Think twice if you're installing in a basement
Written: Aug 24 '01 (Updated Jul 26 '08)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
| Ease of Cleaning: |
 |
|
| Style: |
 |
|
|
Pros: auto water level, spin really gets clothes drier, delay settings
Cons: only pumps 6' it might not work in basement, hard to find someone for repairs
The Bottom Line: Energy saving advantages of front-loaders but easy to load. Larger capacity than Frigidaire and less expensive than Neptune. Be careful with a basement install. Hard to find someone for repairs.
|
|
|
| kgrady's Full Review: Frigidaire GWL10 Washing Machine |
I purchased the Fisher & Paykel GSW10 washing machine after my old washer decided to leak transmission fluid on my clothes (only my clothes -- none of my husband's or daughter's clothes were harmed). Since the old washer was 8 years old, it didn't make sense to try to repair it. The first words out of my husband's mouth were "You're not getting the Neptune.".
I did some research at ConsumerReports.org to see what features I should be looking for in a washer and decided I wanted:
* Front loader - energy saving and less wear on your clothes
* Automatic temperature adjustment - we use well water and the cold water is very cold.
* Energy Star - no need to use more electricity than necessary.
* Extra Rinse - I like to rinse my daughter's clothes an extra time to make sure all of the detergent residue is out.
* Automatic water level adjustment - again with the well water, I don't want to be using more than we need.
* Time delay - although not a deal breaker, I liked the idea of loading the wash before going to bed and having it finish when I woke up in the morning
Since the washer and dryer are in the basement, I also needed a washer that could pump over 6'.
After researching at Consumer Reports and Epinions, I decided I wanted the Frigidaire front loader. (Don't worry, I'm getting to the Fisher & Paykel part.) I examined the Frigidaire at Best Buy and was very unimpressed. I thought it looked quite small and awkward to load. Then I wandered over to the Maytag Neptune display, but my husband very quickly informed me we weren't going to spend $1,000 or more on the washer.
We moved on to a local appliance store. There I again looked at the Frigidaire and still thought it was very small. I wanted something larger. I asked the man at the store if there were any other front loaders other than the Maytag Neptunes. "No," he informed me, "but check out the Fisher & Paykel GSW10." Since I had never heard of Fisher & Paykel (F&P) before, I had to go home and do some more research.
Both Epinions and Consumer Reports had great things to say about the Fisher & Paykel GSW10. According to their corporate web site, it's America's most energy efficient washer. According to the spec I viewed, the GSW10 could pump 6' 5" which was 1" more than I needed. It also had all of the other features I wanted except being a front loader. And the tub was 3 cubic feet which makes the GSW10 the largest washer I had looked at (except for the Neptune). And the price was right, $629 before tax. I went back to the store and bought the GSW10. Then I just had to wait 3 days for it to be delivered. Since I was afraid of using my old washer at this point, I decided to wait to wash any clothes until the new washer arrived.
The Big Day!
The delivery truck comes just as I was wrestling with my new Kirby vacuum (May was a very expensive month.) Since the Kirby had spit dirt all over me and my last pair of clean jeans, I was looking forward to using the washer. Once the washer is installed, I rush down to the basement to give it a try but there wasn't a manual, just a video. The video instructs me how the washer works, where to add the detergent (only 1/2 of what I used to use), and how to run a wash cycle. It also refers to the paper manual, so I know there is supposed to be one. I go back downstairs, add the detergent (accidentally adding more than 1/2), fill the washer, and set it up to run. I then call the appliance store and ask them to get me a manual.
At this point, Maggie wakes up, so I wasn't timing the cycle. A while later, I hear a continuous beeping coming from the basement. I recall from the video this indicates there is a problem with the wash cycle. I go downstairs and notice there are some suds in the wash basin. Maybe I put to much detergent in, so I run another full wash cycle. This one finishes with the same problem. Since it is after 6, I call the 800 number for F&P. The customer service representative asks me which lights are lit, and using that information, suggests that there might be something blocking a rotating part on the bottom of the machine. I check the part (nothing is blocking it) and run another full wash cycle (wasn't this washer supposed to use less water?!?). Same problem. I call F&P again and this time they ask me if the washer is in the basement. "Why yes, it is." Well, it turns out I need a board that isn't installed by default. The washer can't pump the water out. I take the clothes out, for the most part they aren't that wet except for the ones that were sitting in the inch of water at the bottom and toss them in the dryer. There were still some suds, so I run a rinse cycle and this time they do disappear.
The next morning, I call the appliance store and tell them I need a board. They install the board and they also bring me an instruction manual. I load up the washer and run a cycle. This time I'm sure I only use 1/2 of the detergent. I get the same beeping. Looking in the troubleshooting section, I see that there are too many suds, I guess I used too much detergent. I run another wash cycle and this time there are no beeps although the clothes at the bottom are quite wet.
