The washing machine is one of the appliances that has most changed domestic life. Born to save time for housewives (like me) and today even for single men, the washing machine makes life much easier and faster for those who want to take care of their clothes.
In fact, in a short time, the washing machine is able to remove, wash and squeeze the garments, in different materials and colors, with specific programs for each one. With economic programs that do not last long and that mimic handwashing and with the help of some products and detergents that do not disperse the colors on garments, washing clothes and linen becomes easier and faster.
In some cases, the garments are also dried, so in addition to avoiding washing by hand, you can also avoid spreading. The latest models of washing machines go towards an increasingly reduced consumption of energy, more and more performance even in a small space, more and more functionality combined with striking design.
Visibly it is composed of a metal piece of furniture and is divided into top-loading and front-loading, (depending on which side the laundry is inserted). The characteristic of the piece of furniture is that of being a supporting structure, ie that the suspension springs of the tub are hooked to the cabinet, and therefore of the entire oscillating mechanical unit. The latter is composed, in addition to the tank itself, (inside which there is the basket), also from the bearing support (or cruise), the pulley basket, the engine and the shock absorbers, fixed on one side at one end to the tank , and on the other side at the end of the base crosspiece of the piece of furniture. In the front and upper parts of the tank two ballast are fixed, (or counterweights) which are concrete weights that have the task of balancing and braking, together with springs and shock absorbers, the strong rotary excursions to which the oscillating unit is subjected in phases Centrifuge of the laundry washing cycle.
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There are various types of construction and assembly of the tank. The materials with which it is built range from stainless steel to enamelled metal. Assembly also varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. The most common type is that which sees the tank divided into two parts: the tank itself, and the tank cap (or bottom) This essentially allows the basket to be inserted inside this container. The tank and cap (or bottom) are then joined together to form this container in its final assembly. Finally, the cap is connected to the front panel of the machine by means of the porthole rubber, which together with the porthole door, creates a sealed container that contains water, preventing it from leaking, during the washing cycle.
In the upper front part of the washing machine there is the control box (dashboard), which contains the knobs, the keys, the settings with which the user sets the desired wash cycle. Next to this section is the detergent drawer, which flows into the detergent box, located in the inside of the machine. This has the task of receiving water, directing it to the right side of the drawer, so that the various products for washing can be taken at the right time. The synchronism between the programmer and the detergent box is ensured by a detergent cam placed on the pin of the programmer itself. This cam is shaped in such a way that, by rotating it together with the pin of the programmer, it forces a small arm in position against it, to make certain small movements. The latter are transmitted to the detergent box by a rod connected to the arm mentioned above, and the other to another reference on the box itself. This movement allows the incoming water to end up in the soap drawer that directly controls the flap inside it, in relation to the water passages that must open or close.
The detergent box receives water, during the loading phases, from a solenoid valve. A sort of real "electric tap", connected in the external part of the machine to the loading pipe, which in turn is screwed to the water tap of the house. The solenoid valve is composed of a copper winding which, when it is crossed by an electric current, generates a magnetic field which moves a moving body inside the valve itself. This moving body opens a water passage light, which remains open for as long as there is current flowing in the winding, allowing the washing machine to reach into the tank. The level of water suitable for washing is established by the pressure switch. This component is able to "understand" the right amount of water through the air put in pressure by the water itself when it enters the tank. The air that is forced to enter a sleeve, normally placed in the rear lower part of the washing machine. This sleeve is called an air trap, or air-break. From here the pressure reaches the pressure switch through a narrow tube, and operates, inside it, one or more membranes which in turn close or open electric contacts, directly interposed between the programmer and the solenoid valve. The water flows from the detergent box to the tank through the hopper bellows, an accordion-shaped sleeve, suitable to withstand the elongations that it undergoes in moments of strong swaying of the oscillating unit, especially in centrifuge. It is clear that as the water level rises in the tank, this will also pass into the basket, (simply by virtue of the hundreds of holes that cross it). The latter is held in position within the tank by a bearing bracket, fixed at the back of the latter. This support, in fact, in plastic tanks, usually is not there, or rather, is melted in the tank itself and reinforced by large ribs.
