Our washing machine an AEG 'OKO' Lavamat 610 is quite a few years old and works fine apart from suddenly taking a liking to chewing up and tearing the ends of some tea shirts.
Is there anything that can be done? What is the likely cause of this, do you think?
Since the machine is five or six years old, I guess the cost of a washing machine mechanic (in London U.K.) visiting would be uneconomic? Grateful for any suggestions on the best course of action.
john royce explained :
Look and feel around (very carefully) inside the drum for any sharp edges.
...and on the parts which don't rotate such as the inside of the door and the edge of the outer drum and rubber exposed to clothes.
Another possibility is the inner drum dropping (due to worn bearings) resulting in the gap between the inner and outer drum opening up and things being able to get caught in the gap. See if the inner drum moves up and down relative to the outer drum.
Might be caused by overloading in some machines too.
Its almost always down to one thing. Large gap between drum and housing by the door, Things get caught and chewed. Worse if overfilled. No cure. unless bearings bent or crapped out so even MORE gap.
Wash everything in a bag, for safety.
Socks will vanish completely.
Tea shirts? Shirts you wear whilst drinking tea?
Anywho, from your use of 'our' I assume a person of the female persuasion is present? If so, it could well be one of the wires that go under the cup of a bra.
If one comes loose during a wash it gets between the two drums and during a wash cycle manages to poke out of one of the holes in the inner drum, attack tee shirts, then hides back inside the drum in a cowardly manner.
Having a wife & two daughters this was a frequent occurance in Handyman Mansions until I made SWMBO wash bras in a net bag.
Try spinning the empty drum & listening, you might hear it. With luck it might be poking up. Empty out the filter, it may have found its way there. Failing that, front off machine, door gasket off & poke obout between the drums.
"Handyman Mansions" ? Oh come now Dave - "Handyman Towers" would sound convincingly better.
Rob
I assumed that "Handyman Towers" was his flipping other residence (see eg
I decided to move up market :-) Sounds too much like Fawlty Towers.
At least you don't need to poke any air holes so she can breathe, I suppose. (sorry, couldn't resist ;-)
As a bit of unusual DIY my services have been called upon by the wife to fix such bras. A tiny blob of araldite on the tip of a sharp protruding wire allows them to used again without risk of puncture to person or washing. :-)
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