@whirlpool_trainee: Not sure maybe the owners can chime in but i found both wave and iq touch have extra water option:

IQ:
MAX FILL (press & hold)
Increase the water fi ll level of the agitation portion
of any wash cycle.

Wave:
ADD MORE WATER
Increase the water fi ll level of the agitation portion
of any wash cycle.

@Anceska, the IQ-Touch with steam does have a jeans cycle, not sure if the model without steam does.

@jsmith, here are the reasons I got the Wave-Touch washer:

• Hand Wash cycle - tumbles and pauses for hand wash only items. Fantastic for lingerie, tights, pantyhose, etc. I won't buy a machine without a hand wash cycle as I despise having to literally hand wash them in a sink.

• Active wear cycle - awesome for yoga wear and running wear. Things that don't really get dirty, but get sweaty.

• Steam pretreat - since the delicate cycle doesn't allow the pre-wash or stain pretreat option, this cycle can be used if you've got stains on delicate items

• Wool cycle - this cycle will only get a couple years use for us, but I'll use it for wool diaper covers/longies (wool pants to cover cloth diapers) for the baby due in the fall. Other than wool for cloth diapers, we don't buy wool so the cycle won't be used after that but it will save me hand washing covers/pants for the diaper years.

• 3 favourite cycles for up to 3 users for a total of 9 favorite cycles - although you can modify a cycle at any time, I like saving it so I'm not switching options each time I do a load. I've created a "my towels" cycle so I don't have to mod another cycle and then mod that cycle back when doing something other than towels. I've also created a couple custom cycles for my teenager and my husband so they can have it set right for martial arts uniforms and dance wear. From what I can tell, the IQ-Touch has ONE favourite cycle.

In addition to those, here are some other differences that may or may not be important to me, I don't know yet, but they weren't a factor in my decision:

• warm rinse option

• 1400 rpm spin cycle vs 1300 rpm for the IQ-Touch

• minimally larger capacity (5.1 vs 5.0 for IQ-Touch)

I think that's it for the washer. I'll come back with another post for the dryer which won't be as long a post. :)

Forgot to say that the Wave-Touch also has more spin speeds, more temperature settings and more soil levels than the IQ-Touch. Whether or not the extras are useful, I don't know. :)

I am also not sure if the Wave-Touch has a different suspension system? They describe it differently in the specs on the web-site so maybe it's different which is allowing the higher spin speed?

A correction, the IQ-Touch washer also has the Active Wear cycle, so take that off my list for Wave-Touch only. :)

As for the dryer, here's the couple features that had me get the Wave over the IQ:

• Perfect Tumble - does some reverse tumbling attempting to reduce tangling of sheets and other larger items. I used it on a load of sheets the other day which always got tangled into a ball in my prior dryer, and they came out completely untangled. Perhaps it had to do with the larger drum size though, so can't yet comment on how effective the Perfect Tumble feature is.

• 3 favourite cycles for up to 3 users for a total of 9 favorite cycles - again, useful for the others in the house who sometimes attempt to do their own laundry

The Wave also has (but were not a deciding factor for me):

• more temperature settings, more dry level settings

• "Wrinkle Release" which apparently rotates heat/no heat and clockwise/counter clockwise tumbling every 5 minutes for 45 minutes. I haven't tried this yet, but I assume this features kicks in once the load is dry. This option default on in the "bulky/bedding" cycle and is preset on the Jeans cycle, both places where I can see it being useful.

• a "damp alert" feature which I have used (chimes to let you know clothing is damp and to take out a few items to hang if you want).

• a "Fast Steam" cycle which appears to use a higher temp than the Perfect Steam cycle. Rather than making this a separate cycle, they could have just had the temp adjustable in the Steam cycle in my opinion.

• the default Jeans cycle is more advanced than the IQ. It adds the "Perfect Tumble" option to reduce the jeans twisting up and also adds the "wrinkle release" feature

@Anceska, the Wave dryer does have the sensors. All cycles use the sensors except for when using "Time dry" where you set the time yourself. Your IQ will have 4 dryness levels, max/normal/less/damp. If you're finding the clothes are being over dried, try turning that setting down a level to see if that makes a difference. Did you try leaving the cycle run to see how much longer it continued to run after you tested to see they were already dry?

