what's going on with new laundry dryers now?

[CTyankee]

We recently had to buy a new dryer. It doesn't dry the towels and bath mats for a much longer time even on the highest setting. I have a home helper come to clean and do laundry for us. She is here for 4 hours but it is now up to 5 because of the dryer, which slows down the entire process of wash/dry. It's a Whirlpool appliance.

The store sent someone out to measure the heat and he said it was normal. The dryer vents got thoroughly cleaned out.

Hubby has heard that dryers are taking longer due to environmental issues.

Is this true?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I bought a Whirlpool 3 years ago and had the same problem..

It would get warm, but never hot.

[Diamond_Dog]

2. Are the towels and bath mats

Heavy weight? That might make a difference. Maybe try putting fewer heavy items in per load?

Although the dryer should compensate for that and have a sensor that stops the dryer only when the stuff inside is dry.

[CTyankee]

6. Yes, new towels are bigger and heavier. My old towels are far skimpier. My new sheets are heavier

but very soft.

No such luck with a sensor. I save the towels for last in the wash/dry process. Things I don't want to look wrinkled, such as shirts and pants, are lighter of course and perma press. If they get in with the towels they are wrinkled in the dryer so I separate them out.

The new towels are delightful to use because they are so soft. But I'm not buying any more of them.

[Wingus Dingus]

3. I cleaned out my dryer duct and discovered that

I had enough buildup of lint to really hinder the drying time. I see you've had that done, so I don't know, except for overloading?

[BComplex]

4. Appliances....especially washers and dryers, have gone to hell in a handbasket.

My 3 year old washing machine makes so much noise you can't hear yourself think. When I bought it, I actually bought another one first, and it was so loud I made Lowe's come back and pick it up and exchange it! They don't use any water, so they don't clean the clothes. They lock you out until the washer is completely still, so you can't add anything to the water as it's washing.

The national consumer watchdogs are making "rules" based on however the Chinese government is supporting their industries in deciding to make things.

[Diamond_Dog]

10. We bought a Maytag dishwasher from Lowes' last Thanksgiving

Yep, my old one died 2 days before Thanksgiving!

The new Maytag is so quiet you don’t even know when it’s on. It has a “Quick” cycle that washes and dries in one hour and does a great job.

The only thing I don’t like about it is that the door is really sensitive. If I lean up against the counter and put any pressure at all on the door of the thing, it starts a cycle. And it’s so quiet you don’t realize you’ve started a wash cycle until it’s half done and all that’s inside is a couple coffee cups and spoons. But, that’s on me, I guess.

[bamagal62]

12. The lack of water drives me crazy.

I always feel like the clothes don't really get clean. And, if you leave them in the wash for longer than about
3 hours, they spoil and you have to wash them again. And, don't get me started on these awful front loaders. The only thing I do like about the new washers is the sanitize setting.

[Wingus Dingus]

18. I have a two year old Whirlpool top loader (have a very narrow

laundry room and front loaders have too much depth) and it pretty much shit the bed this year, leaked oil out of the transmission all over the belt so that the belt slipped and squealed loudly with every wash. We took it apart, degreased the belt, put it back together, and it works now without squealing but since there's no oil left in the transmission gears or clutch or whatever, it's on borrowed time...piece of junk.

Before that was a new GE washer that lasted two years and then randomly turned itself on like a zombie one day, no water or clothes in it, no one touched it--just started churning in wash mode by itself. Could not use control panel or buttons to stop it, had to unplug it to get it to quit. Immediately got rid of it (what if we hadn't been home? Couldn't trust a machine that switches itself on randomly) and bought the aforementioned Whirlpool... Having very bad luck with these machines.

[samnsara]

5. my new samsung dishwasher takes THREE hours on one of the settings and it

..doesn't even have a DRY cycle..it just pops the door open to 'air dry'. Re-thinkig this purchase...

[QED]

25. I have a new Samsung dishwasher too.

I was surprised that the normal cycle takes so long. I pre-rinse and just use the quick cycle so it's just an hour. Sometimes I'll use just the lower rack to wash the dogs' dishes.

I thought it weird that the door popped open near the end and thought something was wrong. Then I saw the little label inside that said this was how it worked.

Big year for appliance replacement here....also washer, dryer, and fridge.

[we can do it]

7. Stopped using dryers, use drying racks.

We’re all electric/solar and never thought anything but gas dryers were worthwhile previously. (We had been mostly line/rack drying a few years before moving out of Ohio)

[CTyankee]

9. Some items could possibly be hung. All perma press items must be removed quickly from the dryer

and put on hangers to dry (on plastic hangers on the shower curtain rail. Folded and mixed in with other items gets them a bit wrinkled, defeating the purpose of permanent press.

[we can do it]

17. Another good thing about rack or line drying- no static and things look like they've been ironed.

Plus keeps house cooler in summer.

[CTyankee]

19. I'm 82 years old. And while I applaud line drying (which I'm old enough to remember) I could not do

it physically. I'm in very good shape but my arthritic back won't let me carry heavy baskets of clothes anywhere.

[we can do it]

22. I get that. I don't use a basket.

I only take a couple items at a time and hang them up.

[CTyankee]

23. That could be done in my basement where the washer and dryer are located.

And perhaps another owner who is younger could do it.

