once.  The problem is almost everything available these days is polished junk.  Made to appeal aesthetically to the consumer but made from inferior components.  The cheap stuff is not cheap enough and the good quality stuff is now overpriced because of it.


----------



## sloeffle (Mar 31, 2018)

JRHAWK9 said:


> I'm frugal too (just ask anybody who knows me...lol), however I don't like buying junk.  I have no problems paying for quality.  I learned a long time ago it's easier for me to just cry once.  The problem is almost everything available these days is polished junk.  Made to appeal aesthetically to the consumer but made from inferior components.  The cheap stuff is not cheap enough and the good quality stuff is now overpriced because of it.


We must be from the same family, just 500 miles away.  I have the same exact philosophies when it comes to buying things.


----------



## Brian26 (Jun 9, 2018)

Sure enough 6 months in and the main control board failed. Was replaced under warranty by Samsung. Took me all of 5 mins to swap the old top loader in. Glad I kept the old one just in case as from my original post I was a bit skeptical with the electronics with these.


----------



## maple1 (Jun 9, 2018)

That's too bad, dang. I like my Samsung phone but not sure I'd buy anything else with their tag on it. Maybe a TV, but certainly not an appliance, just from what I've read.

How long can you keep doing that under warranty if it happens again?


----------



## Seasoned Oak (Jun 9, 2018)

Have a $3000 LG fridge that has had every component in it replaced(6 service calls) within 6 months of delivery. After 3 yrs the ice maker quit and that was replaced under HD ext. warranty. About 5 yr out now and out of warranty and temp is all over the place.  I don't think id go in for any LG appliances again


----------



## begreen (Jun 9, 2018)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Have a $3000 LG fridge that has had every component in it replaced(6 service calls) within 6 months of delivery. After 3 yrs the ice maker quit and that was replaced under HD ext. warranty. About 5 yr out now and out of warranty and temp is all over the place.  I don't think id go in for any LG appliances again


That's a serious bummer. We have a large energy star GE fridge that so far has had no service in 8 years. Hope it continues this way, it's been great.


----------



## Brian26 (Jun 10, 2018)

maple1 said:


> That's too bad, dang. I like my Samsung phone but not sure I'd buy anything else with their tag on it. Maybe a TV, but certainly not an appliance, just from what I've read.
> 
> How long can you keep doing that under warranty if it happens again?



Samsung has a 1 year parts and labor warranty but we bought the 5 year extended warranty for around $150. I know the old stuff is reliable and simple but this thing cleans great and is crazy energy efficient.


----------



## JRHAWK9 (Jun 10, 2018)

You guys need to stop shopping at the big box stores for starters.  Also stop listening to sales people.  Contact a third party service repair shop who have no vested interest in what you purchase.  If you talk to any seasoned repairman they will tell you to stay away from all the LG, Samsung, etc crap out there today.  Most ALL of the consumer level stuff out today are made to look blingy and aesthetically pleasing but are designed/built like crap.


----------



## Seasoned Oak (Jun 10, 2018)

begreen said:


> That's a serious bummer. We have a large energy star GE fridge that so far has had no service in 8 years. Hope it continues this way, it's been great.


We started to lean toward GE recently. We have a top of the line GE Eco washer. Its been 5 years or so and this thing is going constantly, has a lot of miles already and still looks and works like new.


----------



## Seasoned Oak (Jun 10, 2018)

JRHAWK9 said:


> You guys need to stop shopping at the big box stores for starters.  Also stop listening to sales people.  Contact a third party service repair shop who have no vested interest in what you purchase.  .


Its all about the warranty. My third party service guy will tell you they all are subpar these days. One of my golden rules is always get at least 5yrs on a fridge with an in the door ice dispenser. So far iv never had one last more then 2 or 3 yrs without have to be replaced.


----------



## begreen (Jun 10, 2018)

Before I got our refrig I researched repair records for the models that had the features we wanted and the best service record. That brought the GE to the top of the list, and my wife liked the layout.


----------



## BrotherBart (Jun 10, 2018)

Replaced our fridge with a bottom tier GE from Home Depot a few years ago and it has performed flawlessly. And energy consumption dropped like a rock.


----------



## Highbeam (Jun 11, 2018)

BrotherBart said:


> Replaced our fridge with a bottom tier GE from Home Depot a few years ago and it has performed flawlessly. And energy consumption dropped like a rock.



I did the same thing. The Lowe’s guy kept warning me that this fridge couldn’t be used in an Unheated space like my garage. He just couldn’t believe a guy would put such a low frills refrigerator in his kitchen! No ice maker!


----------



## Seasoned Oak (Jun 11, 2018)

We use the thru the door ice dispenser a lot. I guess thats one reason iv never had one last more than 2 years before needing servicing/replacing.