@silvercanadian, I am going to try your suggestion. So far I put all my cycles on max dry opposed to perhaps normal dry so even if the clothes were dried already the machines was still running. The IQ also has the "damp alert".
I am going to do some laundry tomorrow to see if the sensors work ok. Made me a little worried the other day although the clothes come out looking great!

@silvercanadian: thanks very much for your detailed responses even though i have been staring at the grid, i still got more info from your post.

I see the dryer has a lot more features that i may use i.e perfect tumble, damp alert and jeans perfect tumble. As for washer they have the good features but i don't really have bras or lingerie that i will be washing in the immediate future :).

I have yet to see these machine in person but i may splurge on the wave touch for both units.
The IQ touch will do just fine but then again once i have purchased i cant really upgrade to wave touch easily.

From my conversations with electrolux the mechanisms for wave vs iq are exactly same except for display unit and extra presets.

@Anceska: IQ does not have damp alert but has damp dry.

@Anceska, yes definitely try switching to normal dry. I had a sensor on my last 2 dryers as well and I find I use the higher settings for things like towels, jeans, sleeping bags, but most regular clothing is good on normal sensing. As for the damp alert, that feature is not mentioned in the IQ-Touch user manual? I'm not meaning the "damp" sensor setting which stops the cycle when everything is damp but an option that beeps to alert you to take damp clothing out, but keeps the cycle going.

@jsmith, funny they would make the Wave have a faster spin cycle if the internals are the same. One more thing for them to market on the Wave I guess. ;)

All the elux owners.. did you stack the machines or bought the pedestals for them? I am not sure if i should go the pedestal route or just put em on the concrete in the basement.

Also what detergent is everyone using and how?

My machines are not stacked, nor do I have the pedestals. I've got custom cabinets in our laundry room which includes a hanging rod the entire width of the machines, above the machines, and cabinets above that. With pedestals, the hanging rod would be too high to be practical for me. With stacking, the dryer controls would be too high to be practical.

I use Country Save powder or Nature Clean 3x concentrated liquid. I don't use any fabric softener or dryer sheets. For stains I've found that plain blue Tide works the best so if there's a stain I'm worried about, I pre-treat with some blue Tide directly on the stain.

I did not buy the pedestals,have them side by side. In Europe we are not used to pedestals so I haven't given them a thought. I havea tile floors in my laundry room.
For the detergant I have some leftover TideHE but I am mostly using Persil color gel and Persil universalpowder. I love Persil!

@silvercanadian $ Anceska: thanks i was thinking not getting the pedestals either but my last gf did complain about laundry and dryer being too low so was thinking maybe i should get them.

I personally don't care for pedestals so this would save me a few hundred bucks :).

I am assuming any HE detergent would be good we don't have persil avail locally so i will choose something else. I currently use TIDE HE and was contemplating switching to Gain he.

I had read on this forum that liquid soap was problematic in fl's but seems like only certain brands have the issue so i will stick to liquid soap.

I am still iq vs wave dilemma, hopefully i can see the units in person tomorrow and make a choice.

The one disadvangage of powder vs. liquid is that most liquids do not contain oxy bleach like powders do. Oxy bleach and hot washes really help to keep the washer clean. Of course, Clorox is an alternative but it's more aggressive than oxy. Alternatively, you can add oxy bleach to the tub before loading.

Have you already "youtubed" the Electrolux washers? The link below will take you to a nice channel about the washers. These are slightly older units without the recirculation jet.

Here is a link that might be useful: YouTube channel

On those links above posted by whirlpool trainee:

The Frigidaire does have the MAX FILL, but the poster said that it BARELY used anymore water so he didn't bother using it.

The WAVE TOUCH has an EXTRA water feature but from what I hear uses a LOT more water when that option is chosen.

I wonder why the Frigidaires' max fill uses less water?

@whirlpool_trainee: thanks.

existing elux users: Has any of you done a king down duvet in it? what were the results? Also what about a king synthetic duvet?

