Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[dave the builder]

Is it the right time to mention that ouir washing machine has now turned 20?

What make? Ours is an LG and is fifteen. It has had an anti calcium build up tab  with each wash

so at 4 washes a week for 15 years (3120 washes) calgon in tesco(quick google 12 quid for 45 tabs) = 70 boxes x 12 quid = 840 quid
  I don't put calgon in the shopping basket (and nor does Mrs Builder)current machine ,10 years old,hard water area , so far it's had a set of motor brushes ,at 7 quid 

So the jingle should really be......'washing machines last longer if you don't overload them and check the pump filter regularly , and when the washing machine rattles itself apart ,buy a new one '

FTFY 

to add, if you use a tumble dryer all the time, it;s better to get a 1600 spin washer rather than a 1000 spin , saves on the electric usage of the dryer , although a washing line uses far less electricity 

[Doctor Gollum]

Have you looked out of the window today? 

[Varche]

Is it the right time to mention that ouir washing machine has now turned 20?

What make? Ours is an LG and is fifteen. It has had an anti calcium build up tab  with each wash

so at 4 washes a week for 15 years (3120 washes) calgon in tesco(quick google 12 quid for 45 tabs) = 70 boxes x 12 quid = 840 quid 
  I don't put calgon in the shopping basket (and nor does Mrs Builder)current machine ,10 years old,hard water area , so far it's had a set of motor brushes ,at 7 quid 

Because it is such a problem in Spain even premium anti cal tabs are cheap , no rip off Britain. If you dont use them the appliances only last a couple of years. Tumble drier?  Dont need one , we use the big yellow thing in the sky. Not seen it here in England, no doubt due to Brexit.

[Kevin Wood]

Is it the right time to mention that ouir washing machine has now turned 20?

What make? Ours is an LG and is fifteen. It has had an anti calcium build up tab  with each wash

Ours is a Zanussi.

It has not been without the odd bit of maintenance, of course. I think it's on its 3rd set of bearings, and on the last failure I didn't investigate the "funny noise" (= about 130dBA on spin  ) quickly enough to avoid it giving the spider a battering, so it got a new one of those too.

I think it's had a set of motor brushes and the last time it was apart I popped a new heater in it for good measure, although the old one wasn't too bad. Connectors to the motor also got a bodge at one point, due to a connection that had failed.

The pump is getting a bit noisy, so I've got a new one waiting to go in.

The reason I'm determined not to let it die, is that it's an awful lot more maintainable than the more modern shite, and it is a washer dryer that actually dries reasonably well, which seems to be unobtainable now.

I expect neither of you are hammering the hell out of it as you don't currently have kids (who account for probably 2/3 of  our washing so its getting used, in theory, three times as much) 

This is very true, of course.

[Kevin Wood]

Should have said that we live in quite a hard water area and for most of its life the machine has been straight off the mains water. There was only any scale worth mentioning on the element when I've had it apart, and even then it was still entirely serviceable. It's now fed from the water softener.

Given that a new element was about 15 quid, I'd say adding any descaling potions is a false economy if you're handy with the spanners.

Machines that I've fixed for relatives in the past have been in a dreadful state with horrible stinking sludge everywhere internally. I suspect this is the result of washing everything at 30 degrees C and always using the "quick wash" programme. Ours gets used at 60 C by default for anything that isn't fragile. That's probably as good a preventive maintenance as any other.

Lots of modern machines don't even reach the temperatures advertised in order to reduce energy use and add tree-hugger appeal.

[ronnyd]

Can,t beat a white goods thread.  . Oh, it isn,t supposed to be.

[Kevin Wood]

Yes, we appear to have gone a bit "mumsnet".

[Doctor Gollum]

Yes, we appear to have gone a bit "mumsnet".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LwbFMfACC8

Fixed

[Kevin Wood]

Yes, we appear to have gone a bit "mumsnet".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LwbFMfACC8

Fixed

Oooh! What's the maximum spin speed on that?

[Sir Tigger KC]

Yes, we appear to have gone a bit "mumsnet".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LwbFMfACC8

Fixed

Oooh! What's the maximum spin speed on that?

Calm down Kevin!