Oh my goodness chipshot. I had to open this thread based on the title alone.

I, too, have had the vinegar run down the glass. I wonder if it just splashed over when I pushed the drawer in.

I have an LG and I have noticed a few times when I'm putting vinegar in the FS dispenser that it seems to siphon out and runs out into the other part of the dispenser that is for Prewash detergent. The more I try to pour in the more just runs out.
Been wondering myself why that happens from time to time.

Janet

Forgot to say that it won't hurt anything by being in the wash cycle.
Here are some uses for vinegar in the laundry in the link below. You'll need to scroll down a bit.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vinegar in the Laundry

Some FL dispensers were created with the viscosity of fabric softener in mind - thicker than water. The LG is one of those. There are others - any that uses a siphon technique is susceptible.

They do that so water doesn't remain pooled in the dispenser. Vinegar has roughly the same viscosity as water. Hence the early dispense. The vinegar isn't thick enough to resist being sucked out.

- IT Geek

IT Geek, that really doesn't answer the question why the vinegar pre-dispenses only some of the time. I assume its viscosity is fairly constant in normal household temperatures.

I dig it, I thought vinegar's cutting/disolving power might counteract the effectiveness of detergents. Glad to hear that's not the case.

itgeek, my LG holds vinegar in untill it needs to be dispensed.

I believe if you overfill it will dispense prematurely.

My LG2233 despenses everything at once I think.
I opened the compartment while it was filling just to see and water was spraying in all compartments. Is it broken? I have had it about 2 weeks.

I use to peak in my dispenser when the washer was new and thought the same thing. The manual said NOT to open while filling up.
Wait untill water stops filling in and then take a look inside.W/ my older FL when I poor liquid soap or vinegar in, it just goes down somewhere but the machine "takes it" in as needed but I would guess LG's should be pretty much same so your softener etc, should be there waiting for the rinsing cycle.

I did open the drawer on my LG when I was wondering if it was going to do 2 or 3 rinses. I peeked in and the vinegar was still in the compartment until the final rinse.

cactusfreak, I don't think water should be spraying in all the compartments at once. Maybe you should find out what's happening there. Didn't water go all over when you opened the drawer when it was filling?

Janet

It works on a syphon, so if there is residual water, or if you fill it close to the point where it will auto syphon, then slide the drawer closed too quick, it will start the syphon. It is simple physics. There are few key things to do to stop this from happening:

1) Make sure the dispenser is completely empty - no residual water
2) Don't fill the dispenser too close to the top
3) Close the drawer slowly so as not upset or slosh around the vinegar, thus avoiding starting the syphon.

1. No water at all, or are a few drops acceptable?
2. Our Duet's fill line is no where near the fabric softener compartment's top.
3. Agree on slow closure.

Actually, most of them work mainly by simple overflow. A normal dose of softener fills the dispenser just below the point of overflowing through the delivery tube. Then the incoming water flow when filling for the final rinse flushes the softener out by overflowing through the tube. Siphoning is only to clear the majority of the water that remains after fill stops ... otherwise the dispenser would be left full of water and would immediately overflow when the next dose of softener is added for the next load. A *small* amount of remaining water is normal since the siphon effect won't clear the dispenser bone-dry.

Pouring in too large of a dose can trigger the siphon effect immediately, or if the dispenser drawer is jostled during closing.

How funny, I just now had this happen with my Harmony! With my machine if you overfill it even just a little it will dispense right away. I know that vinegar cuts soap and that's why it makes such a good fabric softener but I've never noticed a problem when it dispenses prematurely. Excellent title by the way. No way you can pass it up without looking!

I think I may have discovered something. I don't believe I've ever experienced premature dispensing when I have followed this procedure:

1. Load items to be washed and close door.
2. Add products to dispenser and close (slowly).
3. Turn on washer power and select settings.
4. Press start button.

I'll see whether that's really true. Perhaps what has been happening is that when doing one load immediately after another the power has been on when the dispenser drawer is filled and closed.