Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

to buy a new washing machine without first getting a man to come and look at the broken one?

46 replies

Spidermama · 05/04/2010 10:13

I have a build up of washing. My old LG washing machine seems to have been winding down of late. For weeks now there's been a grinding noise when it spins.

Last night it span for too long. The 3-minutes-left counter was on for about an hour.

It made some terrible noises then I finally turned it off at the wall. There was a smell of burning and the clothes inside smell of burning.

We've had this machine for about 8 years so I reckon it's all over and I should just go at get a new one. DH thinks I should get a man to look at it. Even if I found a man, he'd charge a third of the price of a new machine to fix it only for something else to go wrong.

Some extra info:

dh is away for a month.
It's my birthday today. He forgot.

So I reckon I'm off to Currys this morning for my birthday. AIBU?

DH thinks I should call someone to look at the old machine.

OP posts:

StrawberriesAndCherries · 05/04/2010 11:01

I bought a super duper Hotpoint one 2 years ago cost about £400, broke down 3 times in first 3 months. The 3rd time I was told they couldnt repair for at least 10 days. I went and bought a cheapy £160 Haier one instead of lugging clothes to the laundrette (usually do 2 loads a day) and have kept it in place since (expensive one rotting in shed) it's fab and has not let me down. I would always buy a new one not get it repaired if over 3 years old as they are so reasonable.

vickyob · 05/04/2010 11:36

Happy Birthday.
Make sure you buy yourself something pretty too.
Im now going to post a thread about my gas cooker. Its 9 years old and Its going to cost £90+ for the part plus another £50 to fit it and thats if thats the only problem (this was just through speaking to an engineer) But all knowing DH reckons better to fix that get new. How long do cookers last ??

emsyj · 05/04/2010 11:42

We had a freestanding gas cooker in our old house that the lady we bought the house from had had for 7 years. We bought the house in 2004 and lived in it for 2 years, then rented it out. So in total that cooker (touches wood frantically in case it blows up now I've said this....) has been going for 13 years. We did have to get a minor repair (courtesy of FIL) as there was a fault with the valve thing that cuts the gas off when you put the lid down and each time you put it down, the gas would cut off and not work again when the lid was lifted. That was probably 5 years ago now and it's been fine since.

taffetacat · 05/04/2010 11:54

OP - Hope you have one by now. IME white goods cost a minimum of £100 to repair and then go wrong again - quickly. Not very green but probably best get a new one. Definitely as its your birthday and definitely definitely as you are a family of 6. No brainer.

We have my DH's grandparents' old Bosch. I think its about 15 years old. Tis great.

Happy birthday and hope the Thorntons are good.

PrivetDancer · 05/04/2010 12:10

Spooky, this happened to me on my birthday too! I bought a new one (much bigger capacity than old one) rather than have the hassle of calling someone out, my old one was about 3-4 years old.
It does seem a waste to throw something so big out, but sooo much easier.

mumof2children · 05/04/2010 12:15

buy a new one, once 1 thing goes then it's a ripple efect everything else goes.

Fimbow · 05/04/2010 12:26

We have to buy a new one every 3 to 4 years as we live in a very very hard water area and the limescale is horrendous and yes I have used those special powders.

bronze · 05/04/2010 12:31

find out what is wrong first its easy then work out if its easily fixable. It would have cost me £90 for someone to do mine. IT cost me 9.99 and I did it myself.(I also know about dishwasher float switches.) That was two years ago and its still working.(family of 6) So I disagree with the minimum of £100 to repair thing.
DH fixed our electric oven for 5.99.
Worth looking before consigning such a big item to waste. If it still doesnt look repairable thens the time to ditch it.

butterscotch · 05/04/2010 12:46

I had the same problem my 3yr old washer/dryer broke and I looked googled similar spin very noisy and burning smell, anyway from what i could establish it was very expensive to repair, even though we had a free parts thing from the manufacturer it was £130 call out then they would have to come back with parts etc... so another fee to come out!

I got a JL washer (no dryer as washer dryers are renowned for frequent breakdowns) the one we got was about £400 (extending the warranty to 5yrs for parts and call out) and has been brill has 1200 spin as well ;0) ohhh and JL own brand is made by AEG! I wanted a Miele but just going on maternity leave I couldn't afford to do it!