The shaft of the basket crosses the whole bearing support, being able to rotate freely thanks to the bearings mounted inside it. In the part that comes out there is screwed the pulley basket, which has the task of transmitting the rotations of the motor to the basket through a belt, in most cases with trapezoidal section. The heating resistance of the water and the thermostats that control it are housed at the bottom in the lower rear part of the tank. Below, welded, there are the brackets that support the engine. In the base crosspiece of the cabinet there is the drain pump, connected on one side to the exhaust pipe, which evacuates the water in the drainage of the dwelling, and on the other side to the drainage sleeve, which puts it in communication with the filter body inside the filter is housed, removable from the external front panel of the machine to be cleaned.
Moving further below we find a sleeve called the tank-filter sleeve, which connects the filter body to the tank.
There are machines that do not have a filter; in this case the sleeve that starts from the tank is connected directly to the drain pump, called self-cleaning discharge pump.
At this point we can say that we have described a front-loading washing machine just enough to have a half-idea of how it is built. All that remains is to explain in broad terms what happens at the time of the preparation and start of a wash cycle.
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The machine's power button receives current from the power supply terminal of the machine. When it is pressed to turn on the washing machine, the current can reach the door lock, which is nothing more than the device that locks the door preventing reopening during washing for obvious safety reasons. This door lock (or micro-retarder) is also a real switch on the general supply line of all the components . When the door is closed, the hook of the handle of the same, is inserted in the door lock. This moves a movable tongue that allows the door lock to close the contacts that bring current to the rest of the machine allowing its operation. If you try to switch on the machine without closing the door, it will not start (note not all washing machine have this automatic door locks) . The door lock receives power, but can not close the power contacts, since the tab above could not be moved. By setting the index of the program selector knob to a number of the program ring, it is forced to supply current to the solenoid valve by means of the pressure switch. The water enters the tank by taking the soap into the detergent box. Start to level up until the pressure switch membrane clicks. In this way, the contacts that feed the solenoid valve open preventing it from continuing the water load. At the same time, the contacts which feed the motor of the programmer are closed. This starts to advance giving current to the motor and to the heating resistance. The motor, thanks to the contacts of the programmer that controls it, executes, at fixed intervals, the inversion of the rotation direction of the drum. It is thanks to the action of rubbing the cloths on themselves, the temperature of the water, and the detergent action of the detergents, which is expressed by the washing action. The resistance (heating) is controlled by two or more thermostats in series with its power supply, normally an adjustable thermostat that allows the user to set the desired washing temperature, and a safety thermostat, designed to prevent, in the event that the adjustable thermostat, that the water can exceed 90 degrees centigrade. In this way the washing cycle continues, arriving in the part reserved for rinsing. Before starting the machine from the current to the drain pump, emptying the tank from the dirty washing water. Normally, when the user takes clothes to the washing machine an area where the drain pump stop or close up , he is no longer able to advance until the water coming out completely releases the tank. In this way the air pressure that keeps the pressure switch contacts open is missing. They close again, the solenoid valve is fed again until a new water level is reached, after which the contacts which allow the water to enter are reopened, and the power supply contacts of the machine are closed again, which provides again to power the engine. The description of these steps is very simple and less complex, as it varies a lot depending on the model of machine . In any case, this practice is repeated for all the rinses, normally three or five, during which a couple of quick centrifugations are carried out, very important for the expulsion of the residual dirt, as well as the remaining foam. last operation of the washing cycle: the final centrifuge, through which the laundry is properly squeezed. In this regard, it must be said that the machines with spin speed in the order of 400 rpm, do not have a large capacity for centrifugation, since at this speed there is in fact a type of centrifugal quite mild. Better results are obtained with spinning speed around 600/800/1000 revolutions per minute, which is an excellent compromise between the efficiency of centrifugation and respect for the laundry. Higher speeds can also be too stressful to the clothes, and in any case they only make sense in washer-dryers, where drying times are linked to the speed and efficiency of the final spin.
Here are some recommendable washing machines I think you can get.
References for further reading
Big Thanks to @syndicates for this cool Badge
Technology make an easier for our busy life
Nice share.
I read with interest.
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For some reason the life expectancy of washing machines in my household is around 3 years - before they start sounding like a jumbo jet taking off anyway. In fact I know the reason, my eldest boy likes saving time on his chores by putting ALL the washing in the house in the washer at once. Don't overload the washer folks - guaranteed way to kill em.
#thealliance