By commenting you agree to our terms & conditions and community guidelines. So it pays to perform some research and ask questions of manufacturers to find out what washing machine would suit your lifestyle. In this specific case, over time all of the plastic stirring paddles had failed where they lock into the drum. Thankfully, with planning and care, you should be able extend the life of your washing machine. Then eventually I’d have to prepare a case for court. Take the example of a washing machine. It served my wife and I well and would continue to do so if the bearings were not already shot. Sometimes an anorak has come out repacked inside the hood. One solution could be to decree that all washing machines should have a minimum lifetime, perhaps three or four years, ideally with a manufacturer warranty to match? Instead, we’ll hear all about energy consumption ratings, drum or spin speed and noise levels. I have always assumed there is a little person inside our washing machine who turns my trousers inside out, opens and reverses the pillow cases and duvet covers, and takes the collar stiffeners out of my shirts and puts them in the door seal. (whatever happened to that?). Call our customer service for advice or to book a washing machine repair engineer: 020 7183 6944, Registered Address When I asked why the warranty length was so much shorter than the expected lifetime, a spokesperson from the company said that warranty length is an ongoing discussion, ‘but there are some retail outlets who like to sell their own extended warranty’. Although manufacturers may try to convince you to replace your fruity $1000 flagship phone each year, you should expect it to last for three years at a minimum, and much longer if you opted for a top-of-the-line handset. Washing manufacturer Indesit say that they expect their products to last 7-8 years. How long did your hotpoint washing machine last? Unfortunately, while manufacturers know how many cycles each of their models can be expected to perform, this information isn’t easy to find. The average lifespan of a washing machine is 11 years, according to HowStuffWorks. It was quite expensive though. I hope someone in the Far East who receives our waste electronic goods is doing a fine job of repairing the good stuff and selling them on. This ensures that you are not only getting the most out of your machine possible, but that you can keep that trip to the scrapyard (and accountant) at bay for the time being. The onus is on the retailer and not the manufacturer. So how long should you expect a washing machine to last? Five year warranties are more common, but the remaining machines have the standard two year Miele warranty. Not sure how long we've had our current machine, but I do know we bought it before moving 11 years ago. kettles and irons, electric/petrol garden tools. In other words, how long does a washing machine last, depends upon the cycle life designed in … My complaint is that while bearings only cost about £20 to replace and I could DIY, you cannot buy the bearings separate because they are sealed inside the drum and outer casing (tub), so a couple of bearings will cost £200! Have you also wo… My parents had an Electrolux machine that lasted about 25 years. It would cost something more but not very much more. Vibration is another problem, particularly during the spin cycle. The average lifespan of a washer, whether it is a top-loader or a front-loader, is about 14 years. The average lifespan of a washing machine is 11 years, according to HowStuffWorks. How do we take account of their needs? That being said, it’s still possible to find good washing machines that have been built to manage thousands of loads – which, depending on usage levels, can last as long as 20 or 30 years. One solution could be to decree that all washing machines should have a minimum lifetime, perhaps three or four years, ideally with a manufacturer warranty to match? Consumer Reports recommends replacing any appliance that's more than eight years old, unless it's a high-end model and has a particular appeal to you. The average life of a washing machine is 11 years, although expectations are for 14 years. mysteryfairy Sun 03-Mar-19 14:50:54. Any initial teething troubles with a new model can also be avoided. It is recommended that you should replace the washing machine if you already have it more than 8 years, except that you choose the high end types that are more sophisticated to you. Hi Carl – As far as I know, most modern washing machines are of the ‘sealed tank’ construction that you mention, so unless you have a very expensive machine it is economically not worth repairing. When it comes time to upgrade your old, crumbling washing machine, there are a number of factors that can affect your next purchase. I presume that washing trainers is hard on the paddles. Miele is an exception to this and their washing machines are tested and built to last an average of 20 years. Or both? See how long you can expect your oven, fridge freezer, washing machine and more to last for. I'd guess that we've had it for around 13/14 years and it's still working perfectly. Manufacturers though have been driven by other EU legislation to make them “greener”, automatically weigh the load and adjust water consumption, and other things to get an A+ energy rating etc. Maybe George II will serve for about eight years. . Such factors include: • Correct installation. Whirlpool fire-risk dryers still might be unsafe. It should be 6 years minimum parts and labour on EVERYTHING that is electrical and