Washing machine advice sought

storker

The wash cycle selector know on our Hotpoint washing machine has stopped working. It turns, but doesn't click and doesn't change the cycle.

The machine itself is 13 months old, and of course we had a 12-month warranty. Hotpoint are now looking for a €114.00 call-out charge for an engineer visit, and presumably parts etc on top of that.

We paid €299 for the machine, so I'm reluctant to pay over 1/3 of the price again for a repair when I can no longer trust the machine. I mean, what will be the next thing to go, and when? 12 month warranty be damned, you should be able to expect more that a 13-month life expectancy for any appliance.

My thinking right now is that we would be better off buying a new machine made by anyone but Hotpoint/Indesit/Ariston, particularly after reading some comments about them elsewhere.

Can anyone recommend a washing machine manufacturer whose stuff just bloody well works? Which brands are considered the quality brands these days?

Call me old-fashioned, but I will never buy another Hotpoint appliance again.

Stork

Is it a knob that feels like it's lost contact with the switch behind it?
it may be a simple case of a clip or similar connecting it to the switch that has come loose.

As you're not prepared to pay for a call out, you've nothing to lose by lifting the top cover and checking the switch.
The usual safety disclaimers being in force of course, if you don't feel competent in working on electrical equipment, don't.

storker

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it a knob that feels like it's lost contact with the switch behind it?
it may be a simple case of a clip or similar connecting it to the switch that has come loose.

That's what I was thinking, and that's what it turned out to be. I got the lid off then the control panel then removed the bit with the circuit board to which the knob is attached. The circuit board wouldn't come out of its casing though, so that's where the battle was. Eventually I was able to prise it apart just enough to...ah...get the knob out.

A little piece of the hollow bit in the middle of the knob that fits over the bit that actually turns on the inside (stop me if I'm being too technical) had broken off. The broken bit had fallen out as soon as I got the control panel off, so a bit of superglue and we were back in business. The toughest part when putting it all back together was getting the powder drawer to align properly.

What struck me about the whole thing was just how much plastic was involved. Pretty much everything, apart from the drum itself. The control panel looked like all the buttons were about to fall out and the whole thing gave a very cheap and nasty impression. And it looks so good on the outside....

Anyway. no more Hotpoint in our house. Even with the fix in, I don't know how long it will last, so we've probably more delayed a purchase than avoided one. These things come with friendly price tags for a reason. After doing a bit of research it seems that Zanussi, AEG or Siemens are a better bet, or Miele if you can afford the Rolls-Royce option.

Stork

bryaner

Is it filling with water? A blocked pump would stop the machine filling-emptying with water and stop the cycle..

Edit: I see you found the problem nice one..