Newbie Question about Washing Machines

[impulse]

Twice in Asia, I have had landlord provided front loaders and both times, I happily paid my own money to replace them with top loaders.  The front loaders never got the clothes smelling clean.  Side benefit- the top loaders cost a lot less than front loaders for an equivalent size.

 

When I moved into my apartment in BKK 4 years ago, I bought an LG (one tub- large capacity) top loader at BigC and haven't had a bit of trouble other than the sock like lint filters ripping up after 3 years.  The beast lives outdoors on my unsheltered balcony, in the sun and the rain and it doesn't miss a beat.  (I hope I didn't just jinx it)

 

Edit:  I even wash my apartment's full length, half width 100% thick cotton drapes with the beast.  Works great, except I had to run one piece through twice because of something I apparently spilled on it.  Second time,- clean as a whistle.

 

On the same topic, I don't think I'll ever buy a dryer again, even when I repatriate after doing fine without one for 15 years.

Edited October 21, 2016 by impulse

[Briggsy]

Many useful comments here.

Management Office in condo (agents of the landlord) said there was no need to drill anything.

I think, on balance, a top loader will be easier to manage with the water arrangements and could be all I need.

[GarryP]

30 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Many useful comments here.

Management Office in condo (agents of the landlord) said there was no need to drill anything.

I think, on balance, a top loader will be easier to manage with the water arrangements and could be all I need.

Check with the condo first before buying. The condo where I live at the moment do not allow the installation of top loaders. It is a front loader only condo. God knows why!!! Probably something to do with drainage or water use.

[wpcoe]

Since this seems like a bachelor thread for clothes washing machine neophytes, we could also have a discussion about the different types of laundry detergents.  In Thailand, laundry detergent packaging can have up to three pictures indicating its intended use:

 

-  hand washing

-  top loading washer

-  front loading washer.

 

Now, I've *assumed* that the one with the hand washing icon is a finer powder for easier dissolving.  And, I've assumed that the icon for front loaders is intended for hot water use, since mostly only front loaders have water heaters.  But, would like confirmation/denial of my assumptions.

Edited October 21, 2016 by wpcoe

[Briggsy]

4 hours ago, GarryP said:

Check with the condo first before buying. The condo where I live at the moment do not allow the installation of top loaders. It is a front loader only condo. God knows why!!! Probably something to do with drainage or water use.

The management office said in answer to my specific question regarding the waste water to just let it run anywhere in the bathroom as it will all go down the floor plug. It seems I live in a "top loader" condo.

[KittenKong]

5 hours ago, GarryP said:

Check with the condo first before buying. The condo where I live at the moment do not allow the installation of top loaders. It is a front loader only condo. God knows why!!! Probably something to do with drainage or water use.

 

What a bizarre rule! My top-loader drains just as well as a front-loader, and the amount of water I use with one wash a week is minimal.

[KittenKong]

2 hours ago, wpcoe said:

Since this seems like a bachelor thread for clothes washing machine neophytes, we could also have a discussion about the different types of laundry detergents.  In Thailand, laundry detergent packaging can have up to three pictures indicating its intended use:

 

-  hand washing

-  top loading washer

-  front loading washer.

 

Now, I've *assumed* that the one with the hand washing icon is a finer powder for easier dissolving.  And, I've assumed that the icon for front loaders is intended for hot water use, since mostly only front loaders have water heaters.  But, would like confirmation/denial of my assumptions.

 

I always buy liquid detergent. Powder always seems to leave a residue.

 

I buy the green plastic bottle with two pictures on the front: a hand-wash bowl and a top-loader. The brand is "USA". (Yes, I know it's not USA at all but that's what the Thai writing looks like, and that's how I recognise it. It's actually Breeze, but that doesn't help me find it on the shelf. Anyone who doesn't like that can take a jump.)

 

This is the cheaper refill. You can just make out the two pictures.

 

 

I also get BigC's own brand washing activator/stain remover. This has no English writing on it but it comes in a bright orange tub and can be found near the Vanish which it resembles entirely apart from being cheaper. This is what Vanish looks like:

 

 

One spoon of activator, one cap of detergent, set the machine to "quick fuzzy logic wash" but add 1 hour soaking to the cycle. The entire cycle takes just under 2 hours and seems to work fine for all my linen and clothes.

[balo]

14 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Money is not the great issue here. I am seeking knowledge and enlightment in relation to washing machines.

 

Well you get rid of more bacterias washing in hot water , here in Thailand in the hot climate the sun will take care of that when drying the clothes  , still I find it more hygienic with  a front load machine with hot water programs .  Especially when I wash linen and towels you'd want to use high temperatures (40 to 60 degrees) . 

