Darrell writes:
Brad,
I am new to this online blog stuff, so I figured an email would be best. I own a Kenmore Elite Oasis washer Model #110.27042602. Everytime we try to use the washer we get error code F1 flashing. This happens withins seconds of the machine first starting to fill and about ten times thereafter until enough water gets into the tub for balance, I assume. We have started pouring about 2 gallons of water onto the clothes in the tub by hand before starting the machine which usually works. About half the time the machine stops again between wash and rinse cycle as it starts to fill with water again.
In my online research, I guess its good we don't have error code F51, but this is a pain and 1 year warranty has passed. It appears I may need to get a new Machine Motor Control Assembly. Any thoughts????
Thank you,
Darrell S.
Darrell,
I'm probably not going to tell you anything you don't already know. You know you may have to replace the motor control assembly, so you have done your due diligence.
I found a thread related to your problem at the "Samurai Appliance Repair Forums" at ApplianceGuru.com. That link will take you to the discussion, in case you haven't already read it. The poster described a situation identical to yours, and I have also read of this problem at other sites on the web.
Contained within that thread is a link to a Service Matters (Whirlpool Corp.) tech sheet related to the F1 error code. This is the document any qualified servicer will refer to when addressing your problem. Here is a link to that sheet in case you want to have it on hand in the event of a service call.
The tech sheet calls to replace the control, but only after three other tests have been conducted. Everything I have read indicates the control will be replaced the vast majority of the time. I am not a technician, but I would say there really is no way around that.
Please keep in mind that this sheet applies to specific models and serial numbers within the Whirlpool line. There may be a separate sheet for your washer, but I imagine the end result is the same.
The million dollar question is how much will such a repair cost. I am seeing prices ranging from $150 to $200 just for the part. With labor, you will probably have at least $300 invested in this repair. I would encourage you to contact Whirlpool at 866-769-7260. I have read instances of other owners receiving satisfactory service in out-of-warranty situations via this number. Whirlpool knows these washers are crap, so they no doubt have a scripted procedure in place to deal with these situations. Be firm, but also be polite. Maybe drop the word "recall" and see what happens.
Let me know how it goes.
Edit 3/8/09: I realized today that I was giving him some useless advice. His washer is a Kenmore, and I advised him to contact Whirlpool. While Whirlpool is the manufacturer of the Kenmore Oasis, Darrell would need to go through Sears directly in order to get any satisfaction. Granted, both companies utilize A&E Factory Service on the service arm of the business, but the proper channels would still need to be followed. My apologies for any confusion.
~ Brad
I came across an interesting story at consumeraffairs.com:
Kenmore Dryer Suit Hung Out to Dry
"The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals struck a blow to consumer class actions in an opinion reversing class certification for a lawsuit involving Kenmore clothes dryers.
"The suit, filed on behalf of plaintiffs in 28 states and the District of Columbia, alleged that Sears deceived customers by imprinting the words “stainless steel” on the outside of the dryers even though part of the drum, located entirely inside the dryer, was made of ceramic-coated, rather than stainless, steel.
"The lead plaintiff, Steven Thorogood of Tennessee, alleged that the non-stainless section of his drum rusted and stained his clothes."
The judge presiding over the case, Judge Richard Posner, seemed to dismiss the suit on a legal basis. However, he also rebukes the merits of the plaintiff's claims, chief among them being that Sears lied about the drum being made of stainless steel, and that deception resulted in rusting which damaged his clothes.
"Posner noted that rust stains are not a common problem among dryer owners, and that few people buy stainless appliances to prevent such stains."
That may be true. Nobody buys a stainless steel range with the expectation that the stainless steel will not rust. However, that is not the case with dryers containing a stainless steel drum. If you walk into any appliance store in the country and ask a salesperson the advantage of having a stainless steel drum in the dryer, 100% of them will tell you it will not rust, and therefore ruin your clothes.
It shouldn't matter that Sears did not advertise that the drum will not rust; the fact that the drum is stainless steel makes this implied. In addition, why would every salesperson claim that a stainless steel drum will resist rust? Because the manufacturers and management tell them to claim this as a benefit. And if the drum isn't even made entirely of stainless steel when the claim is made that it is, that is even more deceptive.
Unless your dryer suddenly dies and you are in need of a new one, they are pretty much an afterthought. I have seen people agonize over picking out a washing machine, but the only thought they really put into the dryer whether it's gas or electric. That's because when a consumer buys a washer, they usually also buy the dryer so they will have a matching set.
I remember this couple who came into the store one day shopping for washers. The husband just kind of stood there with his hands in his pockets while his wife looked at all of the washers we had on display. She turned the dials, lifted the lids, and asked all the right questions. He stood motionless, silent except for the occasional sigh. She'd ask him a question every once in a while, just to make him think his opinion mattered, and he'd look at her like she was speaking Klingonese.
After about two hours, she had finally zeroed in on a model she wanted. Of course, then she had to determine what color she wanted. (Damn you, LG!) Once that was out of the way, we sat down to write up the order. And that's when he finally broke his silence.
"What's your best price?"
"Is that the best you can do?"
"You know I could just take your price over to Best Buy and they'll just beat you."
"How's business been? You could probably really use this sale, couldn't you?" (I told the asshole I didn't work on commission. Ha! I really effing hate people sometimes.)