Next, I go down to the basement armed with a Tablespoon. I am going to figure out how much detergent to use. I measure in 3T of detergent and run a cycle. I still get the suds beeps. I just can't believe that 3T can be too much detergent. I contact F&P via e-mail asking how much detergent I should be using as I'm always getting the suds beeps. F&P asks me if the washer is in the basement and how high the stand pipe is. I respond that it is in the basement and the standpipe is 6' from the floor (the appliance guy shortened it when he came back to install the board). With the hose going into the pipe, the washer needed to pump 6' 1 1/2". F&P's response: "With the replacement board, the Ecosmart washer will only pump up to 6', and not an 1/8" more.". Since shortening the stand pipe further was not an option, now I have to investigate building a platform. Since neither my husband or myself are that handy, I call "Mr. Handyman" to come and build one for me. One week after I bought the washer, I had a 7 1/2" high platform (which cost $300) where my washer and dryer reside and the EcoSmart finally will go through a cycle using 1/2 of the detergent.
Phew!
Using the washer
When you open the washer, it looks similar to any top loader except the agitator has holes in the side. This allows water to flow through the clothes instead of moving the clothes through the water. To add detergent, you remove the cap from the top of the agitator and pour it in (being careful to not spill it out the holes). This is where you would add bleach as well (again, 1/2 of what you're used to using). You need to put the cap back on firmly as it could fly off during the spin cycle if it's not attached. Liquid fabric softener goes in the top of the agitator cap. (F&P recommends using dryer sheets to prevent "scrud" build up. Scrud seems to be lint that attaches itself to left over softener.)
The controls are confusing at first but you quickly get used to them. There are 5 pre-defined wash settings and a Favorite setting you can program, 3 options (Time Saver, Soak, Softener Rinse), 5 water temperature settings, 4 water levels, 4 spin speeds, and 3 time delay settings (9 hours, 3 hours, and 1 hour). The Soak option is kind of cool -- it adds 2 hours of gentle agitation to keep the detergent working.
I usually use the default wash but switch it to cold (it defaults to warm/warm) as most of my daughter's clothes recommend cold water. I haven't bothered setting up the favorite wash as I just need to press the temperature button twice to get cold/cold.
I love the delay feature. I frequently load up the washer before I go to bed and wake up to a freshly laundered load ready for the dryer.
And the clothes really come out drier as F&P claims, making it easier to run back-to-back loads of laundry. My old dryer is always done with the clothes when the washer finishes the new load which is new since buying the GSW10. F&P also says their washing process removes more lint from the clothes. This seems to be true as often when I empty the lint trap in the dryer there's hardly any lint to be found -- and the lint volume for towels is much less.
Since this washer has a larger capacity than my prior washer (and my current dryer), I have to be careful to not fill it all the way. If I do, the clothes come out of the dryer more wrinkled (I assume it's because they can't tumble as freely.)
One thing I miss is you can't run the washer unless the top is down. So if you're a klutz, like me, and spill detergent on your hands, it's upstairs to wash them instead of rinsing as the washer fills.
According to the manual, I can wash a King size comforter in the GSW10. I tried this with a Queen size comforter, but I kept having problems with the load being out of balance and water leaking out of the washer. I have to admit, I can't remember if I was using the delicate cycle as the manual suggests, I guess it's back to the Laundromat for my comforters.
Any savings?
I just compared my electricity usage for the past three months with last years and my usage is up, not down as expected. But this summer has been much hotter than last year. I'll have to wait until fall to see if it goes down. Since my water is "free" I can't comment on water usage.
I've been using regular liquid detergent and have gone though one 50-load bottle in the past 4 months which is pretty good since I do approx. 5 loads/week, so you should see some savings on detergent.
And I got a $50 rebate from my electric company for buying an Energy Star washer which is always nice!
Bottom line:
If you're in the market to get a new washing machine, you should consider the F&P GSW10. It gives you the purported energy saving advantages of the front-loaders but it's easy to load and unload. It has a larger capacity than the Frigidaire model and is less expensive than the Neptune.
If you're installing in a basement, make sure you won't be pumping over 6'. If so, you will need a platform or a different washer. Don't believe the brochure on the F&P web site that states you can pump 6' 5". I ended up spending almost as much as I would have on the Neptune when you factor in the platform I needed for the GSW10 to work. I'm still a bit annoyed about this as I've contacted F&P customer service about this misrepresentation in their brochure but they claim the brochure is correct. If I had known I needed a platform, I would have opted for a different washer but in the end I am pleased with my purchase. I even recommended the GSW10 to my mom for her 1st floor laundry.
Update added 11/8/05
My F&P stopped draining today. This happened last year and I had to get a pump replaced. Well today, I've just spent an hour on the phone trying to find a repair person to come look at this today and the earliest I could get was late tomorrow afternoon and that was only after some strong words with the appliance shop. The other place I could get through too wouldn't be able to come for a week! I assume the pump has failed again. I checked on ConsumerReports.org and F&P has one of the highest repair rates (the only one higher is the Kenmore Calypso). While the F&P seems to be the darling of the appliance shops, I was assured by the person I spoke with that they have the same model and theirs never breaks, I recommend going with a more well known brand so you'll have more choices of authorized repair centers when you need to have your machine repaired.
Update 9/2006
After having the pump fail for the 5th time, I decided to get rid of the Fisher & Paykel and purchased a Whirlpool WTW5600SQ washing machine.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 649
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
kgrady
|
|
Member: Kathy O'Keefe
Location: Stow, MA
Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 4 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.