I figure 5yrs is a good innings for a machine ;0)

Happy Birthday, I hope you make DH feel very guilty when he gets back and you treat yourself to something lovely ;)

mumdrivenmad · 05/04/2010 13:29

emsyj I nearly sprayed tea all over my laptop, thanks for the laugh though. I think that 8 years is good innings for a washing machine, but I don't think that I will be getting the 5 year cover ever again because the sale of goods act says that they must be fit for the purpose for a reasonable time. My machine is now 5 years old, and I am starting to put some money away for when it goes. I know there is hardly any limescale in it despite us living in a hard water area, and I put it down to using half a scoop of soda crystals in every wash.

blissa · 05/04/2010 13:49

Does sound like it's time for a new one.

Mine was playing up a few weeks ago, hadn't been spinning out and then one evening water was gushing out from the detergent drawer, so I had this dilemma. Mine is 6 years old but I got someone to look at it (the husband of another mum at school) he charged £40 call out and I would have been charged for parts. Turned out the pump was blocked, so I'm glad I did get him to take a look as we really don't have the money for a new atm.

One thing he did tell me to keep in mind when I do get a new one is that Hotpoint (which mine is) build their machines with the pump at the back so you have to call someone out if it is blocked. Next time I will get a machine that has an easy to empty one, like my mums

blissa · 05/04/2010 13:49

Oh, and Happy Birthday

titch7069 · 05/04/2010 13:53

i used to go through a machine every two years, the various faults were always either terminal or massively expensive to fix. when my mum moved into an old folks home (8 years ago) i got her old machine. when i say old, i mean it was bought when i was born (to cope with washing terry nappies)in 1970! during its lifetime it has had a new drive belt and a new drum! her tumble dryer (bought 1981) and dishwasher (bought 1986) are both still going too. All of them are Indesit, they have obviously gone downhill as a manufacturer (sp) cos none of the indesits i have bought lasted more than 18 months.

plimsolls · 05/04/2010 14:43

Happy birthday! I think you should get a new one. For some reason, I have a bit of an obsession with washing machines (life? nope, not got one) and there are some really good deals at the moment, especially online. Mine is just about to break i think- keeps making a horrible noise. I asked my mum (grown-up? me? nah) whether I should get someone into look at it before it gets worse and she said that in her 40+ years of owning washing machines, she's never found that getting one repaired has been worth the money.

Indaba · 05/04/2010 16:16

If you live in London or close to London call out Spin Doctor (www.spindoctor.co.uk) or something similiar. Just had 'em out, quick & cheap. Scotts phone no is on website so you could speak to him over the phone for phone diagnosis.

thisisnotwhoyouthink · 05/04/2010 16:31

Get a new one. We just bought one and it has insurance on it for about £3 a month that guarantees all repairs for as long as we pay it...and if they cant repair it then they replace it!! We have the same deal on our fridge.

onadietcokebreak · 05/04/2010 16:48

I recommend getting a new one and a john lewis one if you can afford it...dryer of theirs is fab.

I previously had one that went wrong just after its 2nd Birthday...cited the sales of goods act and said it wasnt of reasonable quality. Argos gave me a new one of my choice as manufacteur gone bust. Next washing machine will def be John Lewis though!

Original poster

Spidermama · 06/04/2010 10:57

Thanks all. I went to Currys and bought an LG with an 8kg drum. It will arrive on Friday.

Thanks for the birthday wishes. My birthdays are traditionally very bad. After the washing machine incident, I cleared up the poo the cat had done in the laundry basked and spent all day cleaning to try to remove the smell of spray which either my cats the Tom across the road had done while we were away on holiday.

Finally, when my house was a little more fragrant, friends came round and made my birthday feel like a real birthday and absolutely rescued the day.

OP posts:

ManicMother7777 · 06/04/2010 12:32

Happy Birthday spider and congratulations on new washing machine. What a great present - seriously! I'm embarrassed at how much I love my w/m and how it's absolutely the end of the world when it goes wrong

fernie3 · 06/04/2010 14:15

YANBU - I wanted to go and buy a new one a few weeks ago but my husband insisted on gettign this one fixed (cost £150). Today the whole thing exploded and leaked all over our kitchen - it wasnt worth it just get a new one.

fernie3 · 06/04/2010 14:17

spidermama im so jealous - thats the one I wanted hapy birthday by the way!

Flip

1 2