APPLIANCE REPAIR BOISE - WASHER AND WASHING MACHINES 208-863-3702
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Washer and Washing Machine History
Washing machines developed to reduce the hardship of the hand-washing process by using a sealed tub with paddles or fingers to agitate the clothing. The first machines were hand-operated. Electricity was not available to every household until around 1930.
Water often had to be toted, heated on a fire for washing, and then poured into the tub. This warm soapy water was precious and would be reused again, first to wash the least soiled clothing, then to wash dirtier laundry. The earliest machine tubs were made from wood, later machines that were made of metal allowed a fire to burn below the washtub.
Getting soap and water out of the clothing after washing was originally a separate process. After rinsing, the wet clothing would be twisted by hand to drain the water. To help reduce this work, the wringer was invented. Two rollers with spring tension were used to squeeze water out of clothing. Each item would be separately fed through the wringer. The first wringers were hand-operated, but later a power attachment went on top of the washer tub. The wringer would be lifted over the wash tub so that the drained wash water would fall back into the tub to be reused.
The modern method of water removal by spinning was not used until electric motors were developed. Spinning needs a constant high-speed power source, and in the beginning this was done with a separate tool known as an extractor. The early extractors were often dangerous to use because uneven loads would cause the machine to shake. Many efforts have been made to stop the shaking of uneven loads. Most modern machines are made with a sealed ring of liquid that works to combat any imbalances.
Automatic washers used to be called washer/extractors, which included the features of these two items into a single machine, plus the ability to fill and drain water without human help.
The first patents for washing & wringing appliances was awarded in 1691. A drawing of an early washing machine appeared in 1752. In 1862, a rotary washing machine, with rollers for wringing was shown at the London Exposition.
The first United States patent for clothes washers and automatic washing machines was awarded in1797. There was a great office fire that destroyed all of patent records so today there is no description of the machine. It is unknown what kind of washing equipment he invented.
U.S. electric washing machine sales numbered roughly 913,000 in 1928. High unemployment in the Depression years hurt appliance sales; by 1932 the number of appliances shipped was down significantly.
Washer and washing machines designs evolved tremendously during the 1930s. The mechanism was now placed within a steel cabinet and more attention was paid to machine safety and integrity. Spinning dryers were introduced to replace the perilous and often dangerous power wringers.
Early automatic, mainly portable, washing machines were typically connected to water via temporary connectors to the kitchen sink taps. Later inventions and designs allowed permanent connections to the hot and cold water supply lines.
By 1940, 60% of the homes with electricity in the United States had an electric washing machine.
The company Bendix made the first automatic washing machine in 1937. This first machine is similar to the front loading washers made today. Although it included many of today's basic features, the machine had no drum suspension and had to be anchored to the floor to prevent shaking.
Modern washing machines use mechanical and electronic timers to time the washing and extraction process. The early mechanical timing motors ran at a steady speed during the wash cycle, although it was possible to stop parts of the process manually by advancing the control dial by hand.
Contact us anytime for a repair appointment at 208-863-3702.
Western Appliance Repair of Boise 13601 W McMillan Rd 102-236 Boise, Id 83713