substantial in quality, to that I mean TVs, monitors, PCs, PC peripherals, radios, vacuums, white goods, kitchen items e.g. By continuing to browse you consent to our use of cookies. When you’re thinking about whether to replace your washing machine bearings, there are several areas for consideration. And now I believe is outside warranty period. They are designed to last 20 years or longer (under average use). It taught me to check my pockets twice. Or perhaps it would be better for manufacturers to apply expected minimum lifetimes to their own machines – and have the freedom to give different life expectancies to different machines? Cath L’s machine bought for £200 with a 5% discount in around 1988 would have been the equivalent of a £500 or thereabouts machine today. For most people that fault would need diagnosing by a domestic appliance repairer. The advantage seems to be that it may be possible to remove one so that small fabric items can be retrieved as explained in the linked video I posted above. Tablets for seniors: how have you stayed in touch with loved ones? Finally, we recommend that you periodically also leave the washer door open for at least twelve hours. As if I’d buy a Samsung at those depreciation rates!!! That might have been a factor and it would have made sense to replace the paddles when they failed. How the National Trading Standards Scams Team is fighting fraud, Scam alert: fake Barclays ‘unusual payee request’ text. This would incentivise them to make the goods to last longer than the cheap poor quality good we get today. If you do want to be certain that your washing machine will last at least 2 years before you have to pay for it to be fixed or replaced, check to see how long the warranty lasts. Approaching a company such as Repair Aid for professional washing machine repairs is important to ensure the long-term health of your appliance. If you are putting on a wash once a day, your machine could be past its cycle life in just a couple of years. It’s not atypical to find newer washing machines requiring repair after just 18 months of service. The EU is trying to bring in legislation to ensure that products are more repairable and that spares remain available. It has also found that a product’s lifetime is one of the highest buying considerations, just behind reliability and quality, but more important than price. Instead, a small handful of models have a free 10 year warranty. Consumer Reports recommends replacing any appliance that's more than eight years old, unless it's a high-end model and has a particular appeal to you. When you realise that many cheaper washing machine models have been built to handle hundreds of cycles, you start to understand why we have poor expectations of our washing machines. The Right to Repair rules (see my link above) could mean that service information must be made freely available. I’d never seen a £1 coin with the silver centre separated from the gold outside before. However they do have a lot of things in common and one of the most important is … How long should a washing machine last? A £200 machine these days requires construction and labour costs to be minimised. Maybe after 5 years the bearings have worn sufficiently to reduce the clearance. Yet, with the exception of some Miele models, most washing machine manufacturers offer warranties that last just one year. The Beko that my friend had before her 1st Bush failed that way, as best we could tell. I think you misunderstood, Malcolm. How long should your washing machine last? It's an LG. We use cookies to allow us and selected partners to improve your experience and our advertising. As such, cheap goods and longevity rarely go hand-in-hand. I have not had a washing machine with plastic paddles. The great news is that you can use this new information to to find a machine that suits your purposes. When we moved we transferred it to our static caravan where it has spent 8 years in an outside plastic storage bin. I was told that the catastrophic failure was associated with a loud bang. We asked LG, Bosch, AEG, Miele and Indesit how long they would expect their own washing machines to last. Today, however, the story is rather different. Consumer research by sustainability charity WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) found that we expect brand new washing machines to last six years before needing replaced. Are you waiting on a refund from a defunct energy supplier? • Over/under loading. How To Make Your Washing Machine Last Longer. Cath – I am very impressed by how long your Indesit machine has lasted and hope it lasts for a few years yet. Call out £35, repair £25, brushes depend on make but around £15 to £25. Here is a relevant Conversation: https://conversation.which.co.uk/sustainability/right-to-repair-appliance-eu-rules. Our Miele washing machine is 30 years old and still going strong. Now when it comes to this machine, which I expected to have lasted at least 6 years before anything failed needing repair work. Doing the above will not cost very much, when you divide the inevitable repair costs between 500,000,000 people in Europe. Tissue handkerchieves are a bigger problem as they tend to atomise and end up over everything. The Magic of washing machines is undeniable for those people who could not remind that last when exactly they wash their cloth by hand. Many cheap washing machines can last only a few years, the average life span is said to be 7 years. It may even cause other issues that will end up being more expensive to repair. Another argument for a