Washing machine lint trap

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Lordoftheflies

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Hello.

I have an Electrolux front loading HE washing machine that has no lint filter that can be cleaned as far as I know. It drains directly into the adjacent laundry sink in the basement.

I experimentated the other day and put a sink strainer in the sink and after one load of 3 old cotton towels and 1 pillow case, the strainer was full of lint and water was backed up.

I have a 1947 house with what looks like the original plumbing and have had some blockage issues.

Anyways, it was rather surprising to me to find very little information regarding washing machine lint traps on the interweb....as well as on this forum.

I came across several products that offered mediocre solutions - Filtrol 160 ($140 - bad reviews, leaks), Lint Luv R ($140 - seems like too many pieces) and the repair clinic $15 solution that doesn't seem to do anything at all since the spacing in the "filter" is way too big.

I did, however, find the Supco LTK1 lint trap. Pretty neat looking - it's a plastic box shaped to fit into the corner of your sink and it has an easily removable tray that looks like a pet hair comb. I bought two for $30.47 shipped from http://olivershardware.com/ltk1-washingmachinelinttrap.aspx.

LTK1.jpg


http://www.supco.com/web/supco_live/products/LTK1.html

I will post once I have tried it out. But I just noticed that the "filter" element looks a tad bit on the small side. I'm probably going to have to clean that after every load.

Why don't washing machines have lint traps that you can clean? Even if it's a front loader my experiement definitely proves there's enough lint coming out that you'd rather not have go down the plumbing.

$140 seems way overpriced and their designs also are severely lacking. There's no backup - if there is blockage there is no overflow protection. Too many parts and too complicated to take apart and clean the filter easily without making a mess. I like the simplicity of the LTK1. Now, whether or not it works well and is easily cleaned is another story. And of course it doesn't work unless you have a sink.........
 

Reach4

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Sometimes you can get the disposable metal mesh lint traps that tie-wrap over the end of the hose 2 for $1. Usually costs more.

Those teeth on the unit that you bought don't look so easy to clean. Do you use a brush or something to get the lint out?
 

Lordoftheflies

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Those disposable mesh bags (plastic, metal, what have you) may seem cheap....but I'm sure it adds up. I've seen people with lint bags where you could fit silver dollars through the material so what the heck is the point of that!

Yes, I was thinking that the bristles need to be long to trap the lint...which would make them hard to clean.

I haven't received it yet. It's in the mail. I will post my impressions.

Here are the pics of the sink strainer I tested with. I wouldn't say it's voluminous...but it's more like a paste.

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Wondering

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I think I have seen aluminum mesh lint traps at Dollar Tree. Here is a place that is probably not in your area. https://www.menards.com/main/plumbi...num-mesh-lint-trap-2-bag/p-1340169-c-9414.htm
Sometimes you can get the disposable metal mesh lint traps that tie-wrap over the end of the hose 2 for $1. Usually costs more.

Those teeth on the unit that you bought don't look so easy to clean. Do you use a brush or something to get the lint out?
I saw those at Dollar Tree also. Does ELux machines not have the lint/scum trap behind the front panel? I know some machines like Wpool and others have them.
 

hj

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They only work if the washer is emptying into a sink, which is a rarity in newer homes these days. Where it does empty into a sink, most people, if they are concerned about lint, attach a nylon stocking to the end with a rubber band. Cheap, cleanable, and capacious.
 

Lordoftheflies

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After a week with a sink strainer I'm convinced that there's quite a bit of lint going down the drain. I just did a load with a brand new all-cotton sweatshirt and the strainer was completely blocked. The sink was about 3/4 full after the drain cycle right before rinse - good thing I went down there to check on it.

I would imagine a nylon stocking would either clog up or rip sooner rather than later.

I am assuming from the responses thus far that most people don't care? If they have septic tanks and/or old pipes I would think people should start caring...especially with all the synthetic fibers making their way down the drain.

