Parts warranty?

The only reliable answer is what it said in the warranty that came with the machine. You don't have a right to a manufacturer's warranty so they can include all sorts of conditions, including that "you only get free parts if they are fitted by our highly paid engineers".

Its how much the labour will cost. I had an old Service machine. It started to get rumbly, but did not leak yet. I was on the point of getting the bearings changed when there was nasty graunching noise and a smell of burning and it all went off. Cut a long story short The Electronic on the pub on top of the mechanical rotary switch thing had fried itself, and with the bearing already on the way out it was declared uneconomic. Now as to whether the extra load on the bearing contributed to the electronics melt down nobody knew. I got a Panasonic to replace it and for the last few years this has been fine. Its main annoyance is that some functions are on an lcd with real buttons but they don't latch in, so you cannot use the delayed start or chain two programmes together. It also lies about time to go till the end as well. Brian

The paperwork for my new machine says the 10 year parts warranty is only applicable if you pay for their engineer at £120/repair (after the initial 12 month labour inclded period).

It is often the case that non-OEM aftermarket parts can be had for not-very-much, so the main profit is for the engineer. Although if the machine needs a whole new drum (because the bearing is an integral part that can't be changed separately) maybe there is something to be said for paying their highly paid engineers to do it, if it saves having to pay for the whole drum.

I would have a look around to see how much the bearing is for your machine and what the installation procedure is. I see hotpoint WM bearings for about a fiver on ebay, so it may be cheaper to ignore the warranty and get the local firm to do it.

Theo

Thanks, I think.

Indeed.

Our first Hotpoint (genuine Hotpoint) lasted a good long time. I changed the bearing once, and the heater once. Oh, and a door seal.

I foolishly bought another Hotpoint eventually, not realising it was now really something much inferior. Bearing went after 14 months (it had a 1 year warranty). I would have taken a Sale of Goods route but I needed a washing machine!

Bearing was integral with a new drum at about £120. I was able to get a Hotpoint fixed price repair at £98, so I did.

It failed again (bearing) just over a year later. I gave up and bought a Bosch, which has lasted well. Only one repair, and that was partly my fault; I was able to fix it myself again.

I would agree. Except that it's pretty well sealed into the drum these days. It was difficult enough getting the old one out in the days when it was meant to come out!

I will ask them, and see what they say. On Monday.

I have a Hoover washing machine that does that.

Ah the joys of hotpoint. Never again.

I can't complain, since ~1986 I've had two "real" Hotpoints, I had to push back a spade terminal that had worked loose on one of them, an "indesit" Hotpoint that has lasted 15 years, it needed an engineer visit to upgrade firmware while still under warranty, and now I've replaced it with an actual Indesit ... All washer/dryers, so more to go wrong than just a washer, average 12 years each.

I gave up on Hotpoint dozen years ago and purchased v.cheap indisit which is still going with one set of replacement motor brushes last year.

I expect it will last a few more years but when looking for a new machine it will not necessarily be the same brand. Over the past dozen years so many brands are made with common components and possibly in the same factories. Some of the perceived better brands of the past have moved design/manufacture of all but their most expensive models to China ect.

My limited experience is that with white goods the warranty is pretty much worthless.

After 6 years there will be very little recourse against the supplier, the shop you bought it from, and not the manufacturer.

Most drum bearings in machines are easy to change. My last one took 40 minutes.

This is where YouTube sometimes come up trumps in showing you exactly how to do it. Surely a preferable route unless you want an excuse to buy a new one?

Have a look at Ebac

don't get a modern hotpoint. To be fair they do last if you don't use them.

exactly zero in fact. You can only expect anything at all upto 6 years from the best in the market.

I think they do "commit" to making parts available for 10 years after they withdraw a model from the market ...

I daresay there are getout clauses such as "ah, well, see, you can't get the semiconductors guv"

My point being that my previous hotpoint *was* a re-badged indesit and it lasted 15 years, OK it wasn't used every single day like I'm sure some families use theirs ...

I can see the build costs of a current indesit have been trimmed, and would expect a current hotpoint/whirlpool to look identical with the lid off.