cashless society and amazon keyless entry? The bearings are located below the outer tank of the washer. How long do washing machines last? Mid-range: 5 years. Therefore with regard to the article. Do we have any evidence it will not continue to support it? That’s an expensive mistake. At present, some manufacturers do not make this available to anyone other than their agents. This allowed, I’d suggest, for a quality build, as hers shows by its longevity. That is the point at which a washing machine should be replaced. I have a hotpoint futura washing machine which came with my house. Needless to say our experiences of the same company are wildly different. Replacement paddles are between £2.50 and £21 each depending on the model and possibly delivered by 9pm the next day. How long do washing machines last? The lifespan of an average washing machine used by a regular household is It doesn't get the clothes properly clean, you can't set it up with a delayed start and worst it takes about 3 hrs to do a cottons load. Mine was a cleaner version of the one on this page, a Philips W082 Variatronic, made in Great Britain: https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?15603 It served me well for 34 years but I decided to not to take it with me when I moved home. It’s tempting to keep using the machine if it still works despite the problem, but the issue could be indicative of a wider complication in the innards of the machine. While we may have mentioned the likes of TVs and laptops, the main reason we often replace these devices is not necessarily because these devices have stopped working; we just want a better user experience.Yet when it comes to white goods such as washing machines, most of us are content with owning a machine that gives our clothes a good clean in a timely fashion – irrespective of the machine’s • Where in the house washing machine is installed (a machine may not last as long as it could do if placed in a garage without central heating). That was a similarly cheap Bush that had lasted for about 5 or 6 years of fairly intensive use I think. We cannot just carry on producing mountains of white goods that have failed prematurely. But I would suggest you generally get what you pay for and such a machine is likely to have a shortish working life and not be economically repairable. There are many people who cannot afford a better quality appliance. Additionally, repair costs were cheaper because manufacturers would offer good prices on spare parts and they would offer extensive technical information to repairers. Just a point of interest. Repair Aid London Ltd, 152-160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX, Hours What about the dryer? If you complete a load of laundry every day (or average seven loads a week), then 14 years is the length of time which it takes to do 5,100 loads of laundry. Only folding money has been found so far and is usually still fit for purpose. But what about your current washing machine? So, how long do washing machines last? But the amount of time yours stays functional will … How long do washing machines last. Even 2 years is not enough. So why do washing machines now have a life cycle that is comparable to consumer electronics? • Detergent usage. I bought an Indesit cheap model for £189 just under 3 years ago, fairly light use and never overloaded. While you may be tempted to stuff every last dirty t-shirt into the drum, it’s important to follow manufacturer guidelines on the machine’s capacity. While there may be more washing machines in need of repair than ever, the cost of spare parts for newer models has gone up and it’s harder to receive technical support from manufacturers. As this machine has been heavily used, even with this failure, it has been good value for money. Be aware that some manufacturers offer a very short warranty that could last as little as 6 months to 1 year. There are efforts in Europe to tackle this sort of problem that is expensive for consumers and creates mountains of waste. Harald, as far as I know the EU 2 year requirement you refer to is not a minimum manudacturers’ guarantee period but the equivalent of our Consumer Rights Act 2015, which gives 6 years protection (5 in Scotland) but with restrictions on the redress provided and the actions the customer needs to take. Washing machine bearings are usually good for around 10 years before they need to be replaced. Home appliances are a key point of any home. I don’t remember that ever happening before. do find their way out of the drum on washing machines where the paddles form part of the stainless steel drum. It’s always worth finding out how much your machine will cost to repair before you think about investing hundreds or thousands of pounds on a brand new washing machine. Spares are generally widely available; so, indeed are many repair instructions for those who delve of course, but why not make it easier. The average life expectancy of a new washing machine is 11 years. Life expectancy: Budget / entry level: 3 years. 