Washing machines - not quite the end!

[icowden]

Washing machines eh?

We bought an expensiveish one (£600 IIRC) a Bosch Serie 8 job several years ago.
Came down to breakfast yesterday to find a mini flood in the kitchen. Luckily we have tiles on concrete and the water hadn't damaged anything.
After much mopping I pulled the machine out and got the back off, could see water coming down near the front of the drum.
Called a washing machine repair man who took the machine to bits (I have learned how to disassemble the front of a washing machine now!) and found the problem - coin through the side of the plastic drum. Machine is dead he tells me. Repair would be too expensive.

So I had a look on AO etc, all the while thinking - "it's only a small hole...".
So, got some gorilla ultra strong tape which I use on the pond and put that over the hole. It seemed to adhere well. Then I got some epoxy putty, worked that up and covered the entire area including the tape and left that for 24 hours. Then got some heat resistant silicone sealant and used it to cover the lot, just in case of any gaps. Then put the machine back together.

Tested it today on a drum clean and bingo! A working washing machine again - no leaks.
Feeling pretty pleased with meself (although my wife has instructed no overnight or unattended washes...).

 

[classic33]

You'd be safer undoing both fastenings and rotating the door seal so that the hole is now at the top.

Then have a look for the spare part required.

 

[Jameshow]

Couple of 2" penny washers and a bolt would do it too...

 

[Tenkaykev]

You'd be safer undoing both fastenings and rotating the door seal so that the hole is now at the top.

Then have a look for the spare part required.

I think the OP means that theres a hole in the outer drum. The stainless steel inner perforated drum rotates inside a static outer plastic drum and I think that's where the hole is/was.
There's a few " Pete's " in our group of friends, one of whom is known as " " Washing Machine Pete " due to him being a self employed washing machine repair man for over forty years. He says that Bosch quality went down the pan several years ago. Our daughter has just purchased a used Bosch washing machine from her local family run white goods shop. The older Bosch models are very popular, when the shop sells and fits a new machine they take the old ones away for disposal. If it's one of the older Bosch machines they give them a refurb and sell them with a six month warranty ( though they often last many years)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

We've got a Bosch washing machine thats eight years old and still going strong, we've not had to do anything to it it apart from clean the filter occasionally.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Yep Bosch used to be top end , don’t think so now . On my second Samsung thanks to their 5yr warranty! Not sure I’ll buy another though but we will see . Folk tout Miele as one of the best ? That’s 4 figure territory though !

 

[icowden]

I think the OP means that theres a hole in the outer drum.

Exactly that. It seems that a rogue coin has escaped the seal and been spun at high speed through the plastic.

 

[icowden]

You'd be safer undoing both fastenings and rotating the door seal so that the hole is now at the top.

It's the outer drum not the seal. The only way to replace the outer drum would be to buy a new one and take the machine almost entirely to bits.

 

[presta]

My first washer dryer was a Hotpint 9934. I called the man out when it was 12 years old for something I forget, the first thing he did was take the top off, feel the drum, and say "It's a write off, there's a rust hole in the drum".
The second was a Hotpoint WD61. That lasted 14 years before the spider failed, although I think that might have been from vibration caused by knackered dampers. The spares were no longer available.
My current machine is an Indesit IWDE 7125. It's 8 years old, and has had brushes and new dampers so far.

I've heard people rave about Miele, but for the price they are they'd have to last about 39 years to pay their way against the ones I've had.

 

[OldShep]

I've heard people rave about Miele, but for the price they are they'd have to last about 39 years to pay their way against the ones I've had.

Can I disagree. I bought my first Miele 15 yr ago for £50. I gave it a son 10 yrs ago and he’s still using it. I replaced it with a better younger model and paid £150 its still perfect. In use most days as well.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

@icowden fettling like that is so satisfying. Nice one, Cyril.

 

[presta]

Can I disagree. I bought my first Miele 15 yr ago for £50. I gave it a son 10 yrs ago and he’s still using it. I replaced it with a better younger model and paid £150 its still perfect. In use most days as well.

That's second hand, a new Miele is three times the price of a new Hotpoint. I doubt they last 39 years compared with the 13 years I've had from the Hotpoints.

 

[Oldhippy]

Excellent work!

 

[icowden]

@icowden fettling like that is so satisfying. Nice one, Cyril.

I'm generally somewhere around a "C" at DIY. If I have someone to copy I can do a passable job, but probably not neatly.
Quite pleased with this repair.

I did find a video where some bod found a bit of plastic from the packing and used a soldering iron to melt the plastic into the hole before taping, but I decided that that was beyond my skills. Hopefully the machine will last a few more years. It seemed a shame to chuck it for such a stupidly minor problem.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Yep Bosch used to be top end , don’t think so now . On my second Samsung thanks to their 5yr warranty! Not sure I’ll buy another though but we will see . Folk tout Miele as one of the best ? That’s 4 figure territory though !

Well well well , our second Samsung appears to be dead. Did two washes yesterday, 2nd one we think has finished but the machine won’t power on . Plug fuse fine and power to the spur socket ! Oh well need to get on the phone this morning and book an engineer. Hoping this second machine has the 5yr warranty which it should . IMO with the Samsung brand they should stick to TVs and leave the appliances business !