Argh!!! My washing machine has died - washer/dryer?

[sb34]

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I don't know if they do washer/driers but we have a Miele washing machine. I thought DH had flipped his lid completely as they are a good bit more expensive than the other washing machines but we have not looked back. We have had it for four years now and have not had the slightest problem with it (it'll probably break down tomorrow). We have recently bought a Miele dishwasher too (had a good bit of money off as it was ex-display) and whilst researching the dishwasher I read that it is tested to last for 20 years (one load a day) and I would imagine their washing machines go through similar testing. Bosch is also a good option although my Mum bought a Bosch three years ago and the dail that you turn to select the programme has started sticking, probably easy enough to repair but not the quality she expected from Bosch.

We've always had a washer/dryer as we've always lived in city-centres with limited space. We had a Hotpoint for 13 years which was great! (We only got rid of it because we were not allowed to ship appliances under the terms of DH's new contract). We have another washer/dryer supplied with this appartment and it is great too. Not sure of the make as it is a local shop's own-brand but think it may be by Zanussi. The only draw-back is that you can only dry half a load of washing at once. Also you have to watch out for ventilation as often they're placed under a worktop like a washing machine and they do get hot. I wouldn't hesitate to go for one again as they are great when you haven't much space, can't hang out washing and can't dry baby clothes quickly which is very much the situation I'm in here. Oh and I use it every day!

As snoobycat says you can't put as much in them as normal washing machines and in our house I've either got a pile of dirty washing waiting to be done, while it washes or a pile of wet washing, while it washes. I only use the dryer for the childrens stuff so that cuts the drying time down but when and if this one goes wrong again, and it often does I'll just get a washing machine. If I want a dryer I'll get one of those small ones that are about 2/3 th size of a normal one and keep it hidden away. Maybe that could be the answer for you, have you got any space for a little dryer?
Personally I wouldn't recommend a washer/dryer and would never get one again especially as we've got small children and like you need to do a couple of washes a day. They're a pain in the a*se if you ask me!

Oh how I would love a new washing machine, DS decided to swing on the door about a year ago and it snapped off. For me to be able to work the thing I have to have a table pushed right up against it and can not put too much in as it will move the table, the door falls off and floods the kitchen. The only bonus is that I do not have the wait when the load is done for the door to open.

My friend has a washer/dryer and she only used the wash cycle, she works and tries to do it all on her day off, and it takes twice as long now.

We have a very cheap Hotpoint Washer/Dryer and it's great. You do have to put a smaller load in of the dryer stuff but that works okay in our household as I only chuck the ironables in and air dry the rest. It's had about 3 repairs over its 8 year lifetime though (although I suppose that's standard).

It's now on its last legs though so we're in the same position as you! Current ones we're looking at are the Bosch, the equivalent Hotpoint and the Ariston.

The Bosch seems to be the quietest (and this would be a huge bonus at the moment - the Hotpoint is loud) and before this thread ( ) I'd heard good things about Bosch. Hotpoint seems okay in terms of features and is cheap and I've been happy with our current Hotpoint, but.... shrug Ariston has all the features I want but I have no experience of Ariston stuff so I don't know whether to risk it! I'd like to get the AEG as we've got an AEG dishwasher and we were very pleased with that, but the AEG washer/dryer seems to be a bit overkill with features and slightly too big for our "gap".

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I don't know if they still do it, but on the warranty front, Comet used to sell extra years (3 or 5 I think) warranty which you can get refunded if you haven't claimed against it. You have to keep the documents in a safe place and keep a record as you only have a month to claim the refund (I transfer the details every year from one calendar to the next!) One of ours is up this October - hurrah!

Of course, the dishwasher will probably break down before then...

If you buy washing machines etc from John Lewis they give you a 2 year warranty, even if the manufacters only give you 1 year. Absolutely invaluable. And free delivery....

Realised that last post made me sound irritatingly organised, I'm not usually - honest! - but when it comes to money...

On a different note, my washing machine repair man said that WM are only designed to last for 7 years max which is outrageous. Demented's pricey Miele sounds better value in those terms. You could always ring Bosch and Hotpoint and ask about their products average life span.

places like Comet charge for delivery too. Johnny Lou Lou's for us every time

I bought a Miele washer/dryer for around £1,000 about 1 1/2 years ago. I've only every heard good reports about Miele (touch wood!) they are very quiet, and suppose to last for years and years . I originally had a Hoover washer dryer which cost about £600 and this completely broke down after 3 years. Apart from Miele I'd probably go for a Bosch or a Zanussi as my Zanussi dishwasher has lasted about 9 years without any problems, admittedly it's seen better days!

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We bought a miele in ALders just before Christmas, it cost around 600£ and came with a 5 year guaratee, but think the dearer ones come with 10 year guarantees, so I think they are worth it for the guaratee alone. Happy shopping and sorry if this causes you more confusion as to which one to buy. By the way I am new to this site and love it to bits, always the first one I go to when I log on!

Bear in mind somewhere like Comet or Currys will take the old one away for you. Some of the cheaper places use 3rd party couriers so will not dispose of the old one for you. Depending on your local dump facilities, the size of your car and the free time you have, Comet may well work out cheaper despite the bigger ticket price

It might be worth checking one of the online price comparison sites, like this one to check you're getting the best price.

Our machine broke down when DD was 2 months old. We decided to go for the Ariston washer/dryer and I have no complaints so far. We don't use the dryer that much, but it is so handy to have if you don't have the space for a seperate dryer. Before we had a Zanussi washing machine and it died after 4 years - don't know if we were just unlucky.

I would go for the Bosch every time. Have a Hotpoint dryer and a Bosch dishwasher - Bosch is def better made and does a better job (if you can compare a dryer to a dishwasher?! - but I think you know what I mean!)

JZEE - £1000 FOR A WASHER/DRYER!!!!?????

faint

I have a washer/dryer and have to admit I would NEVER choose one again if I had the space. I have given up getting the dryer fixed so now it is just a smallish washing machine and still have wet clothes drying around the house all the time.

But, when I got it, I did reject Comet's (or Curry's) warranty and just contacted the manufacturer directly and renewed it each year with them until the renewal became more than the cost of the average repair. Still massively cheaper than Comet's

It's hardly ever worth buying extended warranties on anything tbh. Probably far more cost effective sticking a monthly sum into a savings account as the household "repair" account for emergencies.

SB34

Haven't time to read all of this, so apologies if I'm repeating what someone else has already pointed out. If you (like me) do use your wm twice a day, aren't you still going to have stuff around the place drying? I couldn't bear the thought of having to wait for stuff to dry before I could bung in another load of washing