Washing machines only lasting 4 years

[DK123]

As part of my job, I often have to replace washing machines in people's houses. Looking back through everything, none of them seem to last more than 4 years. That's with different makes and models, different homes, different people using them. I am sure white goods used to last much longer than this. I don't remember my parents ever having to replace any of the white goods when I was growing up!

Now my own washing machine needs replacing and I'm quite annoyed and worried about the long term cost of having to keep replacing them.

Has anyone else noticed the same? Does anyone have any recommendations for brands which do seem to last? I'd be very grateful!

@EBearhug - you're beating me! Am so impressed with 25 years. Have you replaced any parts?

I had a wonderful Swedish machine, ISE make. Designed by engineers who were appalled by the amount of washing machines going to landfill. Lasted 17 years on one or two loads a day (washable nappies times three then sporty teens as they grew up). It died last year, and in the meantime ISE have gone, victim of the success of the machines longevity 😥

I have a Bosch and it's lasted 10 years! But I refuse to put teen muddy crap in it... and don't over load it 😀😀

Yes, in our 10 year relationship we are on our 3rd machine. We keep them clean and there's only two of us so it's not overuse (one cycle every other day usually). It's so frustrating.

Miele are a ridiculous price now and not worth it. Bosch are better value for money.

I have gone through two in two years, help!

12 year miele, bought when the old machine blew up when I was back in hospital after having my first son. It's survived 9 years of cloth nappies, and is used 2 or 3 times a day. My Mum has a much newer Miele and I hate it, it won't let you open the door mid cycle to add a forgotten item and it won't let you open the door until 5 whole minutes after it's finished it's cycle. It has really annoying, hard to understand options too.

Seconding that cost relative to wages used to be much higher for appliances. You can get a cheapo Hotpoint for £200 these days - which we did and it died every year for 7 years.

We currently have an LG washer dryer which was about twice as much as a cheap one but you get what you pay for.

We've got a Miele one that I think is about 12 years old. It has some faults with the longer programmes but I just use the shorter ones!! . I'll be so sad when it gives up as I'm sure we won't be able to afford another Miele one!

Our last fridge however only lasted about 2 years...

@Ellpellwood

Seconding that cost relative to wages used to be much higher for appliances. You can get a cheapo Hotpoint for £200 these days - which we did and it died every year for 7 years.

We currently have an LG washer dryer which was about twice as much as a cheap one but you get what you pay for.

When I was a kid I remember tvs being about £300 (1980s) which was a massive amount considering you could get one for half that now.

EBearhug- you're beating me! Am so impressed with 25 years. Have you replaced any parts?

I'm not - it was a typo and should have said 15. (See, I had to retype that again. I previously got distracted by autocorrect deciding I meant Bishop instead of Bosch.)

I always buy a basic model of a good brand so it's got fewer bells and whistles to go wrong.

Current one is a Siemens, used a lot over the 15 years I've had it. In that time DH has changed the carbon brushes twice when it refused to spin, but fingers firmly crossed it's given no other trouble.

My mom recently had a washing machine last less than two years, she wasn't impressed that it decided to die just weeks after the warranty expired, it would have cost nearly as much to have it repaired as replaced so she went for the latter option. Dryers and oven ranges are equally problematic in having a ridiculously short lifespan here in the USA.

@Mumof3girlsandaboy

My Samsung eco bubble only lasted 4 years and it broke

Nooo :( How often did you use it? Considering the nickname, I assume you have a lot of kids clothes to wash? In my household are only two adults, I make laundry max. 2x a week, so I am really hoping it won't break after 4 years. Did you contact samsung re warranty?

^No, because they don't go to landfill, most of them go to metals recycling.

When our dishwasher broke, we put it outside to make space for the new one. The scrap fairies took it in under 3 hours.^

Unfortunately after it's been stripped for anything sellable, the rest of your washing machine probably ended up as landfill on a country lane or someone's land.

I wonder if there's any correlation with the people who wash everything after every use.

I think this is the most relevant point. As a child, monday was washday and done in a twin tub. Sheets etc were washed once a month at best. You'd wear the same clothes to school everyday, just change underwear. Likewise at the weekend.
When our children were small (25+ years ago) after the baby stage we'd do about 3 washes a week. Now (well 2019) when I've visited people with kids the washing machine seems to be on permanently. Children play in the garden - they change clothes when they come back in. Likewise when they come home from school, and school clothes go into the wash.

When our dishwasher broke, we put it outside to make space for the new one. The scrap fairies took it in under 3 hours.

Our record for a collection was before we'd even shut the door properly after going back inside! 😂

We have an 11kg drum Hotpoint Aqualtis. It seems OK after 6 years.

It depends why it needs replacing, I've treated ours to new door seals and motor brushes over the years I guess many people don't which is a shame.

A worried looking scrap fairy rang our doorbell once to say this was the second radiator in the past week and were we trying to get rid of it or did we need the other one back? I explained they'd each arrived bent and the company had asked us to dispose of them. There was another one in the house that DH and FIL hadn't yet lumbered outside, so we had the scrap fairy and his brother take it outside for themselves. I like to count that one as minus half an hour for removal.

@omygoditsearly

It depends why it needs replacing, I've treated ours to new door seals and motor brushes over the years I guess many people don't which is a shame.

Our middle washing machine was well overdue a new door seal because no-one CBA keeping up with maintenance washes or scrubbing the seal with bleach and I looked on Youtube to see if the procedure was an easy DIY job.

It involved dismantling half the machine and I thought it was too big a risk and cost for such an elderly machine (10+ at the time) so left it until the bearing were clearly on their way out (the quietness and stillness of the new machine in comparison was both a revelation and illustration that replacement had come not a moment too soon).

But pleasingly, for the new one, it has a much more sensible arrangement where it is held on the front with a big circular wire clip, so should the time come, the seal can be changed without pulling it out and taking both the top and back off.

15 year old meile here-large family, heavy usage. Never needed a repair.

How long do tumble driers last? Mine from John Lewis is about five years old and has stopped heating.

My Bosch will be coming up for 5 years old. It takes a lot of use - at least once a day. Although it is now getting noisy when it spins. Does anyone know if this is a part I could have replaced? I’d be happy to have a repair done in the hopes it will live for a couple more years.