This probably isn't the right group for this. Where would I go to discuss this expensive piece of shit Whirlpool Duet front loader washer that won't get anything clean? Is there an appliance group anyone knows of?
TIA!!
I've had one for two years and I have no complaints other than the one time a sock got into the pump. If your clothes aren't getting clean you may be over-stuffing it. It can hold a ton of clothes but if you pack it totally full the clothes won't mix with the water as it spins.
I am planning on getting one in August. I have read that most no-clean issues are actually caused by too much soap (Or not the correct soap). I think there is a special, (low suds maybe?) soap. May be labeled HE if I remember correctly.
Maybe also a water softener will help. Sears used to do a simple hardness test for you for free. You just picked up a bottle, filled it up and brought it back to them to test. the results would tell you if you needed a softener or not and what setting to use on their softeners.
Good luck if you want to find a solution, many here will be helpful. If all you want to do is bash whirlpool then you probably wont get much response.
From what I can tell Gary S will give you the best advise on water quality and Dan O. on appliance repair. I will be most interested in Dan's comments on this.
-B
If you're looking for advice on repairing it, you can post here (along with enough details - model number, serial number, accurate description of the symptom(s), etc.) and we'll try to help. There are no "newsgroups" devoted specifically to appliances that I know of.
If you're just looking to gripe about it, there is probably a newsgroup devoted to that. Try searching for alt.consumer.gripe or something like that.
JMO
Dan O.
- Appliance411.com
Hi there, Hmmm...It really is one of the best machines out there..We have the Kenmore Elite versions w/ on board heater and it can clean just about anything..Are you using the correct soap? I have found the best that works for us is the Sears powder with oxyclean in it.. Maybe there is some problem with your unit?? The machines are discussed heavily here:
I'm just wondering if I am getting enough water into the machine. I never see the water, just the clothing banging around. I can put dirty clothes in and when they are done, they are still visibly dirty. I don't over fill. I wonder if you can "under" fill? I use the HE soap, very expensive by the way. I bought them from sears, with extended 5 year warranty. I had them come out and check the machine and the repair person told me "the machine is doing what it was built to do" It was built to wash clothes, nothing said about getting them clean :-)
Seriously, I replaced a 15 year old Roper top loader that did a great job, this machine has been disappointing from the get go.
Should I be able to visibly see a water level inside the machine? Because I can't. My best impression is that it isn't getting enough water.
I wrote to whirlpool about the non-cleaning problem, they never responded.
anything..Are
Something is very wrong, IMO, and if this machine is under warranty, get the repair techs over to fix it immediately. I have a nice Frigidaire Gallery machine (half the price of yours) that shows me water along with the soap and clothing in the window of the door.
There is not a visible water "level" when it is washing, you can see the water getting pumped in, but the clothes don't sit in 12" of water or anything. Thats why these machines are so efficient. Its not like those front loaders of old where the bottom half of the window was in water. This also reduces the chances of major leaks from the front seal. I have wondered this myself (not seeing much water) but my clothes always come out nice and clean.
Are you using HE soap? I find liquid tide HE the best. I use about half the amount that fits in the cap and it washes fine. I could see though that if you have a farm household that brings in real muddy clothes, a front loader may not work well. Otherwise for most people they are probably better than top loaders at gettting out stains.
The clothes should be wet and if you hit pause in the middle of the wash cycle and wait for the door to unlock and open it everything should be soaking wet plus a little extra water on the bottom. If during the wash cycle clothes don't feel very wet it is not working right. Also towards the end iof the wash cycle it adds extra water before it does the first spin. THe way it seems to be designed is to use a concentrated detergent mix to get out dirt and stains, then add some extra water and then slow spin and then start the rinse cycles which use more water than the first part of the wash cycle. If you haven't watched the video tape you should.
This may be completely off the mark, but I have had similar problems with front-loaders caused by the outlet pipe being forced too low into the drainage pipe. Apparently, on some machines, if the outlet is lower than the level the water is supposed to be at in the machine, on some models it won't fill up properly. If that is the problem, then water will come out fo the outlet pipe when it is filling up the machine. May be worth checking.
Actually, you were right on the mark. The serviceperson who came out checked for that very thing. He attached a bracket to the frame around the drain pipe, then ran the drain hose from the machine through it and cinched it down. (That's also because during the spin cycle, when the spin kicked in it had such pressure/force it was pulling the house out of the drain pipe and once made a mess on the utility room floor.)
