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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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15th Oct 2020, 10:10 pm | #1 |
Hexode
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Hohenroda, Eastern Hesse, Germany
Posts: 460
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Maytag A 612 washing machine
Hello,
I have got an old but still nice Maytag A 612. It was left over (in Germany) from an American soldier returning to the US. It runs on 120 V AC 60 Hz, but our mains here is 230 V AC 50 Hz. Well, I have got a 2 kVA transformer with 120 V output, but it is still 50 Hz, so the Maytag runs and spins at 5/6 of original speed only. Any practical ideas to solve the problem are appreciated: Yes I could use something like a "Simovert" or "Altivar" frequency converter but I would still need the transformer. It would be smart to have a single unit that could do both jobs: Frequency and Voltage conversion. Regards, Joe |
16th Oct 2020, 1:16 pm | #2 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Co. Durham, UK.
Posts: 1,117
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Re: Maytag A 612 washing machine
Is there actually a problem?
Most of my workshop machinery (Drills, compressors &c.) is working fine on 50 cycles, despite being originally supplied for 40c/s. |
16th Oct 2020, 1:42 pm | #3 |
Pentode
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Sandviken, Sweden
Posts: 233
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Re: Maytag A 612 washing machine
As far as i know, on most (all?) washing machines with a "mechanical programme" the knob is driven by a synchronous motor so it will take somewhat longer time to finish your laundry.
Not a problem in reality I guess. |
16th Oct 2020, 1:54 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.)
Posts: 3,183
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Re: Maytag A 612 washing machine
Hi,
If the main motor is belt driven, maybe the pulley ratios could be altered to bring the machine back up to its correct speed? Perhaps a small frequency converter to run the mechanical timer, if it has one. Just a thought. Cheers, Pete.
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16th Oct 2020, 8:10 pm | #5 |
Hexode
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Hohenroda, Eastern Hesse, Germany
Posts: 460
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Re: Maytag A 612 washing machine
Hello,
no it is no severe problem though the spinning speed is not what it should be. Changing the pulley ratio is a good idea. I will do some research if Maytag did supply a set of "50 Hz" pulleys. There is some chance they did as these machines were sold to several countries. Regards, Joe |
16th Oct 2020, 9:19 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK.
Posts: 8,194
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Re: Maytag A 612 washing machine
Hi Brigham, that dates the equipment a bit: 40Hz was the old NESCo frequency and was upped to 50Hz in the 30's when a grid system (proposed originally by NESCo) was introduced nationally
Ed |
16th Oct 2020, 10:46 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.)
Posts: 3,183
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Re: Maytag A 612 washing machine
Hi,
I'd be very surprised if these machines weren't sold in Europe, although I never saw one in the UK. Cheers, Pete.
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"Hello?, Yes, I'm on the train, I might lose the signal soon as we're just going into a tunn..." |
16th Oct 2020, 11:14 pm | #8 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,129
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Re: Maytag A 612 washing machine
I suspect that 50 cycles will be fine. An induction motor will run slower perhaps giving a slightly less effective wash and spin action.
The motor in the program controller will also run slower thereby extending the cycle time and perhaps making up for the slower agitation and spinning. The main wash motor may be a commutator type and not be affected by frequency. Where was it used previously ? Private housing would be 50 cycles, but an American base might well have had its own 60 cycle generating plant. |
16th Oct 2020, 11:51 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,271
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Re: Maytag A 612 washing machine
the mechanical timer in our first microwave oven (an american Litton) had a resistor in series with the 120V, 60hz synchronous motor. The rest was dual voltage 50/60hz stuff like the fan and transformer.
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Kevin |
17th Oct 2020, 10:04 am | #10 | |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Co. Durham, UK.
Posts: 1,117
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Re: Maytag A 612 washing machine
Quote:
There were more homes on the ICI power station than on NESCo until the end of the '50s! |
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