No, the electrolux washer does not have a cleanable lint filter.
 

Reach4

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I have never seen a lint trap built into a washing machine. But as many people do, I have used a lint trap for years. The sewer should be able to handle it, but I have just been cautious since I had a drain that occasionally needed cleaning, perhaps because it did not have a long sweep as it went horizontal under the basement floor. The aluminum mesh type of lint works well. The old women's hose or pantyhose method works too. And there is visually considerable lint caught, but it is not a large volume.

And that reusable plastic lint filter may be good if it is easy to clean.

If your sewer lines are quite good, then letting the lint go out to the city sewer is fine. Into the septic, there would be some increased load, but not so much that you would normally have to increase the frequency of getting the septic tank pumped.
 

Lordoftheflies

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That is an odd interpretation.

Let me clarify - I mean most non-plumber people don't really care about using a lint trap for their washing machine. I know I never even thought about it until the other day....the reason being I did a load and left some tissue paper in a pocket and had a ton of lint in the dryer so I figured I'd see just how much would come out of the wash.
 

Vegas_sparky

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Is this something unique to front load washing machines? I have never heard of a lint problem on washing machines.

You never see what goes down the drain. LOL

Right now my washer(old Maytag top load) dumps into a utility sink. Depending on what's being washed, a ridiculous amount of fiber gets caught up in the drain cross. Towels, and cotton floor mats seem to be the worst offenders during their first couple of cleanings.

I wonder if that stuff could have a negative effect on septic leach lines, or do the "bugs" eat it?
 

Lordoftheflies

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Bugs might eat cotton. But bugs ain't eating any polyester I can assure you that. I've been collecting what I've been rinsing out of my sink strainer so far in a bucket. I plan on straining it out and snapping a pic after my experiment is completed. :D
 

Reach4

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I wonder if that stuff could have a negative effect on septic leach lines, or do the "bugs" eat it?

I hope it would sink, and get pumped out as part of the sludge every three years or whatever.
 

Wondering

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Reach4. All the older machines had filters/traps. GE had the "filter-flo" pan on top. Early Kenmore/Wpool had the filter on the side you pulled out. Maytag washers had one in the center of the agitator you pull out to clean. And there were many more. Later when Kenmore/Wpool came out with the self-clean filter which was under the machine and it washed all the lint down the drain each time it drained. Very good at filtering but if you had the slightest flaw in your drain system those chunks of lint would have the home drain line clogged in no time. Now days machines do not offer filters except some front loads have the trap to catch change,buttons,and of course some lint builds up there too and starts to stink cause it is usually full of mold too after sitting for a long time.
 

Lordoftheflies

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Well after a zillion weeks of waiting I finally got the Supco LTK1 in the mail today. Gosh in this day in age to wait a month for a product is ridiculous.

Anyways, haven't had to do a load yet...but by the looks of it I can see it will be useful.

Comes with a tie wrap to attach the hose. If your drain hose is semi-rigid like mine, it's not going to want to play nice in terms of getting the length just right. I had to fuss with it a bit as it kept popping out of that curved plastic piece that holds the drain hose over the lip of the sink.

The cool thing about the LTK1 is that it will be easy to clean by the looks of it. There is a thin piece of plastic with horizontal slats matched perfectly in line with the bristles. You simply lift this up and it drags all the accumulated gunk up with it.

As you can see in the pic it doesn't want to sit perfectly in the corner...but as long as the drain is slightly above the bristles and pointing at the right angle, it should work fine. I shifted it down so that plastic curved piece sits right on the wall of the laundry after the pic.

Will post results after a few days. For now here are the pics.

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Lordoftheflies

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After several weeks I snapped a photo of what it was trapping. Initially I was a little disappointed because it wasn't trapping the frothy lint in the water...but I guess I should be happy that it trapped what it did and that that stuff didn't go down the drain.

I ended up putting a used dryer sheet in between the piece that moves and the body, hoping to help it trap more stuff.

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