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Old 03-17-2011, 02:41 PM
 
45,306 posts, read 26,848,187 times
Reputation: 23687

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Since we are discussing life altering issues today...

How Washington Ruined Your Washing Machine
In 1996, top-loaders were pretty much the only type of washer around, and they were uniformly high quality. When Consumer Reports tested 18 models, 13 were "excellent" and five were "very good." By 2007, though, not one was excellent and seven out of 21 were "fair" or "poor."

...
The culprit is the federal government's obsession with energy efficiency.

...

Front-loaders meet federal standards more easily than top-loaders. Because they don't fully immerse their laundry loads, they use less hot water and therefore less energy. But, as Americans are increasingly learning, front-loaders are expensive, often have mold problems, and don't let you toss in a wayward sock after they've started.

...
In 2007, after the more stringent rules had kicked in, Consumer Reports noted that some top-loaders were leaving its test swatches "nearly as dirty as they were before washing."

...
Now Congress is at it once again. On March 10, the Senate Energy Committee held hearings on a bill to make efficiency standards even more stringent.
Notice the theme - even though the effectiveness of washing machines are getting worse, the rules keep getting stricter. The answer may be here...
The bill claims to implement "national consensus appliance agreements," but those in this consensus are the usual suspects: politicians pushing feel-good generalities, bureaucrats seeking expanded powers, environmentalists with little regard for American pocketbooks, and industries that stand to profit from a de facto ban on low-priced appliances. And there are green tax goodies for manufacturing high-efficiency models—the kind that already give so many tax credits to Whirlpool, for example, that the company will avoid paying taxes on its $619 million profit in 2010.
The Maytag repairman may be busy as consumers try to keep their older washing machines.


Dirty politics... literally.
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Old 03-17-2011, 02:43 PM
 
Location: Chicago
4,085 posts, read 4,307,372 times
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I am sure in 1996 most if not all washers sold in the U.S.A. were made in the U.S.A.

I am sure that has a bit more than a little to do with it.
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Old 03-17-2011, 02:44 PM
 
12,999 posts, read 18,817,429 times
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What's so bad about front loaders? Sometimes you get better entertainment looking at them running than what's on TV!
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Old 03-17-2011, 02:51 PM
 
29,981 posts, read 42,803,143 times
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I have a Matag HE Toploader that I have to run x 2-3 cycles to get clothes clean, if then. Not so with my old top loaders. In the end it takes more energy and 3x more time to run one load 3 times as it did in my less water efficient old machine once.
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Old 03-17-2011, 02:54 PM
 
952 posts, read 939,058 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pvande55 View Post
What's so bad about front loaders? Sometimes you get better entertainment looking at them running than what's on TV!

...as entertaining as waxing and polishing the dustpans?
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Old 03-17-2011, 02:56 PM
 
Location: deafened by howls of 'racism!!!'
52,229 posts, read 34,001,607 times
Reputation: 28985
Quote:
Originally Posted by tonythetuna View Post
I am sure in 1996 most if not all washers sold in the U.S.A. were made in the U.S.A.

I am sure that has a bit more than a little to do with it.
it's getting very difficult to find a US-made washer of any kind anymore, that's for sure.

this is the only one i've been able to find: Energy Efficient Washing Machines, Dryers, and Laundry Detergent by Staber Industries
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Old 03-17-2011, 02:57 PM
 
Location: Home, Home on the Front Range
25,826 posts, read 20,613,456 times
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I love new washing machines. New washing machines are cool.
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Old 03-17-2011, 02:58 PM
 
Location: Reality
9,949 posts, read 8,823,881 times
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We have a brand new Samsung front loader, while I agree that it's the heaviest washer I've ever been around it's also the most quiet and it does an amazing job cleaning anything you throw in it. I'm on well water so I'm not sure about water consumption but I've checked power consumption and it uses about 17 percent of the power my old top loader used to use. We haven't had any trouble with mold because we follow the instructions and keep the filters clean and keep the door cracked open when it's not in use.
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Old 03-17-2011, 03:01 PM
 
45,306 posts, read 26,848,187 times
Reputation: 23687
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal View Post
I have a Matag HE Toploader that I have to run x 2-3 cycles to get clothes clean, if then. Not so with my old top loaders. In the end it takes more energy and 3x more time to run one load 3 times as it did in my less water efficient old machine once.
Sounds like the 1.6 gpf versus the 2.1 gpf toilets
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Old 03-17-2011, 03:03 PM
 
Location: North Cackelacky....in the hills.
19,567 posts, read 21,809,727 times
Reputation: 2519
Imagine living in a country where YOU get to decide if you want to have the newest fanciest thing and not in a country where it is mandated by law...

What a great country that would be.
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