Mechanical Components; Outer Tub; Inner Basket; Straps/Suspension - Fisher & Paykel AquaSmart WL26CW1 Product Information

Mechanical Components

Outer Tub

The outer tub is made of polypropylene, which is inherently resistant to chemical attack. The
outer tub is moulded over a machined aluminium extrusion to form one of the main structural
elements of AquaSmart™. It also features chutes to assist in the dispensing of detergent and
fabric softener and moulded vanes in the bottom, which help to break up detergent, minimising
detergent residue.

Inner Basket

AquaSmart™ has a dual-cavity upper balance ring that is designed to
provide both dynamic balancing during spin and structural stiffness to the
upper part of the inner basket.
The basket base has small buffers (bumps) around the outside that
encourage movement of the load during the wash. The basket base also
provides passive balancing during spin and the structure for the inner
basket assembly. All chambers in the basket base are activated
(compared to just the inner chambers in the large SmartDrive™ Phase 7
machines).
The stainless steel wash basket provides a hygienic and easy to clean surface that does not chip
or retain odours. The corrugations pressed into the basket are the key to the excellent water
extraction that characterises AquaSmart™, giving the basket the necessary strength to make the
1000-rpm spin safe. The water is centrifuged outwards from the clothes and downhill from the
top of the ridge to the valley and out the holes. Water-filled balance rings help to balance the
basket during spin, flowing to the opposite side of the ring from the out of balance load.

Straps/Suspension

Four suspension rods suspend the basket assembly and isolate the cabinet from the forces and
vibrations that occur during the wash cycle. The suspension design has been modified from
SmartDrive™ to provide increased dampening required by the new inner basket.
AquaSmart™ also has four elastomer straps that attach between the neck ring and the cabinet.
These act as motion limiting devices, preventing the outer basket contacting the wrapper during
agitate while supporting the wash action.

Single Shaft

Like SmartDrive™, AquaSmart™ has only one drive shaft and, hence, only requires one seal. In
traditional washers there two drive shafts: one to work the agitator and another to spin the
basket. Each drive shaft must have a separate seal to allow them to work.
Fisher & Paykel's engineers have eliminated the second shaft and seal by designing the inner
basket in such a way that it 'floats' upwards when water is in the machine and sinks down again
when the water is pumped out. When the basket is floating, the shaft only drives the low profile
agitator and the basket is free to move around. As the water in the tub is pumped out, the
basket sinks and two sets of teeth engage, locking the basket to the shaft. This then allows the
shaft to drive both the low profile agitator and the basket together, which is necessary for
spinning.