03/01/2018. Products can be heavily discounted when a new model comes along, even if the differences are only cosmetic. My Indesit washing machine has just developed a problem and when it spins the bearings are obviously worn out. It was still working but my mother had been warned that parts were no longer available. Many cheap washing machines can only last a few years, it is said that the average service life is 7 years. Thankfully it did not puncture the polypropylene tub and the machine continued to work for another 20+ years. If you choose the machines that are manufactured before 2005, you should replace it because the machines before those times waste quite a lot of water, electricity, and also detergent. While all of those factors are undoubtedly important, none of that information tells you how long a machine will last. Footnote: the Bush has just become beyond economic repair, after the remains of a Yale key and a £1 coin impacted and ruptured the bottom of the drum housing. It’s one of the first things to check if the drum stops rotating. © 2013 - 2021 Repair Aid London Ltd. All rights reserved. But perhaps one of the most important things that anyone wants from a washing machine is longevity. This should come with the appliance. (Last Updated On: December 1, 2020) Before buying a washing machine one of the most common questions is how long should a washing machine last? Not something I have the time to do and possibly lose the case anyway. I made a new impeller from brass. Then again, it could be argued that such cheap rubbish should be effectively routed out by having a minimum 6 year guarantee on everything. My Indesit washing machine has just developed a problem and will not spin. But next to it … Others suggest replacing any … Popular opinion says the average washing machine should last around 11 years. I presume that the UK has been part of the EU initiative while it was a member. That is why, for a washing machine that has a 8000 cycle life can last for up to 1143 weeks. 3 years is rubbish. But Miele does not offer a free 20 year warranty. Others suggest replacing any top-loading washer manufactured in … A dilemma. Is there anything you can do to keep it ticking over? Many are quite capable of doing this sort of repair themselves, for example replacing a belt, door seal, brushes given suitable maintenance instructions and diagnostic information. A metal patch, pop rivets and silicone sealant? Even though newer washing machines can last this long repairs can begin to get more expensive with problems happening more frequently. In the past, washing machines were built to last. I’m baking – what are your lockdown hobbies? Usually we don’t ask ourselves this question until our washing machine breaks and we have to make the decision to have it repaired or replace it. Of course, a documented expected lifetime will be very helpful when exercising your rights under the Sale of Goods Act once the warranty has expired. On top of this, washing machine repairers are also having a harder time of it too. How long your washing machine lasts is one of the main considerations when shopping for a new model – so how about putting expected lifetimes on washing machines? (33 Posts) Add message | Report. I wonder how many washing machines have been scrapped because the motor brushes have worn out. We have the choice of paying for repairs, paying for a new machine or carrying out a periodic inspection ourselves. Repair Aid » How Long Do Washing Machines Last. Or perhaps it would be better for manufacturers to apply expected minimum lifetimes to their own machines – and have the freedom to give different life expectancies to different machines? Research by Candy Hoover shows that the average Brit is likely to do 2.6 washes a week or 135 washes a year. So while a washing machine will go through a few repair cycles, there reaches a point when it starts to be more financially reasonable for customers to consider buying another washing machine rather than have an older, failing model repaired. George cost £200 including delivery and removal of its predecessor. It still works fine, but has not ever had to serve a family as large as 5. A washing machine will typically last 10 to 14 years, while a dryer will last 10 to 13 years. Additionally, it’s important to get your washing machine checked and repaired by a professional as soon as you notice any problems. Over the years, the price of white goods has fallen and your £189 is less than I paid for a modestly priced machine back in 1882. For many people an £85 potential bill plus vat might think it’s better to replace their old machine whereas a simple fix could keep it going for a few more years. One heavily used Beko last about 5 years and a similar Bush has now been going well for over 5 years. Hi Harald – You might find what the flashing lights mean by looking online or asking a question on a forum. The standard average expectancy is around 11 years. Washing machine manufacturers are producing more cheaply made models than ever before. The cost of a new motor would have been over £100, so did not seem appealing as an economic repair. I know what I think, but I’d like to ask the panel whether or not this type of “money laundering” should be an anticipated operating occurrence, or a fault that should have been prevented by the user? Saturday: 10am–3pm. Some charity shops sell electrical goods and our council has a shop that sells working electrical goods that are taken to recycling centres. But today’s cheaper models can often only manage hundreds of loads before buckling under the pressure. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. It makes them cheaper to make but repairs are unlikely to be economically viable. That means if I’m in the shop, I might see a cheap washing machine for £250 that the manufacturer expects to last a minimum of two years. moves it can act as a wedge, sometimes causing serious damage. making them use less water makes them more likely to fail because they have to be more complex. If your washer is reaching the threshold, or it's been having some …