bbauser757's Full Review: LG WM0642H Front Load Washer
This is a long review, but it should be very helpful. Our previous top loading washer was still working OK, but it was time for a "green" change. My stepson bought an LG washer & dryer (different model than this) and said it was great so we decided to so the same. We knew we wanted LG and we went to Home Depot to see what was offered. I wanted a washer and dryer that had the controls on the top/back not on the front. I did NOT want those pedestals because I needed the machine to be as close to the height of the countertop as possible as we have the machine(s) in the kitchen. I checked out other opinions on this web site and decided that this machine met all my (height and width) needs so we went back to Home Depot for the purchase. It was usually $899, on sale for $799. Coincidentally, Home Depot was having a 10% sale off any appliance over $299 and I also opened a Home Depot charge to take advantage of another 10% off (I NEVER use charge cards, but wanted the 10% so I broke down). Then our local electric company gives $50 back for the Energy Star rating. All in all, we ended up paying $500 for the washer. Home Depot also refunded the delivery charge because it was over $299.00. As soon as the bill came in, we paid it in full......I HATE CHARGE CARDS.
The machines were delivered on 10/24/08. The delivery company contracted out by Home Depot called the day before to give me the estimated time of delivery. They also called about 10 minutes from my house to make sure I was home. They came well within the window of time that was promised. The 2 men were very professional, courteous and did a wonderful job of bringing the new machine(s) in the house being careful not to hit or damage any furniture, door sills and countertops. (We had removed our old machines the night before so the delivery men didn't have to contend with them.) They connected the water hoses for both clean water coming in and dirty water going out and ran the machine through each cycle to make sure everything was running correctly. (They also conencted and set up our dryer).
I had read in some of the reviews that there may be some vibration problems due to the speed of the spin cycle, so we leveled the machine and did the 1st load. We have a tenant living below us so I wanted to make sure that the machine is as quiet as possible. Even being leveled, I find that the amount of clothes in the load makes a difference as to the amount of vibration, which makes sense. We placed a piece of old carpet under the machine, but it still vibrates a bit. If I didn't have the tenant, I probably would not be concerned, but I know how annoying it can be so I am trying to go that extra mile. I also put a sponge (folded in half) between the 2 machines to help. I have to be a bit creative. I do believe, that if it were a basement floor, there wouldn't be much concern.
Now, for the part you are most concerned with...the machine WORKS GREAT. It is so quiet compared to my old machine, it sounds like it can't be cleaning the clothes correctly. The clothes are as clean or cleaner as they were with my old machine. So far, any stains have come right out. I have used the "comforter", "normal/cotton" and "speed wash" settings and they work perfectly. Each setting has a pre-programmed wash time, the longest is 1 hr 47 min for the sanitary setting and the shortest is 32 min for the speed wash setting. Compared to my old washer, the time it takes to wash is just a bit longer, but the clothes come out so much drier that it takes only about 1/3 the time to dry them. Weather permitting, I love to dry them outside which saves even more energy.
In some of the other reviews I read, there were complaints about damage to the paint/finish of the machine due to detergent spills. Now I don't really know why detergent should damage paint, but being that I have the machines in my kitchen, they get cleaned every day anyway. I think it should be pointed out that if the people who complained about the damage to the finish would have read the User's Guide that came with the machine, they would have noticed that there were 3 different places in the Guide where there were specific warnings about the fact that the finish could be damaged by spillage of detergent. There were also complaints about a "moldy smell" which is explained in the Guide as well. I wipe down the inside of the door and the rubber gasket after each use. I also leave the door where you put the detergent and the front load door open for a little while to help it dry out. There is also a special wash setting that is meant to clean the inside of the machine. I guess some people think that they are too smart to bother to read the instructions. The User's Guide has some helpful information; read it.
Lastly, as dumb as it is, my most favorite part of the machine (which I don't remember reading anything about in the reviews) are the chimes that signal the start and finish of the cycles. It is probably the thing that matters the very least, but I think it sounds so much nicer than a buzzer.
We've had the machine for about 5 months now. Yesterday I noticed what sounded like a coin or some other small metal object may have fallen out of a pocket and got behind/under the tub. I looked in the 'troubleshooting' section of the User's Guide and followed the instructions but to no avail; the noise was still there. I called the number for service to make a appointment. I was using the machine while I was making the appointment and it worked fine, I did NOT hear this noise while the machine was working, only while it was off and if I spun the tub manually. Anyway, coincidentally, we were ordering a new refrigerator at Home Depot (a future review) and while talking to the salesman I told him of my recent washer problem. He recommended that I use a product called Affresh (it is sold at Home Depot....I haven't seen it anywhere else although I never looked for it before). Affresh apparently actually cleans the washer. He said that sometimes the soap builds up (how a liquid soap builds up I don't understand) and may sound like something trapped behind the drum. Well, when we got home, I followed his directions, used the Affresh tablet (hot water cycle) and lo and behold, the sound went away. He had given me his cell phone so I called and thanked him. He apparently has the same machine and said he uses Affresh once a month. He also said to NEVER use anything other than an 'he' rated detergent and recommended that I should ALWAYS use the minimum amount of detergent that is recommended on the bottle, even large loads need a minimum amount of detergent. He went so far as to say that when doing a load of not-so-dirty clothes (maybe towels or sheets) to not put any soap in as the residue soap that is in the waher will be enough and will help clean the machine as well. I will follow his recommendations. Now I can cancel my service appointment. I will keep you informed of any more helpful hints as I find out about them.
Finally, I love the machine, it's doing a great job and my water bill has been CUT IN HALF. My electric bill is also substantially lower, and I know the washer contributes to this, but it also has to do with other green changes we've made in the house as well.
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