I have washed king size comforter and blankets as well as sheets. I had no problem and everything fit in nicely. I used the bedding cycle.
The comforter is very plushy, cotton on one side and saten on the other and it got washed great.
I am tempted to wash some pillows tomorrow and I might try it on the specialty cycle for stuffed toys( I figured since it is gentle on plush toys it might do the trick for the pillows)

@Anceska: thanks i am ready to go in and purchase one of these especially since come sep price hike is happening in canada as well.

Looking forward to your pillow washing adventure... are the pillows synthetic or down... was your king comforter synthetic or down?

FYI for future ELUX washer/dryer researchers:

I had looked everywhere for info on the washer dryer and it was not very clear from website or the sales rep in stores... had most help from this thread thanks to the existing owners.

I had stumbled in a new store here in toronto that had elux pamphlets and i think it portrayed information perfectly and this matrix helped me a lot... i have attached both for washer and dryer comparison matrices below:

We currently have a queen bed so haven't washed anything king size. I did do a load with our queen mattress protector, a twin mattress protector and a twin synthetic comforter all at once. Didn't have any problems.

Those pamphlets are great! The only thing they miss is the differences in additional options. I am surprised that Elux doesn't make it more clear that the Wave can 3 favourite cycles each for 3 users, so 9 in total. Their web site and those pamphlets only say 3 favourites.

Forgot to say I also washed a huge, puffy sleeping bag (synthetic fill) and it turned out great.

thanks to everyone, been very helpful more than sales staff and/or electrolux! Just so i don't have any regrets later i have ordered the wave touch units in grey/silver!!!

Also dual wall oven and fridge :)

Be sure to let us know when they arrive! And if you discover any good tips and/or tricks, make sure share them. :)

@silvercanadian: Will do!!! In the meantime hopefully other elux users can share their opinions on this thread :). My washer dryer will be a little while still.

In canada ELUX prices are going up starting september... also there will be a rebate program sometime before the end of the year!!

I love that silver color!

@anceska & slilvercanadian: I won't get the machines until may-july 2012 as the construction is going to be a while.

Intrestingly enough i did all the research and i overlooked that the wave touch only comes in red (red hot red), grey (silver sands) and white (Island white)... so i have commited to the grey ones.

In the meantime i have to learn how to wash properly... weight of laundry what detergent and how much to use and dryer times and no dryer sheets.

Intrestingly enough i did a lil calculation on the gas vs elec for the wave touch model for ontario:

Assuming running 1 hr daily for 365 days.

Cost to run gas dryer: 87.43
Cost to run elec dryer: 216.81

People say gas is efficient and things dry quicker so assuming 10% loss gas is at 78.69

cheers

@jmith, I have a gas Miele T9822. I owned a Frigidaire FL pair with gas dryer before that (for 10 years).

Gas dryers are great. They heat up instantly (just like a gas stove) and the heat has more moisture which is better for items being dried and for static cling. I have not had a static cling issue since switching to gas dryers.

Sounds like it will be a while until we get your full review! Good luck.

We're in the market for a washer and dryer and although we haven't made a final choice, I can only give you some feed back on our total Electrolux kitchen --- fantastic.
We have two professional chefs and a really good cook in our family and they all love the duel fuel, wave touch oven and the above range microwave/exhaust.
Very well made - have never had any problems.

We have the Elux Wavetouch washer and electric dryer (4 months) and they have been great!!!

We also have the Icon double ovens and they have been great too!

Billy

I'm looking into getting the new Wave Touch washer in Silver Sands, for those of you who have the new Wave touch washers, do they vibrate alot during spin? Any major problems so far?

I have the older model of the Wave Touch without steam and it doing quiet well for last three years without an service call. Overall, I would do it again if I had to buy another washer! I've been a Kenmore kind of guy for years and I was looking for the largest capacity for King Size Bedding and this one fits the bill at that time. Vibrations is not an issue since it's on a concrete slab and all front loaders emits noise during the spin cycle and it varies from load to load!

The Wave-Touch is a very solid machine during the spin cycle. I could easily put a glass of wine on top and have it not spill, tip, or move around. It's quite impressive really. Mine is on the main floor, NOT on a concrete slab.

