Washing Machine Questions.

[George7941]

I was at someone else's house and noticed a couple of features on their washing machine that I have not encountered before.

There is a lint filter built into the drum and it filters the water as it moves between the drum and the tub.

I noticed an item on the side of the machine .

Maybe it is the top loader equivalent of the front mounted filter on front loaders, not sure. I tried pulling the white plastic tray out but it did not budge.

 

[TheLastWord]

Your second pic:

Possibly a hand hold? One only?

Probably not, that would be too smart.

Would be nice to utilize that feature.

 

[repairman54]

They put those hand holds on some front loaders also, useless on them due to their weight. Top loaders a way lighter but those handholds are super shallow for a good grip. I think it just may be there to stiffen the sides to reduce panel ''drumming''.
Lint filter is just a marketing gimmick. 70's - 80's top loaders actually had recirculating water systems pumping through filters that back flushed or had a tray mounted on the agitator. Lint down the old steel drain pipes was an issue back then.
Lint in hang dry items in today's low water use machines is a constant issue; dryers are the lint removers nowadays.

 

[George7941]

They put those hand holds on some front loaders also, useless on them due to their weight. Top loaders a way lighter but those handholds are super shallow for a good grip. I think it just may be there to stiffen the sides to reduce panel ''drumming''.
Lint filter is just a marketing gimmick. 70's - 80's top loaders actually had recirculating water systems pumping through filters that back flushed or had a tray mounted on the agitator. Lint down the old steel drain pipes was an issue back then.
Lint in hang dry items in today's low water use machines is a constant issue; dryers are the lint removers nowadays.

I was at the house again today where the washing machine is and checked the left side of the dryer and there is another handhold there. What is odd is that the left one is towards the front of the dryer whereas the right one is towards the back of the dryer, so they end up being diagonally opposite. Never seen handholds placed so staggered.

I think your observations are spot on - the grips are too shallow for heavy lifting and its main purpose might be to reduce drumming of the side panels.

 

[Donald]

That's one of those top loader machines with water jets that pushes around the clothes to wash them. No agitator. Uses less water than the old top loader that pretty much fills the tub with water and moves the clothes around with an agitator.

I love the GE front loader we have that has a large reservoir (1 or 2 QTs) for detergent. It automatically adds the proper amount of detergent.

A problem for probably most people especially those with wives who measure by eye (that looks like the right amount). Too much detergent is bad for the machine and the clothes.

 

[George7941]

It does have a stubby agitator. It uses water jets to move the clothes around?
Where are the jets located? I see some holes in the agitator. There are also holes all around the sides of the drum.

 

[repairman54]

Clothes get cleaned by detergent, now enzyme based since phosphates in them have been removed, and water solution acting on soils.
Agitators, impeller style low ones or tumbling in a front loader just flex the fabrics to help release the soil from the fabric.
That's how washers work.
When mandated low water use washers first came out without the traditional agitator, we had to reeducate users on how washers actually worked. Even a scrub board just flexes fabrics, just more violently. It could be a challenge to reeducate some that beating fabrics to death didn't actually clean them and actually damaged them. And that is where the lint comes from also.

 

[benjy]

had a front load whirlpool 16 years no lint + dont separate clothes, ONE load weekly!! replaced with top load cheaper GE + gave it to a relative as lint was BAD!! loving the LG front load, NO lint!! + a decent price!!

 

[UncleDave]

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I was at the house again today where the washing machine is and checked the left side of the dryer and there is another handhold there. What is odd is that the left one is towards the front of the dryer whereas the right one is towards the back of the dryer, so they end up being diagonally opposite. Never seen handholds placed so staggered.

I think your observations are spot on - the grips are too shallow for heavy lifting and its main purpose might be to reduce drumming of the side panels.

An actual laundry tub - awesome.

This way you know if it's really clean by being able to see the contents of the final rinse.

As an add on - if the final rinse is clean thats a great prewash for other dirty stuff to fill the tub to get mud and or gross debris out - I miss the utility and practicality of a good laundry tub especially cleaning up in a rural area where you really get dirty.

The in drum lint filter isnt very effective.

Washing is mostly mechanical a mechanical process (moving (detergent laden) water through clothes - or clothes through water) detergent and added enzymes assist the process but aren't much good without the mechanical part.