How Do Washing Machines Actually Work?

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[shamaii]

So essentially all washing machines are greedy ?

[luisderivas]

It's also the reason those tubs get moldy if you leave them closed. Since they don't completely empty, it leaves sufficient moisture and material for mold to grow. So, leave those trays open after completing the wash cycle.

[keylay]

This is so crazy. My wife and I just moved and inherited a new washer in the move. I took the lid off of the tray to clean it and forgot to put it back in and every time I took the tray out, it was still full of water. I took the tray out and was stumped. Then I saw this and remembered I didn't put the lid back in and voila works like a charm! Thanks!

[candeffect]

Never use fabric softener.
It makes the washer dirty.

[TSotP]

Thats why you should *never* fill it past the 'Max' line. It dumps the conditioner too early. (Your washing machine just squirts in a bit more water to make it syphon)

[__beer__]

Forgot to mention that the lid surrounds the pipe to complete the syphoning system

[Robert-dtis]

I found this out when I had to clean out my machine’s tray. The fabric softener turned viscous and clogged the syphon. We were trying to figure out how it emptied after it unclogged and saw it in work. Amazing and simple ingenuity.

[Connection-Lost]

I've never seen any tray like that before

[jaydavis]

I didn't know what this was called until now!!! There's a bit of chemistry equipment that uses this trick to get super concentrated extractions called a "Soxhlet Extractor" - it's one of my favourite pieces of glassware.

[ManMang]

I saw a video on someone using the same syphon om his guttering, he reinforced it so it vould take the weight of a lot of water, then the siphon kicked in and the water was used to turn a water wheel for energy.

If you let it trickle on a water wheel it wouldnt turn it with enough energy, but if you save that energy up in the guttering this type of siphon will automatically kick in and empty it all in one go before then filling up to the brim again.

[Szibenwaro]

I can't believe I'm seeing this right now. I've just cleaned out the tray with my flatmate, and we were debating why there is some leftover water in the detergent compartment, and how the dispenser works. The best part is... our tray is exactly the same as shown in the video 😂

[pedrosso]

Normal people:
"Py-th'ah-gor-ian"
Him:
"Pi-th'-gore-ien"

[araeos]

-I have never seen a washing mashine with such a siphon, - or a rotating tray for that matter here in Germany :) still an interesting mechanism though
Edit: I removed the tray completely and sure enough I was wrong: it has a siphon mechanism at the end.

[larrylaffer]

I got an old fashioned top loader w/ an agitator. So I just put my stuff at the bottom of the barrel "and the fabric softener in the insert in the agitator itself".

[FullmetalAngyl]

It's a bell siphon! I love bell siphons! Please break down the "self starting siphon". So cool!

[CyanBoio]

I’m still having a hard time visualizing how this works. The opening looks to be so far up, how does the water reach the opening on the top?

[echognomecal]

Side note- I read that detergent is "good enough" now that fabric softener is redundant. Regardless of whether I hang my clothes or put them in the dryer (with dryer balls) they seem to come out exactly the same as when I used softener. Minus the extra chemically fragrance smell, ofc.

[KemalAhmedIsAwesome]

I will mention the tube is the Pythagorean siphon without the top bracket. The tray has the top bracket so once you put it in place it completes the siphon

[ihazdaforks]

You should never use fabric softener. It leaves a waxy residue on your clothes and drum of your washing machine.
It also locks in smells and prevents clothes from being washed properly.

[TitanTackler]

It's a bell siphon. In the inner tube (bell) water fills until it floods the output, where a vacuum is created and a pressure imbalance draws the remaining liquid pressure balances with the vacuum.