I've had mine for about 6 months now and have not had any issues as of yet.

I have a two year old electrolux stay away from them my dryer caught fire on the circuit board five months before electrolux had to clean my faulty dryer out of a dryer so fllled with lint it should have caught fire from that. It doesn't filter the lint all within the filter. I empty it every load. I paid 2500. and they are trash the washer the circuit board keeps saying call for service. I am not dumping a dime into them. I went a bought what I originally wanted the miele. I bought miele floor models with stands for 2600. they have never been used. I hope they turn out better than the elctrolux. I like them so far!

I just used the electrolux washer/gas dryer for the first time ever.

I did a load of towels and used liquid tide HE.

I had to check to see if the machine was broken as it was UBER silent.

Gas dryer was loud.

Had to read through the manual quickly to read all the options and features.

So far very impressed with both units the washer rinsed the soap out properly and it did not smell of dirty water like my speedqueen did.

Dryer was uber fast and i am glad i went with gas dryer as it was very quick.

Also changed the door orientation which took about an hour and a bit.

So far very happy. Clean clothes!!!

Jmith...was it difficult to switch the doors around?
I have read the instructions online and it looks kind of hard or is it easier then they make it look.

It's very very easy, just a few screws, a little twist and thats pretty much it! The door is a little heavy, so becareful when the door comes off the washer!

Thanks for the insight.

OP, I really think that only 'existing owners' CAN post. ;)

Just an aside. Carry on...

@georgect: IF you are handy its fairly easy - i think the manual skipped a step to change the trim piece around. Besides that it was easy washer door is a bit more work than dryer one. If you are not handy perhaps have someone help you with this.

@jmith...thanks. I should be able to figure it out.

I have seen a set on Youtube that switched the doors around but they did something wrong because the "Electrolux" (on the plastic door) logo was an the bottom and upside down.

@georgect: they probably skipped changing over the door parts around... and just flipped the door over.

Hi all. When switching around the door you have to unscrew the hinge from the door and also the door strike on the other side of the door. And switch them and the electrolux lable will be right side up. But you have to switch the little round silver button, which is also easy.

so existing owners... how much do you load...

I was reading last year about weighing your laundry before putting it in and not by how much "full" it gets.

so how much does everyone load their washer??! the wavetouch.

Hi. I have a wave touch. I can wash about 10 oversized martha stewart bath towels and some socks and hand towels with it. I can wash a queen sized comforter and the sheets together.

Jmith,

Everyone loads varies from type of fabrics to water temperatures.

My loads is all over the place where I can wash my king size flat/fitted and 4 king pillow case with a king size fleece cover in one load to two bathroom mats in one load.

Weighing fabrics does nothing but causes extra unnecessary step in doing laundry. Once you do several large or extra large load, the machine will let you how much you can fill the machine without over loading. If anybody over load this machine will notice how long it take for the load to balance for the spin cycle!

I'm a older WT Lux user......

thanks fastonetime & cleantemofny, I will try some laundry this weekend!

I have the 70 series and I can wash 6 bath rugs 23x 19x and the toilet contours that go with them. I use the steam option on a warm wash setting and you wouldn't believe how clean they come out because of the steam!

I'd load it up to the top but without stuffing it. These washers do have fairly quick cycles so packing them is not the best idea really. GOOD thing, though, Electrulux out a jet on their machines. This really helps to saturate things faster than just the little puddle in the drum.

This is what I consider a large load of towels: loaded to the top but without stuffing. And this is a XXL load.

Alex

thanks fastonetime & whirlpool trainee

wow that xxl load is pretty tight... large load is what i should aim for probably will be a lot of mixing of clothing to fill that up for one person clothing.

I love the washer/dryer combo.

i did my second load today of shirts/underwear combo and i used tide HE at cup level 3. I did not see any suds and i was afraid that the clothes would not be clean (i used extra water option - I filled it 3/4 loosely).

To my surprise the clothes were brilliantly cleaned and the gas dryer is also very "magical" seems to be very gentle on my clothes compared to my previous one.

I found at final rinse the door rattles a bit as the latch is very loose (on purpose it looks like). Anyone wrap the latch in felt to get the door rattle disappear?