We have had the 3.5 Frigidaire branded version since October 2005 with no issues. It is on the second floor of a 150-year old house and I had a raised platform built for it when the room was stripped down to its floor joists. Very sturdy and hardly any vibration at all is communicated to the other rooms and floors. We run just 3-4 loads per week. I routinely use warm water wash w/ cold rinse and HE detergent at about 1/3 to 1/2 the package instructions to good effect. We run a bleach wash once every 2 weeks. Wipe off the rubber gasket after every use and leave door open overnight, less time in the winter with the heat on in the house. No smell, no mold, no detergent deposit in the dispenser. The warm water temp is set at the wall valve and is just warm enough to dissolve the soap nicely but not so warm as to shrink the clothes. We always run extra rinse and spin. No fabric softener ever. We have the matching dryer and it has been fine too, but it doesn't collect the lint well and needs to be taken apart and vacuumed out well every 3-4 months and the lint tends to fall out on the floor because it sticks to the door as well as the lint screen. Hope this is helpful to anyone thinking about the newer versions of this soon to be classic machine.

[This Appliances FAQ article was moved to the Laundry Room FAQ on 28 December 2004.]

[This Appliances FAQ article was moved to the Laundry Room FAQ on 28 December 2004.]

[Information first posted in the Appliances Forum by Alice (Alice_61) on 13 October 2002 - thanks, Alice!]: ------------------------------ Most front loading washing machines include an internal water heater, for good reason. It has many advantages: 1. A front loading washer uses much less water (~5 gallons) for wash portion of the cycle than a conventional top loader (~20 gallons). Consequently, heat loss in the pipes and by conduction to the washing machine become a larger fraction of the total heat available in this smaller amount of water. For instance, with a water heater set to 117F and the hot wash setting for the unheated FriGEmore [see FAQ article, "What is a FriGEmore ??"], the wash water after filling is 95F. With a water heater set to 110F, the wash water is 85F. Wash times in front loaders tend to be longer, which also increases heat loss. A clothes washer with an internal heater allows one to keep the water heater set at a safe and economical temperature (under 120F) without scald protectors and still have sufficiently hot water for thorough cleaning. 2. An internal water heater allows the washer to do a profile wash. The washer fills with cold water and then heats it as the wash tumbles. This gradual raising of the temperature allows protein stains to be removed at a low temperature, avoiding setting by higher heat. Then as the water continues to warm, detergent enzymes work at their optimal temperature and color safe bleach becomes more effective. At high tempertures, odors and oily stains are most completely removed. 3. Front loaders with internal heaters allow a maximum temperature of 130-205F (figures for Neptune and Asko respectively). These high temperatures are very effective at removing tough stains and whitening laundry without chlorine bleach. 4. Detergent is more effective at a higher temperature. The use of sufficient heat reduces the quantity of detergent needed. This reduces detergent cost and also reduces the amount of detergent that needs to be removed from the laundry during the rinse cycles. This will reduce the final amount of detergent residue in the laundry. 5. Soaking is also very effective and economical with an internal heater. The laundry can be allowed to soak or stand for an extended period, then the soak water can be heated for the main wash, if desired. 6. It can eliminate the heat loss in the hot water pipe to the washer. It also can reduce the water heater burden (although the much smaller volume of water used by a front loader makes this much less of an issue than with a top loader). ------------------------------ [first added to Appliances FAQ: 21 October 2002] [added to Laundry FAQ: 21 May 2003]