The reocurring Washing machine question! [RE-wrenches]

[Ray Walters]

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>
>
>
>What new machines, preferably front loaders are having the best success
>on Trace SW's?  This person's is a very early SW2512.  The Asko she's
>been using has never run very well.  What about top loaders, even if
>they're not as efficient?
>
>Bob Maynard
>

Hi Bob;

Well if you read between the lines of the Homepower article (Oct 04) on 
washers, the old top loader was right in the running with the Frigidaire 
and the Maytag Neptune on water use and efficiency.
Also, we've been having a lot of trouble with Staber's latest machine. It 
seems to have trouble with the SW+ output. The only difference in output 
between the old SW series and the new SW+ are that the SW+s have filtering 
caps on all AC in& out. I was measuring a voltage dip during startup of as 
low as 86 VAC. Xantrex graciously upgraded the inverter to a SW+4024, but 
the volt sag was still in the 105 Vac range. I think the new SW+ series has 
more sag than the old SWs because of the added impedance of the filtering 
caps. I have not measured an SW series for volt sag to confirm this.
  Apparently Staber has increased their motor size over the years so they 
need a lot more surge than earlier models too. Couple that with the SW+ 
volt sag during surge and  "mission control we have a problem..."
My current answer to washing machines: get an old beater that has a 
mechanical control (no fancy electronics or variable speed motor controls) 
and wash when the sun shines. Currently, it seems like the higher 
efficiency models just aren't worth the extra cost and they sure aren't 
worth the extra hassles and call backs on solar.
Ahhh the good old days when an older Staber would run on a Trace 812 
inverter.....  NO MORE.


Ray Walters
ray at solarray.com
President, SolarRay, Inc.
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer
BS Mechanical Engineering, UT Austin 88
Returned US Peace Corps Volunteer 

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