Washer 2006 Update: serious repair after 5 years
Written: Sep 29 '01 (Updated Jan 28 '07)
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Pros: Good performance--Ease of Use--Energy Efficient--Relatively Quiet
Cons: Costs more than & longer wash times than conventional machines. Needed repair after 5 years.
The Bottom Line: Cleans/rinses well; uses little elec-and-water; quieter than most. Needed repiar after 5 years.
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| shieber's Full Review: Whirlpool Calypso GVW9959K Top Load Washer |
We have not had this machine long and we will update after we have had further experience. [Nov. 1 update--we have had this machine for about a month and our impressions remain as favorable as before. We have tried different both "High Efficieny" (also called "HE") detergents and regular liquid and powder detergents. We have washed a wide variety of cloths and garments. We have even washed some king size bed covers -- not a problem at all. We haven't had the need to wash the sofa pillows, but I would be surprised if the Calypso didn't do an admirable job on those as well.]
This machine is not conventional but it's not science fiction either. It simply moves the water through the clothes instead of moving the clothes in a tub full of water.
But the machine does an outstanding job with small and large loads. Since it doesn't fill the tub with water, less soap is needed. The clothes have been coming out very clean without a residual odor that would indicate detergent left in the clothes--so it seems to rinse very well, too. Because there isn't a tall center agitator as in most washers, the tub can hold more clothes than other similarly sized machines. And due to the way it works, it can be stuffed a bit more than most machines with the same size tub--even with things like pillows. So, this is a very large capacity washer.
I can sit ten feet away from the washer with the door to the laundry room open and be quite comfortable working on the computer -- and I hate to be distracted when I work at the computer! With the previous washer, with most washers, the sound would have been much too distracting. The sound from the Calypso is generally quieter and overall at a lower pitch than conventional washers.
It is extremely easy to use with a wide variety of preset programs that control temperature, wash timing, rinse timing, etc. But you can customize everything if you feel compelled to do so. Except you can't (and don't need to) control water level. The clothes do not sit in standing water during any parts of the cycles--the clothes are tossed under a stream of soapy water and the water level/flow is controlled by the computer. You pick you load type (for example, white, darks, normal, hand wash, etc.) and then "throw the clothes in any old way," close the door and push START.
The time-left indicator shows that wash cycles are a bit longer than conventional machines. Normal load wash cycles are 43 minutes. But you might find that extra time worth the very clean wash, quiet running, energy efficiency, very low water usage, and low detergent usage. Also, the larger capacity means that in our house we can do fewer but larger loads, so overall wash time is actually less, which further reduces the amount of detergent, electricity, and water used.
"High Efficiency" (or "HE") type detergent is recommended. Tide makes one in powder and in liquid; there might be brands. "HE" detergent is a low-sudsing detergent with added enzymes to break down proteins (a lot of soil on clothes is made up of proteins). The HE detergent is not yet carried in most of the usual stores that carry laundry detergent. In fact, the few stores that do carry it usually stock only small amounts, so that it is rarely on their shelves either. Thank goodness you can use conventional detergents, too; just use less to avoid over-sudsing and you will still get excellent results. We have had excellent results with HE and regular liquid and powder Tide. If you use even slightly too much soap or a strongly scented soap, it will not rinse out very well.
A very few number of conventional machines use less energy than the Calypso. It is rated 337 (EER) and we found a couple of conventional machines rated at about 200. But the range goes up to 1298 and we found many machines that were near that high mark! Any machine that heats the water will have an EER rating closer to the high end. The Calypso does not heat the water. But in terms of clothes cleaning performance, we don't see any need for further heating (and our house water heater is set at only 125 degrees Fahrenheit).
Another posting on this site regarding this machine notes several severe problems that neither we nor Consumer Reports came across. Perhaps that machine was a lemon--perhaps those dog blankets were in much worse condition than any washer was meant to see. We will update this and note if we have any new observations. [ Our only observation 7 months of use is that we still think this is the best washer we have ever used.] We expect this to be very durable, but that can only be proved over time.
This is not an inexpensive machine but it's much cheaper and easier to use than, for example a Miele, or other "high end" machines.
Update: the unit needed repair after 5 years. Wouldn't drain. Removed all hoses and pump and hoses and pump and sump were not clogged. Had to call for service.
Google will show tons of complaints about this machine.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 960
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Epinions.com ID:
shieber
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Member: Scott Hieber
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 2 members
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