Another poster recommended stopping the machine during the cycle and checking for wetness and water. I did that and indeed everything is sopping wet. This was a load of my work shirts, 8 total so by no means excessive for this machine. The proper amount of soap was used (Tide H.E.) and I even used the soak cycle first for 15 minutes. Additionally, I used about a half cap of all fabric bleach. Using the heavy duty setting, I sat back and let it run.
Imagine my surprise when the alarm went off and the machine was finished - I opened the door and the first shirt I pull out is STILL visibly dirty, and we're not talking excessively dirty to begin with.
This can't be the machine, according to everyone's responses here, the machine appears to be working correctly. I'm hesitant to call repair service yet again just to look like a total idiot when the machine appears to be working.
I'm at a loss. Tomorrow/saturday the experiment continues. I'm taking my laundry to Laundromax and using a top loader and see what happens.
Thanks everyone for weighing in on this one.
Hi,
We also have Duet for about a year now, and at first we had same problem - clothes were dirty after wash. What we realized, that for any normal wash you have to choose "Havy duty" cycle, and quite often you also have to choose "High soild" option as well. I believe that Normal cycle for this machine is just to get impresive enery usage coeficient, not for normal wash. These options will extend washing time, but you should have no problems with dirty clothes...
Regards
Try not using the all fabric bleach. I have noticed that lately it is leaving a blue cast on clothes instead of making them cleaner. Someone has screwed it up. Also you are using way too much of it. The all fabric bleach is formulated for a top loader and only a tiny amount should be used if at all (and I think not at all). Also all fabric bleach goes in the detergent dispenser and NOT the bleach dispenser. Also make sure when using liquid detergent you have the detergent dispenser in the liquid position so it leaks out thru the bottom.
Keep in mind that Sears policy is "Your satisfaction guaranteed or your money back" and they do mean it. And the customer is the sole person who can determine whether or not he/she is satisfied. Plus the "protection agreement" that you purchased says that if you have more than three service calls in any 12 month period, the fourth call gets you a new machine. After saying that...did your old top loader get the same kind of dirty clothes clean? Perhaps there is something about your occupation or the type of dirt your clothes come in contact with, that prevents a front loader washing machine from being the machine for you. One other thought...is it possible that the feature that allows the machine to purge itself of excess soap is malfunctioning and always purging, until you are washing in water, alone?
If you are using the auto soak cycle you have to use powder detergent in the main detergent reservoir otherwise all of the liquid will leak out during the soak cycle. You also have to fill the prewash resrvoir with detergent.
Start from scratch and read the instructions.
I agree wholeheartedly! I am a bona fide satisfied Sears customer and have been for many years. No matter what I need, I look at Sears first before going anywhere else. I like that I can shop them on line for anything and have it delivered to my door. Sears always has some kind of promotion going where I can get my delivery charges rebated.
Plus the "protection
I was not aware of that, and I hope it doesn't come to that.
Yes, never a problem, even dirtier items came out clean. It was an older Roper commercial sized machine.
Perhaps there is something about your occupation or the type
Well, these are my work around the yard shirts. The dirt we are talking about is everyday gardening, weeding, mowing, transplanting, dirt. Nothing really ground in.
That's something I'll look into. Only once before have I seen the "SUD" warning on the panel.
Thanks again.
I run my Duet on normal for all non-white loads and I have never had a problem with clothes not getting clean. I've used the heavy duty cycle, but I find that just beats the clothes more and runs longer. The clothes are not noticeably cleaner. I use regular liquid detergent (not HE) and fill the dispenser thing about 1/2-2/3 of the way.
I have a 4-year-old boy so I have dirty clothes to wash very often.
If you read what the original poster did he is not following instructions. Over use of all color bleach plus using liquid tide in a presoak wash means basically he had no detergent in the wash cycle because it would have all run out into the soak cycle. No wonder his clothes are dirty.
Thanks for taking a shot, but incorrect. A half a cap of all fabric bleach hardly constitutes over use. Secondly, I believe the instructions tell you that after the presoak, you can add more detergent if needed.
Also, you can add either the detergent or any other cleaning agent directly to the laundry before you close the door, which is how all fabric bleach was added in this case.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.