I had my new Frigidaire Affinity Washer and Dryer installed the last week in July. I am part of a testing program for their new line. It has been approximately 9 weeks since I have been using it. Now that the new and exciting of the big (beautiful) set has worn off, I wanted to make sure I touched on some of the negatives, and hopefully future improvements, of this product.
1) Tray: On the washer there is a pull out tray on the top left where you add your detergent, bleach, and fabric softener. I like how its raised up where a child cannot get to it, however I have to stand on my tippy toes to actually see the inside of the tray.
The washer and dryer are on the stands that pull out, so it makes them a bit higher then usual, but its something that the company should have accounted for. While I am short (5’1″), the one thing that baffles me is that the bleach tray is in the back of the pour tray and the softener tray is in the front. Every time I pour bleach, I have to do it quite blindly as its taller then I am and having the bleach in the back makes it extra difficult.
As bleach is not only much dangerous to work with and can ruin clothing if its accidentally poured outside the area it goes into, it seems to me that bleach should be a lot more accessible.
Tip to Frigidaire: Switch bleach to the front and fabric softener to the back ASAP
2) Smell: On the inside of the washer, there is a ring of rubber that separates the door from the washer itself. There is no way to explain it other then that it smells when its wet. It hasn’t transferred to my clothing (that I have noticed), but its a clear stink from the rubber.
In addition to that, there is a groove (I am assuming for flexibility) and Charlotte’s little socks constantly get left there and I have to pull them out and hand wring the water out to throw in the dryer.
3) Doors: Now I am not sure who designed the doors, but they open opposite of each other. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but as a right handed person, the dryer doesn’t open on the side that it naturally should (think of a door opening).
It opens on the OPPOSITE side.
Even after 9 weeks, my first instinct is to open it on the other side then it does. This is more of an annoying trait then anything else. When we had these installed, because of how our dryer connection was set up in the back (and I am assuming most dryer connections since we have a standard home) they had to put in an additional wire to get the dryer on the other side of the laundry room. This piece cost an extra $75.
Be aware of how these install versus your laundry room and if you will be subjected to this cost upon install.
You can see in this picture that the washer (on the left) opens correctly and the dryer (right) door opens in an odd direction. You try opening a dryer with your left hand today and see how awkward it is.
4) Closing: The latch on the dryer is very weak. It takes an actual thought process to close the dryer and make sure its latched properly. You cannot just close the dryer, you have to intentionally push in and slightly up and secure the latch. When your hands are full with clothing, you have to leave and come back and close it. This leaves it open for kids and cats to crawl into.
5) Noise: I will try to capture some video upcoming, but I can tell you that the noise that they dryer and washer make versus my last set (Kenmore) is a noticable. I do like that the washer beeps in 3 successions so you know the clothing is completed, so that is a plus. However, the water rushing in, the cycles of washing and drying themselves, all make a great deal more noise then I am used to.
Please realize that while I am pointing out the things I do not like with my washer/dryer to make it easier for you to know the improvements needed, that none of these things actually affect how clean my clothes have been.
~Trisha
Other posts of mine that mention Frigidaire
BUYER BEWARE !!!! Do not buy these washer\dryers!!!
Oh how I wish I could take them back. My husband got them second hand from a friend fairly cheap. So I cant really complain with that. But, my goodness… where to start with these things.
The “detergent dispenser” right now is my biggest complaint. I used bleach the other day and it seemed to have not fully washed thru with the wash cyle. Needless to say I have some interesting tye dye darks now. Also It seems like my fabric softener doesn’t full flush thru either. There is always some type of pooling in the dispenser after a load is done. ( i do use the he products too.)
Just like some previous comments mentioned… the spin cycle… good grief I’ve thought a couple times we were having a earthquake or a poltergiest was in my house. Turning down the spin cycle to LOW helped only a litte.
Just like the writer of the article metioned the inconvienent door opening, fragile doors etc.. I didn’t see mentioned is the water\mildew with the washer door. The rubber ring \seal in the front of the washer needs to be constantly wiped down. Make sure you get all the folds on this thing. I wish I would of figured it out sooner. I have a stubborn smelly build up on it now..ughh… i could go on for hours about my loathing of this set.
Buyer beware. I hope this helped anyone looking into this product!
I’ve had my front loaders, the same exact one s in this forum for approximately 6-7 months now. I have had no problem what so ever. I believe the problem could be the person doing the laundry. I have given this some thought, not just from this site that I stumbled upon by accident but just in daily life in general. I have noticed that women have begun to shirk thier daily dutie as not only housekeepers but mothers and good wives as well. I see on the news and reality shows where women are becoming more and more like wanna be drama queens and expect to sit around and do absolutely nothing while men do EVERYTHING as well as earn the pay and take care of the kids. I am not saying any of you women are like this but I do see an awful lot of complaining over such a minute incidence. You can’t do laundry, big deal you probably can’t cook either. Are you going to blame the stove for that as well? Really, just take some lessons, learn how it’s done and just forget about rushing out to get the latest gossip from the girls at the bar. Stay home learn to domesticate yourself and be happy. Seriously!
This was a most informative piece regarding the pros and cons of this particular washer/dryer. I am afraid I cannot risk the chance that purchasing one of these “luxury appliances” could somehow hypnotize me with thier soothing sounds and circular motions and I could inadvertently begin to shirk my “duties as a housekeeper, wife or mother.” God forbid that my husband who works the same number of hours a week at his job as I do mine, mighht have to bend his fat rear end over and pick up his dirty clothes off the bathroom floor. What kind of wife would I be if after work, carpooling, girl scouts, making dinner, cleaning up after dinner, bathing the kids and then putting them to bed would I be were I to be lulled to sleep by my dryer instead of donning lacy lingerie and dancing provacativly for Caveman Husband. These horrid machines should be banned before we lose the last traces of Stepford from our memory chips. It seems that the century you really belong in hasn’t invented washing machines yet so just get the washboard and lye soap out and have at it. While you are doing that I’m going to utilize my evolved female brain and have my housekeeper clean up, my nanny deal with the kids, Call and have dinner catered courtesy of husband’s Platinum card, flirt with my online crush, then spend the rest of the night watching The Real Housewives of New York while hubby puts in another 18 hour day to pay for my mani, pedi’s. massages, etc….evolution means saying No to prenups
OMG!So we just bought the washer and dryer and put our first load in around a hour ago. It ran like an absolute dream…..until the spin cycle. HOLY COW the thing literally shook so violantly we thought the house was colapsing! we ran into the laundry room were my nearly 200 pound husband sat on it and still couldn’t control it. I thought it was going to explode! I was literally scared for my safety! I have lived on military bases right behind the runway and the sound of the jets didn’t even compare to the spin cycle on this washer. Since I value my life, I think i am going to return them!
I had the same problem I guess there a 4 packing bolts in the back of the washer that are to be removed before use. I discovered this info by reading the very small print on the yellow plastic plug that the bolts went through.