The secret about LG clothes washing machines

31 August 2008 · Topic: Appliances · Tags: , ,

While doing research for a new front loader clothes washing machine, my wife and I looked closely at the offerings manufactured by LG. We saw models at Sears and Home Depot. The models and their features are very nice.

While at Home Depot we asked about differences between all the various models including LG. The saleslady spoke about this and that, but was particularly careful to understand where we would be placing the new clothes washer and dryer in our home.

We said we desired to move our laundry upstairs to the closet of our bedroom. The sales lady warned us that the LG clothes washer has a particular need to be on a very sturdy surface such as concrete. She went on the inquire where our current laundry is located. We said on the middle floor between the garage and the kitchen which is a very typical location in the U.S. She was concerned the LG would not work there either since this was not a concrete floor.

We visited consumer reports and find their ratings for the LG to be some of the highest, but they never mention anything about location restrictions. If this issue is true, LG products won’t work well in the majority of homes.

During the past several months, Home Depot is selling many more models of LG clothes washers which, I suppose, still have this “sturdy floor” need.

If you are looking at the LG front loader products, you are well advised to ask about floor sturdiness requirements.

I would consider this an urban legend if it weren’t a sales lady from Home Depot telling me about this.

Your mileage may vary.

The Premium you pay for a matching Washer and Dryer

31 August 2008 · Topic: Appliances · Tags: ,

My family and I stopped by Sears and Home Depot after Church this morning to take another look at front loader clothes washing machines. Our current top loader won’t rinse well and both my wife and I consider the front loader method superior to the top load for a variety of reasons which some may find debatable. That’s not the point of this post, however.

All the front loader clothes washer offerings from Whirlpool (Duet), LG, Kenmore, etc. have a companion dryer to match the style. Of course my wife is all over that and desires both a new washer and dryer so they will “match.” I just want to replace the broken appliance and get the washer.

My wife and I disagree about this, but we don’t disagree on the startling discovery about the matching dryers. When you compare feature for feature between the matching dryers and the stand alone dryers you will see they are pretty much the same thing.

  • They both front load
  • The both have high, medium and low heat settings
  • They both have the “touch clothes” moisture sensor as opposed to the older air outlet humidity sensor

The huge difference is the price. Stand alone dryers cost about $300 to $700. The dryers that match the front load washers cost about $800 – $1600.

In other words, the premium you pay to have a matched set of a washer and dryer is about 120% on the cost of the dryer… over twice as much.

That is a lot of money to pay for “looks” of appliances that, quite likely, are hidden away in a back room. The only operational difference I could find between the two kinds of dryers is the “matched” units have the see through front door to compliment the see through front load washer.

So buyer beware. For the typical mid-level dryer you are going to pay $600 or more for no extra benefits if you just have to have the matching set of washer and dryer. That is $600 for home decor.

If you want to spend this on looks that’s great, but now you know the full story.

Blueline Power Cost Meter

28 August 2008 · Topic: Energy

I ordered a PowerCost Meter from Blueline Innovations in an effort to better demonstrate to my family the overall power consumption of everyday things in a home.

The hope is by seeing the cost per hour as things are turn on and off, increased awareness will suggest to turn things off. That’s the hope of the Power Cost meter it seems.

Please understand this meter does not save you any money on your power bill. It does not do any quack technique of saving energy. It simply reports your energy usage so you will be understand where your waste might be. It is up to you to do the actual saving.

There are several different meters available, but the Blue Line model seems to be a good mix of capabilities.

Several aspects of this meter appealed to me including:

  • Measures the power use by sensing the wheel or window of the power companies meter – The meter’s power is the same as what the electric company measures
  • Portable display unit – to place where your family can see it
  • Ability to show energy consumed per unit time or dollars per unit time
  • Can handle tiered rates
  • RF link between sensor and display unit

I eagerly took the parts home and immediately set about going through the very good instructions in the manuals. I put two batteries into the display unit, two in the remote unit and then headed outside to continue installation onto the power meter. Things were going great…

…and then…

The hidden wheel in my power meter.

The hidden wheel in my power meter.

…disaster. Of all the various meters this Power Cost sensor supports, and it is many, I had to have the one kind of meter that won’t work with this sensor. Look close and you will see the problem. My meter does have the spinning wheel, but there is a metal shroud covering the front portion of it thereby blocking any view from the front for the sensor.

Damn.

I sent an email to the support at Blue Line Innovations and they promptly confirmed my finding that my meter just won’t work.

I am not giving up yet, though. This meter system and the way it displays data is just too cool to pass up.

My next task will be to create a substitute power meter that will tick off either one tick per 7.2 watt-hours or one tick per watt-hour both of which appear compatible with the Power Cost meter. Stay tuned.

The pictures below show the unveiling of the Blue Line Innovations Power Cost Meter as received from Northern Tool Company.

Battery on Concrete Floor… Myth?

21 August 2008 · Topic: Batteries · Tags: , , ,

BatteryThe 12 volt lead-acid battery for my backup sump pump does not seem to last for more than about one year. There is a “maintenance” battery charger that is, supposedly, designed to keep a battery topped off and ready to go should the backup power be needed.

I have heard the rumor putting batteries on the concrete floor will shorten their life. Research on the net suggests a few theories why this is or was true. Thoughts include:

  • Batteries on cold concrete floors develop a thermal gradient with the plate near the floor slightly colder than the top. This creates a slightly different potential which can mess with the balance of that cell. The idea that backs up this claim is the notion that submarine batteries bubble air through their battery’s electrolyte liquid thereby maintaining flow of the liquid which stabilizes the liquid’s temperature via mixing.
  • Battery housings use to be made of materials that conduct heat more thus making them more susceptible to the previous issue.

Perhaps I should use a flooded battery so I can top it off. Perhaps putting it on the shelf will make a difference. Then again, this battery and the one before it are from Wal-Mart.

Guess it is time to search out Solar Energy suppliers for their design guidance for systems that require batteries.

Energy Monitor for Home

20 August 2008 · Topic: Energy · Tags: , , , , , , ,

I have long wanted to provide a way for the family to “see” how much energy is being used at any given moment so they can get a feel for what uses the most. I had plans to incorporate toroid pick ups in the two hot lines in the breaker panel.

Thankfully, the late overall awareness of energy cosumption has intiated the creation of many products which will “read your ac power meter” and provide a display in the confort of your home.

I have ordered a Blue Line Power Meter from Northern Tool to solve this monitoring question.

Blue Line Energy Monitor

The most interesting part of this is the unit that harmlessly clamps onto the glass of your power meter and, it appears, to monitor the spinning wheel. This is a great idea since you are monitoring the very same energy measurement device used by the power company.

Note to potential buyers… Despite the claim on Blue Line’s web site their product works on all meters, it appears it will not work on meters that do not have a spinning wheel. More and more AC power meters do not have the wheel visible. Make sure you power meter has a visible wheel before considering this device.

Come back to this site for updates and progress on how this meter works. I will make regular reports after installation and during use throughout the coming year.

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