 

My front load machine is a LG brand and I only paid 10000 baht for it. So if you look around you can get good deals also on front load machines. 

 

[Gary A]

I have only ever had one front loader. The only advantage it had was that it had a built in water heater. It never had any problems but it was an expensive machine. My wife prefers top loaders. We now have a Samsung "wobble" model in the condo and a Toshiba inverter at home. My wife says the Samsung washes clothes better but the Toshiba is VERY quiet and it doesn't dance in the spin cycle. It's actually pretty amazing for being quiet and no vibration.

 

Before the Toshiba we had an LG top loader. It did a good job and lasted for ten years of pretty hard use. In ten years the only problem it had was the solenoid water valve quit working. I replaced it myself for about 180 baht. The machine was noisy and often danced when spinning. Moving the clothes to balance the load was pretty normal.

[Briggsy]

I went with a standard Samsung top loader in the end which should suffice for me. (No water heater).

 

It was delivered yesterday. The delivery driver announced the inlet tap was too far from the spot for the washing machine and the only solution was a longer hose (which he could supply at a price!) I should have thought on my feet, stalled him and gone back to Tesco Lotus. But in the confusion of trying to watch what was going on, I agreed. I am sure I was pressured into overpaying unnecessarily. He is supposed to come today with the longer hose. We will see.

[johng]

Earlier you said no need to drill holes,so you're going with the temporary water inlet and waste outlet option ?

[Briggsy]

1 minute ago, johng said:

Earlier you said no need to drill holes,so you're going with the temporary water inlet and waste outlet option ?

This is a very good question. It is possble I may have ballsed up here.

 

There remains no plan to do any wall drilliing.

The waste outlet pipe is installed and reaches the bathroom floor where presumably the water will just flow down the plug on the inclined floor. When not  in use, it can be folded up behind the washing machine.

The water inlet I may have misunderstood. I thought the top loaders were either a pipe dumped into the top or a detachable hose. This would allow me to close the bathroom door fully. However the profiteering delivery driver said it was "atanomat" i.e. automatic. This would suggest the hose, when installed, may be difficult to detach.

 

I need to find the time to do a full self-training session with the manual. And I will know more when matey, the delivery driver, comes back today (hopefully) and attaches the longer hose.

[johng]

You'll need to have the water supply connected for the entire wash cycle the machine decides when and how much it needs (automatically) after the wash cycle has finished yes you could remove the inlet pipe and close the bathroom door.
As for the waste pipe folded up behind the machine after use see my earlier post about my friends wife's flooding her condo.

[lopburi3]

On 10/21/2016 at 1:39 PM, YeahSiam said:

 

It's well-known that top loader washing machines are harsher on the clothes.

Not a problem if you buy clothes from Tesco but anything with a bit of quality will appear battered far more quickly.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/front-loader-or-top-loader-which-is-better-022615.html

 

Also, front-loaders use less water and clean better.

That applies the the American type washer - the type used in Thailand is Japanese style without agitator arms and is very gentle on clothing.  

[YeahSiam]

7 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

That applies the the American type washer - the type used in Thailand is Japanese style without agitator arms and is very gentle on clothing.  

I really can't be bothered to locate an online resource but I've seen plenty of toploaders with agitators in Thailand so you're wrong.

Oh and their cleaning performance in all but one or two instances has been dreadful.

[lopburi3]

The normal top-loader sold in Thailand, as I said, is the Japanese design and there are no agitators - it is done by the water - but yes you can find just about anything here if you look hard enough - even front loaders.

[Briggsy]

Smelly-sock delivery driver has just called to delay his profiteering trip by 2 hours. Had I known how easy it was and fully understood what he was going on about, I could have done it myself now for half the price. I thought it was a plumbing job (it isn't) requiring specialist hard-to-find components (they aren't). Grrr. He is making an easy buck out of me and has wasted my time. There is a lesson in this for me somewhere.

[KittenKong]

21 hours ago, YeahSiam said:

I really can't be bothered to locate an online resource but I've seen plenty of toploaders with agitators in Thailand so you're wrong.

Oh and their cleaning performance in all but one or two instances has been dreadful.

 

No agitators in my top-loader, or the one I had prior to that.

 

It cleans fine.

[KittenKong]

On 24/10/2016 at 8:53 AM, Briggsy said:

The waste outlet pipe is installed and reaches the bathroom floor where presumably the water will just flow down the plug on the inclined floor. When not  in use, it can be folded up behind the washing machine.

The water inlet I may have misunderstood. I thought the top loaders were either a pipe dumped into the top or a detachable hose.

