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Wringer Washing Machine for Off-Grid? Ulysses 05-24-2008
|--> Re: Wringer Washing Machine for Off-Grid? clare at snyder dot ontario do05-24-2008
Posted by Ulysses on May 24, 2008, 3:43 pm
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 I've only seem them in old movies and perhaps at an antique store but it
seems like wringer washing machines would use much less power than a
convential machine. I'm guessing they fill up with the available water
pressure, use gravity to drain, and the electric motor is only used to
agitate the clothes. Anyone actually used one? Are they a PITA to wring
out the water? Anyone know how much power they use? A servo to
automatically fill and drain the tank would be nice and should use little
power.

Thanks.



Posted by Morris Dovey on May 24, 2008, 4:21 pm
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 Ulysses wrote:
> I've only seem them in old movies and perhaps at an antique store but
> it seems like wringer washing machines would use much less power
> than a convential machine. I'm guessing they fill up with the
> available water pressure, use gravity to drain, and the electric
> motor is only used to agitate the clothes.

Unless you get a really old one, the motor also powered one or both of
the rollers in the wringer. The original wringer set-up had a crank.

> Anyone actually used one? Are they a PITA to wring out the water?

Have used. They're a pain in the hand when you get your fingers caught.
Most wringers have a quick release, but I recall just reversing the feed
till my hand was free. Feeding the clothes through the wringer isn't a
big deal - it just requires that you participate in the process (and pay
attention) rather than starting a cycle and going off to do something else.

> Anyone know how much power they use? A servo to automatically fill
> and drain the tank would be nice and should use little power.

I'm guessing a 1/2 hp. Probably you won't need a servo to push in the
drain plug and pull it out again. Some had spigot-like drain valves. If
the clothes weren't really filthy, you could wash another load in the
same soapy water, then do multiple rinses.

FWIW, I doubt they use much less power (and I'm certain they use a lot
more water) than recent designs. The spin cycle of more modern machines
makes a big difference in the amount of human work needed.

There's even a (Japanese/Korean?) machine that has no agitator and
doesn't need detergent for normal soiling.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Posted by Don Young on May 24, 2008, 9:40 pm
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> Ulysses wrote:
>> I've only seem them in old movies and perhaps at an antique store but
>> it seems like wringer washing machines would use much less power than a
>> convential machine. I'm guessing they fill up with the available water
>> pressure, use gravity to drain, and the electric motor is only used to
>> agitate the clothes.
>
> Unless you get a really old one, the motor also powered one or both of
> the rollers in the wringer. The original wringer set-up had a crank.
>
>> Anyone actually used one? Are they a PITA to wring out the water?
>
> Have used. They're a pain in the hand when you get your fingers caught.
> Most wringers have a quick release, but I recall just reversing the feed
> till my hand was free. Feeding the clothes through the wringer isn't a
> big deal - it just requires that you participate in the process (and pay
> attention) rather than starting a cycle and going off to do something
> else.
>
>> Anyone know how much power they use? A servo to automatically fill and
>> drain the tank would be nice and should use little power.
>
> I'm guessing a 1/2 hp. Probably you won't need a servo to push in the
> drain plug and pull it out again. Some had spigot-like drain valves. If
> the clothes weren't really filthy, you could wash another load in the
> same soapy water, then do multiple rinses.
>
> FWIW, I doubt they use much less power (and I'm certain they use a lot
> more water) than recent designs. The spin cycle of more modern machines
> makes a big difference in the amount of human work needed.
>
> There's even a (Japanese/Korean?) machine that has no agitator and
> doesn't need detergent for normal soiling.
>
> --
> Morris Dovey
> DeSoto Solar
> DeSoto, Iowa USA
> http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/
The simplest drain system was a drain hose with a hook fitting on the end.
You let the lose hang down to drain and hooked the end over the top rim of
the tub to stop draining.

Don Young



Posted by daestrom on May 24, 2008, 5:30 pm
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> I've only seem them in old movies and perhaps at an antique store but it
> seems like wringer washing machines would use much less power than a
> convential machine. I'm guessing they fill up with the available water
> pressure, use gravity to drain, and the electric motor is only used to
> agitate the clothes. Anyone actually used one? Are they a PITA to wring
> out the water? Anyone know how much power they use? A servo to
> automatically fill and drain the tank would be nice and should use little
> power.
>

Not sure a motor-operated wringer would use that much less energy than a
spin-cycle. A five minute spin cycle with something like a 1/3 hp motor
isn't much different than running the 1/3 hp motor virtually unloaded for
the fifteen minutes it takes to feed a large load of laundry through a
wringer.

daestrom


Posted by Bruce in alaska on May 24, 2008, 5:36 pm
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> I've only seem them in old movies and perhaps at an antique store but it
> seems like wringer washing machines would use much less power than a
> convential machine. I'm guessing they fill up with the available water
> pressure, use gravity to drain, and the electric motor is only used to
> agitate the clothes. Anyone actually used one? Are they a PITA to wring
> out the water? Anyone know how much power they use? A servo to
> automatically fill and drain the tank would be nice and should use little
> power.
>
> Thanks.

Mom had one in the 1940's when I was growing up. It was Electric Motor
driven, but the Originals were driven by 2 & 4 Cycle Gasoline Engines,
via VBelt. When I first started traveling in the bush of Alaska in the
early 70's, they were very prevalent once you got out of the LARGE
Cities. Sear & Robuck's sold thousands of them thru the Catalog Sales,
clear up into the late 90's. I've seen a number of them still in use,
and even a few of the Original engine powered one's once you get out
passed the Electrified areas. On the later Sears, and Maytag's, the
Rollers were also powered by the drive system, on a bevel gear, shaft,
and Forward/Reverse Transmission System. Made ringing a lot easier.
There are still a few being used in my close (close = 10 Sq Miles)
neighborhood. Very much prized, out here in the bush. Saw one with
a ChainSaw Drive attachment, at a Logging Camp once, kind of like
a ChainSaw Winch. Worked ok, for the Loggers.....

--
Bruce in alaska
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