Washer Dryer Has Died

AndyCr15

AndyCr15

AndyCr15

Soldato
Joined
28 Apr 2011
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Location
Barnet, London
I noticed last night that the drum wasn't spinning, although the timer appeared to be going down/had gone down. I killed the power for 10 minutes and used the 2 min short spin to drain the water. I set it to wash again overnight.

During the night I came for a drink in the kitchen and it looked like it wasn't spinning again, with 15 mins showing to go on the timer. I went back to bed. In the morning, it was off, so had completed. The clothes seemed clean, but still damp, which is to be expected, they were only set for 1 hour drying.

I put the dryer on for another hour, but it made some noises, then nothing. Made noises again, then nothing. I killed the power and tried to book a repair service.

Having given them a description of what happened, they've emailed back saying "Based on what you reported in most of cases we may need a complete drum to complete this repair which will cost you over £270 to £300 at least"

They then ask if I still want them to attend. It doesn't sound like a ploy, as if anything, I'm thinking I should cancel and just buy a new one! The call-out will be in the region of £100.

This washer dryer is 10 years old. I get John Lewis discount, so can get quite a nice new one for just over £400, including delivery, install and removing the old one.

Thoughts?
 
decto said:
Could just need a set of brushes in the motor which cost £5.
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Yeah, that's what came up when I first google'd the drum not spinning. My problem now is it's gonna cost me about £100 to find this out and I might then still need to buy a new machine :( (Or another £250+ on a drum)

A quick google on how long a washing machine normally last and the general consensus from a few different sites (and this repair guy) that 10 years is about normal.

Maybe I just bite the bullet. The new one I'm looking at does look nice. Quicker, quieter and more energy efficient.
 
AndyCr15 said:
Maybe I just bite the bullet. The new one I'm looking at does look nice. Quicker, quieter and more energy efficient.
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Do it unless you have the time, inclination and know how to do the diagnostics and repairs yourself. Otherwise you're spending almost as much as a new washer on a repair guy. This then comes without a warranty that buying new would give on the investment.

10 years is a fine amount of life from a Washer Dryer.
 
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AndyCr15 said:
Yeah, that's what came up when I first google'd the drum not spinning. My problem now is it's gonna cost me about £100 to find this out and I might then still need to buy a new machine :( (Or another £250+ on a drum)

A quick google on how long a washing machine normally last and the general consensus from a few different sites (and this repair guy) that 10 years is about normal.

Maybe I just bite the bullet. The new one I'm looking at does look nice. Quicker, quieter and more energy efficient.
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If the drum spins freely by hand without any bad noises then I very much doubt it's the drum. Most machines use a motor and a belt to spin the drum. Exception some LG models which were likely more expensive new.

Can see your logic though, if you have to pay someone to fix it, a new machine with warranty is likely better in the long term.
 
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dlockers said:
Can you get washer dryers that are heat pumps nowadays?
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Don't think so, unless you go for the ones that are in effect two together which kind of defeats the point (look like a tumble on top of a washing machine)

I don't think you can get a heat pump washing machine yet can you. So a heat pump washer drier would either need both techs, or simply revert to a traditional heating element
 
I would not recommend haier, we have one and it’s not very good vs the service one it replaced. Circuit board failures and restricted waterways caused issue 9 months after purchase for us.
 
What I normally do in these situations is spend most of a weekend taking it apart, gradually disassembling it in the middle of the kitchen whilst more and more tools and parts build up around me. The wife obviously thoroughly enjoys this, especially the part where I tell her on Sunday evening "yeah it's definitely ******".

It's then that I start to question life itself on a higher level. Inevitably I arrive back online egging myself on that there is in fact hope. Somewhere will have a new PCB or motor or random part which will help me. Ebay? Chinese websites? The hunt goes on for a few more days until one day I come home and all my carefully ordered screws and parts have been swept into a pile and unordered! With the appeal to fix now at it's lowest, I get kicked whilst down as she tells me that I need to cook for myself tonight unless I buy a new one. Days pass... sex is now a distant memory (excluding with myself) and everybody has their breaking point... I go online and spend £700 on a new appliance with next day delivery. It has wifi connectivity and uses half the power of the old one. It's shiny. Meh.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
I worked in a Washing Machine Lab for many years and my advice is don't buy a washer/dryer, buy separates if you have the space.
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This. I used to sell said machines 25 years ago, it was my recommendation then & still is. Washer dryers are the least reliable of all domestic appliances, as others have said 10 years is pretty good. Forget about repairing it, parts will be either hard to find no longer made, or uneconomical to repair.
 
Grimley said:
This. I used to sell said machines 25 years ago, it was my recommendation then & still is. Washer dryers are the least reliable of all domestic appliances, as others have said 10 years is pretty good. Forget about repairing it, parts will be either hard to find no longer made, or uneconomical to repair.
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For many years I gave Quality talks every week at Creda/Hotpoint and Miele were always at the top followed by Samsung & LG and our products Creda/Hotpoint/Ariston/Indesit/Belling were nearly at the bottom.
A month ago I finally put my words into action and bought a Samsung washer :)

Actually I think it was you who suggested our White Knight tumble dryer many years ago.
 
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OCUK, I have never been more disappointed in you than I am right now.

Guess I'll have to say it myself....

OP, you could say it has dried it's final death.











Anyone seen my coat?
 
SexyGreyFox said:
For many years I gave Quality talks every week at Creda/Hotpoint and Miele were always at the top followed by Samsung & LG and our products Creda/Hotpoint/Ariston/Indesit/Belling were nearly at the bottom.
A month ago I finally put my words into action and bought a Samsung washer :)

Actually I think it was you who suggested our White Knight tumble dryer many years ago.
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It probably was :D Its a shame they have gone out of business. Things have moved on since I was in that line of work, been a driver for almost 23 years now & I don't miss the the old days. Your old firm's part of Whirlpool/Haier now & I never liked selling their stuff either, especially their 'self combusting' tumble dryers ;) Now I'm the customer I find it hard to choose what to buy that's value for money and reliable as the handful of manufacturers left have made it hard sadly.
 
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