 

Draining the waste water onto the ground or into a shower tray seems quite common here. Not quite neat enough for me but should not cause any problems.

 

There are "quick release" attachments available for the water inlet pipe and it might be better to fit one of these rather than have to unscrew the hose each time.

 

[johng]

35 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

Draining the waste water onto the ground or into a shower tray

 

That's all very well and good until the time you're in a big rush to get out  to that important meeting   and forget to  unfold the waste water pipe , with careful placement  into the shower room..what happens next is not much fun to come home to.

 

Be careful with  those plastic quick release attachments  good idea but  they do have a tendency to spring a leak  so best that they are in the wet room too.. there are some quite expensive brass or stainless steel versions that should be much more leak resistant.

[impulse]

On 10/22/2016 at 3:22 AM, balo said:

 

Well you get rid of more bacterias washing in hot water , here in Thailand in the hot climate the sun will take care of that when drying the clothes  , still I find it more hygienic with  a front load machine with hot water programs .  Especially when I wash linen and towels you'd want to use high temperatures (40 to 60 degrees) . 

 

My front load machine is a LG brand and I only paid 10000 baht for it. So if you look around you can get good deals also on front load machines. 

 

No matter what temperature I wash them at, they go off on me after one use if I don't use bleach.  Learned that almost 40 years ago when I went off to college so it's not a Thailand thing.   I can get a couple - 3 days out of a towel if I use bleach when I wash it- even in my cold water top loader.

[Briggsy]

After a few washes with the Samsung top loader, I have concluded that it is ok but not very good. I think that if I had fully understood that the inlet hose was identical I would have gone with the more expensive front loader. But, as I always say, the best way to learn is from mistakes.

[lopburi3]

If clothing dirty you might want to try using Vanish and/or pre-soak?  Remember you are probably putting a lot more clothing into a top loader for each load.

[Briggsy]

37 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

If clothing dirty you might want to try using Vanish and/or pre-soak?  Remember you are probably putting a lot more clothing into a top loader for each load.

Yes, thanks.

 

I haven't tried Vanish but I have used the pre-soak setting for dirty clothes without any real great improvement.

 

I am struggling to find more than 2 kg of washing to put in each time so it is not the high amount. The max load is 10 kg.

 

So, I am pre-scrubbing with washing powder and a soft brush. Kind of back to square one really. Although overall it is less hassle than before.

[lopburi3]

Vanish, according to wife, is much better that normal detergent for pre-scrub.  Here we run 2-4 loads a day in eight person household so no problem running full.   Maybe you could do less often if only able to find 2kg?

[Briggsy]

2 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Vanish, according to wife, is much better that normal detergent for pre-scrub.  Here we run 2-4 loads a day in eight person household so no problem running full.   Maybe you could do less often if only able to find 2kg?

Yes possibly I could and indeed am trying to postpone washes till I have accumulated more stuff to wash. The tendency is to run out of underwear and sports gear though.

 

I will seek out Vanish.

[lopburi3]

Commando and more sports gear come to mind.  

[Briggsy]

3 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Commando and more sports gear come to mind.  

The former, probably not, only takes some cheap low-quality flies and I'm in serious trouble, the latter is under consideration.

 

There is of course the entertainment value of the washing machine, watching it do its thing is quite interesting but repetitive whilst the noises are soothing as a background. I sometimes feel a need to put it on.

[Bulldozer Dawn]

Briggsy.

 

I have read your posts for years here on TV.  You present as a very intelligent and knowledgable chap.

 

How does it come to pass that you are flummoxed by the dark arts of some simple household plumbing?

 

Put another way, who has been attending to your dirty laundry for the previous 30 years?

[Briggsy]

6 hours ago, Bulldozer Dawn said:

Briggsy.

 

I have read your posts for years here on TV.  You present as a very intelligent and knowledgable chap.

 

How does it come to pass that you are flummoxed by the dark arts of some simple household plumbing?

 

Put another way, who has been attending to your dirty laundry for the previous 30 years?

First question, the delivery driver from Tesco put me on the spot going on about a big problem and then saying he could fix it. It turns out it was a very simple thing. Unfortunately I fell for his pressure tactics due to my lack of familiarity with attaching quick release hoses to bathroom taps. I thought the attachments were permanent. He was after making a quick buck which he did.

 

Second question, me. I would do my washing in the sink or bathtub by hand. Big stuff such as white shirts for work requiring ironing would go to the sak op reet, laundry, downstairs in the apartment.

 

This is the first time I have owned a washing machine and thus the first time I have encountered plumbing in a washing machine.