Kenmore Elite front load washer / dryer

[LwnmwnMan2]

Anyone have these??

I'm thinking of a nice monther's day present....

Actually, my wife and I are looking for a new washer and dryer, wondering if all the rage is really worth it.

We've got some friends that have them, and say it doesn't take nearly as long to dry, because the washer spins more water out of the clothes to begin with.

Anyone with opinions??

[youngie22]

Love mine... Built a nice counter top above them now, great "work" station with lots more room.

[nytelyter]

a front loader is a wise investment. you will save many more dollars in the long run. but as a mothers day present i would tread lightly. on the average the front loaders we have today will wash many more clothes and use about one third the water to do so. less water means less: soap, salt for the softner, water down the drain, less less less. and they will get your clothes cleaner. i have one in my basement and a back up sitting right next to it for when the first one dies. one of the benifits of closeing a family appliance business. ... paul

[LwnmwnMan2]

No no no... it's really not a Mom's day present...

[JohnMickish]

That would rank right up there with a vaccuum cleaner. It's not fair, guys can get stuff like lawn mowers and leaf blowers and it's a cool gift, but give the wife a new ironing board and lookout!

[JDM]

I have the washer, but not the dryer. It washes clothing really well. My old dryer does a fine job, even now that we are washing bigger loads. The washer spins the clothes so dry that the dryer has not had any problems. My only complaint is that our washer has "eaten" a few pieces of clothing on the spin dry cycle. It also can really make clothes come out wrinkly due to the high speed spin cycle.

[New Yankee]

They are worth the cost. Quiet, large capacity, look 'cool' and the clothes are cleaner, the dryer has sensors to stop after the clothes are dry, the whole nine yards.

The wife wouldn't have anything else.

[Gus]

Check out the Bosch brand as well. They rank quite highly in consumer reports for front loaders.

[jigeye]

We have had them for over a year now and I have a couple complaints. First the high spinning washer practically walks across the floor and makes lots of racket. We were told by two different sears techs that it should be on a more rigid foundation. It is on the main level against an outside wall but that isn't enough. They told us we needed to add some supporting structure right below the washer in the basement. Can't do that. The thing vibrates even without any clothes in it. It just looks to me like it is not balanced properly. We just don't use the high spin option anymore. The dryer front bezel keeps breaking off for no reason. Had that replaced 3 times now. The handle broke off once too. Our friends bought the LG front loaders and really like them.

[1forwalleye]

I have a LG front load washer and my only complaint is that sometimes some items come out with a foul smell (mostly towels). LG has told me to use Whirlout to clean washer and make sure we use high efficiency detergent (always have), but we still have problem once in awhile. Anybody else ever experience this problem? Thanks.

[jigeye]

I have noticed that our towels have an odor also. We only use "HE" detergent too. Our whole Washer inside has a foul odor. I'll have to look for that cleaner you are talking about and give that a try.

[1forwalleye]

WhirlOut is made for whirl pool tubs. You can get it at Home Depot or at hardware stores.

[muskie-mike]

Had the same problem. We cleaned the washer with bleach and hot water ran thru a cycle with no clothes. We then switched from the slimy liquid detergent to HE powdered detergent and problem resolved.The liquid detergent never totaly disolves and causes the musty locker room odor. My neighbor had the same problem and it was again the liquid detergent...

[nytelyter]

Quote:

---

We were told by two different sears techs that it should be on a more rigid foundation.

---

this is very true. the machine was actually designed to be run on a concrete floor. but if it is properly leveled and the LOCK nuts on the legs of the machine are tightened, the wiggle should be at a minimum i cant telll you how may machines we actually ran a load of clothes thru to soak them well and then moved the machine into the garage and set it up right on the concrete floor and no wiggle at all. another thing is that if the legs are not positioned directly on a floor joist you will get wiggle as well. i have always recomennded(in new construction) to plan on a tile floor in the laundry room. as the tiles and thinset morter act as a nice foundation. another thing to do, but its not as pretty. is to securly attatch a piece of 3/4 plywood to the floor under the washer and dryer. and have found that in most cases this does well. hope this helps. oh and as far as the smell. the most common cause of this is to much soap and also tooooo much fabric softner. remember the machine uses one third the water your standerd machine used you must cut back on soap. and the HE type soaps are specially designed for this very purpose. and they are very closely priced to regular soaps. also if possible leave the washer door ajar to allow it to dry inside after you are finished. think about it. how does your live well smell if there is moisture init and you leave the door shut for a week. pheeewwwww!! hope this helps. ... paul

[jigeye]

Thanks alot for the advice. We are planning on replacing the vinyl with tile so will be happy if that helps. We are using the HE liquid soap right now and will try switching to the powder. I usually do leave the door open as much as I can. I think the odor is coming from right behind the rubber seal. There is a build up of muck behind it. I'll clean that with some bleach.

[sparkyaber]

WOW! I have had the towel smell for years, and could never figure it out! I have been blaming my wife for doing a horrible job washing clothes, and when I do the laundry it is still her fault . Can someone give me an example of "high effeciency" laundry soap? I have never heard of such a thing. I am bleaching the washer as I type this, I can't wait to eliminate the smell! I am so pumped. A fishing HSOforum and we are talking about cleaning washing machines, what a great site.

[nytelyter]

yup HE is usually on the box of detergent in a blue background on the label. is it an anacranim for high effecienty. not to give out trade names but the more predominate color on the box is orange. but i do know more and more manufactors are getting on board with it. but like i said before you need to cut way back on how much you use. if you look in the window of your machine, when it is washing a load, and you see mostly soap. TOO much! it is kinda a trial and error thing, because, you never wash the exactly the same amount of clothes. most front loaders ONLY use as much as water needed to thouroughly soak the clothes and give the detergent a medium to work in. so the water usage will change every time you use it. i USUALLY use about half to three quarters, of the cup you get in the box. it also will vary with the types of fabrics washed. heavier cloth will again use more water. also if you have hard or soft water makes a difference as well softer water will require less soap. hope this helps you. my back ground about appliances, comes from having been brought up in my families appliance business. which i was a big part in the last 25 years, before we finally closed it almost two years ago. i have sold, installed, and serviced a couple of the major lines out there and love to share my knowledge with those with questions. i was born and raised on the brand that has the swirling water in there logo. hehehe so my best info is in there lines. but have serviced alot of brands. ... paul