Re: washing machine information | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Douglas G. Larson (ddhleearthlink.net) | |
Date: Sat, 15 May 2010 08:35:30 -0700 (PDT) |
>>we'd like to know what washing machines other co-housing communities use, and whether the machines have served the community well: >>What brand and model washing machine/s does your community use??Is the washer durable/what's the repair record? Has it >>been easy to find reliable repair service? Did the machine come with a service contract? a warranty? >>Does it clean pretty well? What objections/problems have residents had? >>Would you get the same machine (albeit improved in water and energy use) again? if not, what would you get??What other >>comments do you have? We use Speed Queen commercial washers and dryers in our community laundry. Speed Queen has many models, ours is what they call a coin operated Stackable, the dryer is on top of the front loading washer. We bought two stackables 10 years ago when we moved in. They are coin operated but we leave the coin drawer unlocked so people can retrieve a quarter to use the machine (essentially making it free for users). We also had a residential pair that one family donated on move-in. We just purchased a new Speed Queen stackable this year to replace the residential set we had. The new stackable is what Speed Queen calls an "On Premises" model. It looks and performs nearly identically to the coin operated models but requires no coins. Repairs The 2 older stackables have had various repairs over the 10 years we have owned them. The most frequent problem is people using too much detergent. We have also replaced various parts over the years (e.g. rubber door seal, control switches, drain valves and the like). Overall I would guess we have repaired them maybe 12 times in 10 years. The residential model (don't recall the brand) tended to break down more often than the stackables and was especially prone to the too-much-detergent problem. Since we have never owned any commercial machines other than Speed Queen, I can't compare them to other commercial brands though my pre-purchase research determined that Speed Queen is considered a very reliable brand in the commercial laundry machine industry. Cleaning Ability I believe they clean well but cleanability of stains is a complex mix of fabric type, chemical composition of stains, the speed with which you attack a stain after it occurs, water temperature and soap or detergent. It has much less to do with a given washing machine's capability. If you are interested I can give you a more complete discussion of laundry cleaning techniques at some other time. Overall Experience All in all, I think they have served us fairly well. I don't recall if they came with a service contract or not. The did have a warranty but I don't recall its duration. For the first 2 years or so, we had the local company we bought them from do the repair. But during the past 8 years or so, one of our residents has handled all the repairs, greatly reducing our repair costs. Purchase Same Brand Again? We just puchased a new stackable set this year and chose the same brand, i.e. Speed Queen. Other complaints My personal complaint is that the Speed Queen stackables tend to not spin completely when the load is out of balance, leaving a sopping wet load of laundry to deal with. Other than that, I like them. Douglas G. Larson, Songaia Cohousing
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Re: washing machine information Douglas G. Larson, May 15 2010
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Re: washing machine information Sharon Villines, May 15 2010
- Re: washing machine information Sally Wright, May 15 2010
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Re: washing machine information R.N. Johnson, May 21 2010
- Re: washing machine information David Pierce, May 21 2010
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Re: washing machine information Sharon Villines, May 15 2010
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