My house was built in 1941 and it's a prewar gem. For some people. I thought nothing of going up and down stairs when we bought it about 30 years ago. We still do because the bedrooms and office are
upstairs.

However, accommodations for age and disability (my hubby's spinal stenosis causing him to use a walker to get around) have been made. I'm in great shape but despite my morning routine exercise, two flights of stairs is hard to climb, even without a heavy basket of clothes. Hence, a home health aide from an agency which bonds her. We pay her well and give her $$$ for Christmas. I couldn't do without her!

[we can do it]

24. Funny how things change!

[QED]

33. I hang a lot of my garments.

It's still rather warm here so they dry within an hour outside. When the weather cools, I hand them from the shower rod. Too many of my knit shirts shrink in length in the dryer.

[mn9driver]

8. Two words: Speed Queen

They are essentially commercial machines, and boy do they work. The washer never goes out of balance and you can hardly tell it is spinning. The dryer is very quiet. I’ve had both of these machines for almost ten years and have never had a problem with them.

[CTyankee]

11. I did not have a choice. The insurance company bought them.

[Tetrachloride]

13. Near my grandmother 's house by a mile

[CurtEastPoint]

14. electric or gas?

[CTyankee]

15. Even tho we have gas for our stove, I'm really not sure.

It may be a gas dryer.

[Sibelius Fan]

16. That's why I continue to repair our 16-year-old made-in-Germany Kenmore washer & dryer

They still work great. I have a local handyman who is adept at fixing these things. He charges me $20-30 for a repair. I buy parts thru amazon (good luck getting them thru Sears).

[CTyankee]

20. Kenmore products have always been great, IMO. I didn't know they were made in Germany.

[Sibelius Fan]

28. They're not made in Germany anymore. Haven't been for some time.

The repair guy from Sears (who I used before finding my handyman) told me they were made in Germany. He could tell because the wires are pink and white. He told me to hang onto them as long as possible as the new machines were all crap. That was nine years ago.

BTW - Kenmore appliances used to be made by Whirlpool. They’re now made by Frigidaire.

[csziggy]

35. Depending on the year Kenmore appliances were made by various companies

My Kenmore refrigerator and freezer (separate units) are now sold under the Whirlpool brand name. At the time I bought them, they were branded Frigidaire. Whatever the brand name they are actually made by a company named Wood in Canada.

I have a "Kenmore" sewing machine that was actually made by Singer.

For years, Sears farmed out their appliance production to other companies and just slapped their Kenmore name on them. There are sources on the internet that will tell you who actually made the product if you have to serial number.

[BComplex]

21. I wish I could have had your handyman to fix my 20 year old Kenmores when they died!

I loved them!

[sinkingfeeling]

26. I also think the newer washers and dryers stink. Wish I'd moved my 20 year old

KitchenAid washer and dryer in stead of selling them with the house.

[CTyankee]

30. I know. Shudda, cudda, woulda...

[QED]

27. New washer and dryer arrived yesterday

It had been two weeks since we disconnected the old set to replace the flooring so I had a lot of laundry to do!

Most of my laundry is bedding - just sheets for me but at least two loads of dogs' laundry. I use blankets in their kennels. My old washer had a bedding setting, this one has a heavy duty or bulk items. Hm...which to use? I tried both. I had an issue with the washer not draining and had to use the "Drain and Spin" setting twice, no luck. So I took one of the blankets out and did it with just one and that worked. Pain in the butt - I'll work with it.

As for the dryer - 20 minutes and the machine said it was done. Nope - still slightly damp. I used the timed dry for 20 minutes and that worked.

I need to get to know these units better - that was just the first day of use. I wish I bought Speed Queen because of the dogs' bedding but they were about $800 more.

[jmowreader]

29. Here's the problem

You bought a dryer from a Trump-supporting business. It found out you’re a Democrat and is taking revenge.

My Electrolux, which was bought the day Trump went to the Whirlpool factory (this is no joke, it really was), gets the clothes bone dry every time.

[CTyankee]

31. OR, my ex-husband who did the world a favor by dying recently, came back to haunt me.

[Pas-de-Calais]

32. We had to buy replacements

Used Consumer Reports for most of our large item buys. LG was rated high with reasonable price.

We got them. They’re great

[mnhtnbb]

34. I bought Maytag W&D last winter

for my new house, not high end. I hang everything but sheets and towels to dry and designed my laundry room to accommodate that. I have a closet type rod that runs the length of the wall over the side by side W&D and a drying rack that has its own permanent space next to the cabinets on the opposite wall.

So far, I'm happy with both machines.

[CTyankee]

36. I was not in a position to calmly research appliances. The dryer worked fine until the flood in my

basement caused by a broken hot water tank. The flooded basement freaked me out. It was made worse by the fact that it was OUR fault it happened: the hot water tank was way past its usefulness. We shudda known better, bad on us.

Who knows how old your hot water tank is right at this moment?

[hunter]

37. They are horrible. Why does a clothes dryer need a computer?

I'll be very sad when our thirty year old gas dryer can't be repaired.

It has two knobs -- temps and time. You turn them and it just works.

[CTyankee]

38. I dunno. Are dryers environmentally "suspect" now and must be modified accordingly?

It doesn't make much sense: if your dryer doesn't dry you have to run it longer and that doesn't seem like very much of a solution.