Page 276 - CITS - Electronic Mechanic - TT - 2024

ELECTRONICS MECHANIC - CITS

Washing Machine:
Mechanical washing machines appeared in the early 1800s, although they were all hand-powered. Early models
cleaned clothes by rubbing them, while later models cleaned clothes by moving them through water. Steam-pow-
ered commercial washers appeared in the 1850s, but home washing machines remained entirely hand-powered
until the early 1900s, when several companies started making electric machines. The Automatic Electric Washer
Company and Hurley Machine Corporation both began selling electric washers in 1907, while Maytag offered an
electric wringer washer in 1911. In 1947, Bendix offered the first fully automatic washing machine, and by 1953
spin-dry machines overtook the wringer types in popularity.
The last wringer washer manufactured in the United States was made in June of 1990 at Speed Queen’s plant
in Ripon, Wisconsin. The major U.S. manufacturers today are General Electric, Maytag (Montgomery Ward),
Speed Queen (Amana and Montgomery Ward), Whirlpool (Kenmore), and White Consolidated (Frigidaire and
Westinghouse).
Many models with many varying features are now available; however, with a few exceptions, only the controls
are different. The only difference between the washer in your home and the top-load washers in the laundromat
is the ruggedness of construction.
The washing machine operates by a motor, which is connected to the agitator through a unit called a transmission.
The motor and transmission are near the bottom of the machine, while the agitator extends up through the middle
of the machine. The transmission is similar to the transmission in your automobile in that it changes the speed
and direction of the agitator. In one direction (agitate), the transmission changes the rotation of the agitator and
spin tub—the inside tub with small holes in it—into a back-and-forth motion. When the motor is reversed by the
controls (spin), the transmission locks up and the agitator, transmission, and spin tub all rotate as a unit. Without
the transmission changing the speed or direction, the unit uses centrifugal force to remove as much water from
the clothes as possible. The motor is also connected to a pump. When the motor is moving in the spin direction,
the pump removes the water from the tub and discards it through the drain pipe.
Models designed for use in other countries offer different features. One component required on all models sold in
England (and possibly soon in the rest of Europe) is called the lid lock. Normally when the lid is raised the washer
must stop for safety reasons. However, in England, when the washer is operating the lid must be locked closed.
Parts of washing machine:
Since each washing machine comes with its own design and features, some of the parts will vary between your
machine. But get to know your washer with some common parts you can find in your machine.

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CITS : E & H - Electronics Mechanic - Lesson 160 - 179