We finally agreed on a price. It was my original price, but I had thrown in three tubs of pretty good detergent.
Just then the wife piped with, "Oh, and we'll need the dryer to be electric."
"Dryer?" the husband replied, and then he looked right at me with an almost maniacal look of urgency and said, "Six tubs! I want six tubs of detergent!"
Anyway, the point of my post wasn't that people can be real douchebags sometimes, although it quickly degenerated into just that. My point was that when it comes to the dryer, people don't really put a whole lot of thought into the decision. They'll decide on a washer, but how they arrive at that decision does not usually involve the dryer.
Believe it or not, dryer capacity is important. When it comes to the dryer, the size of the drum will not so much effect how much laundry you can do at once. After all, you are only going to put into the dryer what you put into the washer. However, the size of the dryer will have an effect on what condition the clothes are in when they come out of it.
Generally speaking, you want the dryer to be twice as large as the washer. So for a 3.2cf capacity washer, you want a dryer to be at least 6.4cf. As you get into the bigger washers, that guideline can be more difficult to meet as the dryer sizes have not kept up with washer sizes. For instance, Electrolux offers a 4.7cf washer, while the companion dryer is "only" 8.0cf, instead of 9.4cf.
A larger dryer will provide the following benefits:
* less pilling: The clothes have more room to spread out so the fabric does not rub together so much throughout the cycle
* less wrinkling: Again, more room equals more room for the clothes to spread out
* faster dry times: More room equals more airflow and that equates to faster dry times
* more even drying: Yep, you guessed it. A larger drum will provide more room for the clothes to spread out while tumbling, and that will allow the items to dry more consistently (ie, the clothes won't be a massive ball with a big wet spot in the center).
So yes, dryer capacity is important. And that's always why I've hated Frigidaire dryers. Tiny little boxes with crappy airflow that really just tumble the clothes and bake them dry. And then there's that damn thing at the top of the drum, above the door, that clothes always seem to snag on.
Yeah. Frigidaire dryers really kinda suck.
If determining the capacity in top load washers that is right for you is confusing, then doing the same for frontload washers will make your head explode.
Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but there is definitely a different methodology to measuring the capacity of a drum on a frontload washer. Why is that? Because there is no agitator to foul things up.
For instance, capacity of washing machines is measured by two different agencies, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Most top load washers, with the exception of high-efficiency units such as the Oasis / Cabrio / Bravos and the GE Profile Harmony, tout capacities as measured by the Department of Energy. Most high-efficiency washer capacities are as stated by the IEC.
For example, a few years ago I was working for HH Gregg, and one of the most popular top load washers we sold was made by Whirlpool and featured a 3.2 cubic-foot capacity wash basket, as measured by the DOE. We also sold a whole lot of Whirlpool Duet frontload washers. These washers touted a capacity of 3.7 cubic-feet, as rated by the IEC. However, the wash basket itself was only 3.2 cubic-feet, the exact same as that $349 washer we sold like crazy. The difference was in the lack of the agitator taking up space. So even though it was only a 3.2 cubic-foot drum, the usable space was equivalent to that of a 3.7 cubic-foot drum with an agitator.
So you've got two different methods of measuring, and that is why the manufacturers make it clear when they are using an IEC measurement.
The largest IEC-capacity frontload washer on the market is made by Electrolux. These washers offer a 4.7 cubic-foot IEC capacity. The DOE capacity on these washers are 4.05 cubic-feet. The DOE also lists these washers as having the largest capacity of frontload washers currently available.
So, how big a drum do you need in your frontload washer? Obviously, the larger the drum, the more you can fit into a load at once, thereby reducing the total amount of loads you need to do. You can also wash larger, bulky items in a bigger drum, such as comforters, and eliminate the needs to make the trip to the laundromat.
That doesn't mean you absolutely have to have a 4.7 cubic-foot washer, or even a 4.2, which is offered Bosch and GE Profile. If you have have read some of my older posts, you'll see that I used to own a Maytag Neptune (built by Samsung) washer. This washer was rated at 3.8 cubic-feet, and I could do all of my bedding in one load. That was a comforter, two sheets, and four pillowcases. One load.
Following are the capacities of the most common frontload washers available, sorted alphabetically by manufacturer. Not all models are reflected; rather, I have simply listed a range from within the manufacturer's product lines. Also, this list is not all-inclusive as some niche brands and Euro-style washers are not included.
Amana: 3.5cf IEC, 2.9cf DOE
Asko: 3.8cf IEC, 3.29cf DOE
Bosch / Siemens: 4.2cf IEC, 3.31cf DOE
Electrolux: 4.7cf IEC, 4.05cf DOE
Frigidaire: 3.5cf to 3.1cf IEC, 3.0 to 2.65cf DOE
GE / GE Profile: 4.2cf to 3.5cf IEC, 3.61cf to 3.0cf DOE
LG: 4.5cf to 3.6cf IEC, 3.87cf to 3.2cf DOE
Miele: 4.0cf IEC, 3.07cf DOE
Samsung: 4.5cf to 3.8cf IEC, 3.86cf to 3.21cf DOE
Whirlpool / Maytag: 4.4cf to 3.4cf IEC, 3.79cf to 3.1cf DOE