----------



## begreen (Jun 12, 2018)

Ours is french door style with freezer and icemaker on the bottom.


----------



## Rob711 (Jun 27, 2018)

2200$ lg fridge, we loved our lg fridge we had purchased for previous house. The in door ice maker stopped working 9 months in. 
  Had lg out, confirmed ice maker dead need to receive invoice from lg to get new ice maker. Lg gave the repair company info from our old fridge. This has become such a cluster f$&k the original company has stopped servicing lg fridges. Still no resolution. LG customer service is horrendous. We love the fridge but it’s no good with no service availability.


----------



## tadmaz (Jun 27, 2018)

I'm in the market for a new washer and dryer.  I know LG's are out.  A guy at work had a nightmare for weeks getting his LG fridge fixed even under warranty.  Samsung energy usage sounds awesome, but having to replace the control board even under warranty makes me wary.  I have a Whirlpool fridge that has been flawless for the past 6 years.  I'm leaning towards Maytag/Whirlpool (same thing these days).  Does anyone know if the "tried and true brands" energy usage is as low as the Samsungs?

This is what I'm eyeing up, Maytag Bravos:
https://www.menards.com/main/p-1444446921276.htm
https://www.menards.com/main/p-1444446923463.htm


----------



## blades (Jun 28, 2018)

got an lg washer all the bells and whistles  but it is a top loader vs the front load- nary a glitch for 6 years. Now that I have written this it will likely disintegrate.


----------



## semipro (Jun 28, 2018)

We bought a Samsung fridge about 8 years ago and have had no problems with it. 
Funny, one of the prime reasons for choosing the Samsung for us was how the air circulated through the condenser on the bottom. We have 4 dogs and a cat and wanted air to move from the back to exhaust at the floor to keep the condenser coil clean.  I installed a filter over the air intake on the back.  This has worked well for us.  Other than cleaning that filter and the unit's interior we've done no maintenance or repairs.


----------



## semipro (Jun 28, 2018)

tadmaz said:


> I'm in the market for a new washer and dryer.  I know LG's are out.  A guy at work had a nightmare for weeks getting his LG fridge fixed even under warranty.  Samsung energy usage sounds awesome, but having to replace the control board even under warranty makes me wary.  I have a Whirlpool fridge that has been flawless for the past 6 years.  I'm leaning towards Maytag/Whirlpool (same thing these days).  Does anyone know if the "tried and true brands" energy usage is as low as the Samsungs?
> 
> This is what I'm eyeing up, Maytag Bravos:
> https://www.menards.com/main/p-1444446921276.htm
> https://www.menards.com/main/p-1444446923463.htm


If I was looking for a washer now I'd lean heavily towards those that spin at high speeds for water removal. 
Whether horizontal or vertical, high speed spin really decreases drying time and potentially, energy use.  Some synthetics come out almost completely dry.


----------



## begreen (Jun 28, 2018)

We've done well with our Frigidaire front loader. No repairs in the past 5 yrs. and it does a nice job. The washer is actually made by Electrolux of Sweden which is the parent company.


----------



## Stercomancy (Feb 13, 2019)

maple1 said:


> I finally had ours pumped a couple years ago, after procrastinating severely since we built the place - and I know better, since I also have to dabble with septic things now & again for work. I think it had been a year away from 20 years. And it was pretty full, the pumper earned his way that day. Field still doing OK, but suspect either we got lucky, or it is about ready to bung up.
> 
> The thing that really grabbed me was all the baby wipes in the bottom. After raising 3 kids - that was a lot of wipes. Those things don't degrade at all, despite what the package might claim - they looked like the day they got flushed. Very ugly.


Man, I feel you. Those baby wipes are the worst!


----------



## Seasoned Oak (Feb 13, 2019)

tadmaz said:


> I know LG's are out.  A guy at work had a nightmare for weeks getting his LG fridge fixed even under warranty.


I bought the largest (at the time) capacity 32CF LG Fridge available . Got a 5 yr warranty from HD. Fridge was dead on delivery.  Every moving part on that fridge was replaced within 6 months in 6 service calls. Right after the factory warranty ran out the ice maker died. Good thing the HD warranty kicked in after that.


----------



## billb3 (Mar 12, 2019)

georgepds said:


> Old dryer habit.. wood stove in the winter, rope in the sun during the summer
> 
> Once you get used to it, it's second nature




Not only can unplugging an electric dryer  save a lot of money but some people are allergic to dryer sheets and/or detergent residues ( and don't know it ) which line dried clothes appear to be better at removing than a machine dryer. Clothes purportedly last longer as well.


----------

