Crunch, bang, power off (500mA RCD, so non-trivial) and now the washing machine is probably a goner.
Tomorrow will be time to pull it out (more trouble to wrangle it out of the cupboard space than in fixing it!) and to strip it to see just what's broken. However it's a 20-ish year old Hotpoint and probably not going to be worth the fixing.
So assuming I buy new, what do I get? What do you like / dislike / find works OK on new low temperature detergents? No rugrats, nothing weird needed, I just want to avoid future DIY work on it.
I'm thinking a simple-ish Bosch front-loading wash-only. No idea about models though,
We bought a second-hand Bosch Maxx three or four years ago - it's had a set of brushes and a door seal since then - both easy to do and relatively cheap.
Bosch Logixx range should give you something fairly solid that actually works and stays working - and easy to source parts, for a reasonable price. I have a couple of Bosch Logixx appliances (dishwasher and dryer) so if the washing machines are of similar quality it should be OK.
Or, if you can justify it - low end Miele (I have one). Washes quietly, doesn't walk around the room on spin, sensible programmes and seems to wash and rinse very thoroughly.
The low end Mieles have a similar feature set to the top end Bosches but with better engineering.
Apart from obvious stuff like using bloody heavy cast iron blocks to weight the tank down, lots of little things are quite pleasing:
Lets you open the door at any time in the start of a programme to add stuff, except under exceptional conditions like the water is *too* hot (eg 95C wash).
Lets you open the door when it has just stopped spinning rather than an arbitrary 2 minutes after it removed power to the motor.
Locks the control a few minutes into the wash and flashes a light to tell you the rugrats have fiddled (but not suceeded!) - not a problem for you, granted.
All little things but they point to a thoughtful process of design that hopefully includes less visible facets...
My Bosch diswasher has just packed up - again. Last week it was the relay that feeds the heater - I replaced it, and all was well, but the wife informs me that it's washing cold again.
Miele and ISE are probably the best machines on the mass-market. Both of them dear, though the low-end Miele's aren't at all out of the question in terms of capital cost.
The only downer with Miele is the horrendous cost of spare parts when eventually you need them. ISE spares and service are cheap. Some aftermarket parts are available for Miele machines.
Miele and ISE are probably the best machines on the mass-market. Both of them dear, though the low-end Miele's aren't at all out of the question in terms of capital cost.
The only downer with Miele is the horrendous cost of spare parts when eventually you need them. ISE spares and service are cheap. Some aftermarket parts are available for Miele machines.
Well - I have only had 3 Indesits in 40 years! Good value in my opinion. If it fails or you decide you don't like it then easy to replace without getting too hung up about depreciation. Many designs are shared amongst manufacturers. Badge name and origin is fairly meaningless in most cases (Miele excepeted I suppose I must add).
A couple more anecdotal examples for what they are worth:
Originally we had Whirlpool when we setup home - DW and WM both did about 12 and 14 years respectively. Replaced the DW with a just above low end Miele which is very nice - exceedingly quiet washes nicely, third layer cutlery tray rather than the normal basket. Done about 5 years so far with no problems.
The WM we replaced with a Bosch Logixx IIRC - again also been very good performance wise, obviously too soon to tell how long it will last.
Interesting in that I'd never have justified a Miele (we have a Bosch, admittedly very good - but seeing the list below, and considering how often we come up against the limitations you mention below, and cursed resoundedly, makes me think we should have bitten the bullet:
You'll be telling me next it *doesn't* have a loud warning beep which goes off at two minute intervals ad infinitum, to tell you the wash cycle is finished... :(
Hah. We called the engineer out to our Bosch when it was still quite new, because it was regularly throwing a wobbler during wash cycles; however he couldn't find anything wrong. We later realised that the problem was the cats jumping up on to the utility room worktop and randomly punching the touch-sensitive buttons on the front of th machine
- now solved by a 600mm panel of Contiboard which sits on the top of the machine, below the worktop, and gets pulled out like a canopy each time the machine is switched on.
The 10 year guarantee on the Miele clinched it for me. Also, stuff comes out pretty dry after the spin compared to our previous machine, a real bonus in the current spell of weather.
Some of their machines (sorry no numbers) have a setting that lets you wash hand wash only wool and possibly even dry clean only items in the machine which for some can be an absolute godsend.
Search for Woolmark Platinum Care, here's their blurb:
"Wool: Hotpoint is the only washing machine brand to have been awarded the prestigious Woolmark Platinum Care endorsement (M.0508) by the Woolmark Company, which means that all woollen garments may be washed in the washing machine, even those which state ?hand wash only? on the label. The ?Wool? wash cycle can be used to wash all woollen garments in the washing machine while guaranteeing optimum performance."
Although they say exclusive, I think others (Ariston) are starting to get on the bandwagon too.
Miele, I agree. A bottom of the range Miele without bells and whistles is made as well as a top of the range model, whereas a top of the range Hotpoint/Indesit etc is as feeble as the cheapest.
When we bought our Miele a couple of years ago there was an offer of a free ten year warranty - might be worth having a look to see if something similar still applies.
Bought an LG direct drive model about 5 1/2 years ago. It is quiet, has a big drum and is simple to operate.
This year it started to make a loud squealing noise that turned out to be the water pump. A pattern part was easily found for reasonable cost and it was relatively easy to replace.
In the process of failing to diagnose the fault correctly the first time pretty much dismantled the whole machine. I was impressed with the way it was put together, for a washing machine; it was straightforward to take apart and reassemble. The direct drive motor had no pulleys or belts to go wrong. The only bearing was the drum bearing, which is replacable with relative ease. It looks as if it should continue to be fairly reliable, and is repairable. That doesn't mean that current models are similar, of course.
You'll have to explain why buying a second wasn't a source of disappointment. Personally I don't buy them anywhere near that often, they last longer than that.
Unlike the Bosch dryer that shouts like a demented MiL - have feeling that at least that can be shut up with a user-programming option, or maybe that's just the dishwasher - must look at the manual...
I hate shouty appliances.
OK - Miele is catproof too - unless they can hold the door open button down for 10 seconds :)
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