What is your washing machine setup?

[alan_fincher]

It doesn't perhaps sound like the long term, high volume, solution you are looking for, but the small twin tubs can be remarkably effective, and are cheap as chips.

Yes, more manual intervention required, but a hot fill using any preferred method of heating water is possible.

They really do wash at least as well as a domestic automatic.

 

They are cheap enough it might provide a temporary solution, but you might end up finding you could live with it.

 

They do neat 230 volts, (or at least I have yet to find a 12 volt model), but will run of a Mickey Mouse low powered MSW inverter that doesn't need to cost more than £30 or £40.

Ours simply gets put in the bath when in use......

Blog post

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Ours simply gets put in the bath when in use......

Ours 'lives' under the bed.

In use it is on the rear deck and drains directly overboard.

On 'not so nice days' it is used on the draining board and drains down the sink.

[cuthound]

19 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

It doesn't perhaps sound like the long term, high volume, solution you are looking for, but the small twin tubs can be remarkably effective, and are cheap as chips.

Yes, more manual intervention required, but a hot fill using any preferred method of heating water is possible.

They really do wash at least as well as a domestic automatic.

 

They are cheap enough it might provide a temporary solution, but you might end up finding you could live with it.

 

They do neat 230 volts, (or at least I have yet to find a 12 volt model), but will run of a Mickey Mouse low powered MSW inverter that doesn't need to cost more than £30 or £40.

Ours simply gets put in the bath when in use......

Blog post

 

And the washing process takes only 15-20 minutes, rather than an hour or more.

[nebulae]

We had a Zanusi compact driven off a Sterling 3kw inverter.  Always used with the engine running,  Never gave any problems.  I know Sterling have been critisized on this forum,but we had no prblem for eleven years.  The compact machines seem expensive. If buying a replacement,I would probably try to find space for a full size machine.

[GUMPY]

3 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

And the washing process takes only 15-20 minutes, rather than an hour or more.

Not with the Indesit I linked to above, 45 mins spun dry as well. Or 20 mins if a quick wash.

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, nebulae said:

We had a Zanusi compact driven off a Sterling 3kw inverter.  Always used with the engine running,  Never gave any problems.  I know Sterling have been critisized on this forum,but we had no prblem for eleven years.  The compact machines seem expensive. If buying a replacement,I would probably try to find space for a full size machine.

Yes I agree. Years ago I bought one of the compacts at forty seven billion pounds and in reality having a full size is easily doable in a narrowboat and uses less water to wash the same amount of clothes. Our present one is a 7.5 kg LG and faultless at eleven years old. Not a cheap washing machine but takes the hammer.

[blackrose]

On ‎28‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 08:17, nicknorman said:

We just have a compact cold feed zanussi washer and separate tumble drier.

 

 

Me too. It's 1600w max. Run from shore power when at the mooring or generator when not. The dryer is a small White Knight but it's only used for sheets. Everything else is just hung for a couple of days. I wouldn't bother to wash sheets or use the dryer when I'm away.

Edited May 31, 2019 by blackrose

[blackrose]

5 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

And the washing process takes only 15-20 minutes, rather than an hour or more.

 

Who's automatic machine take an hour or more? Mine has quick wash settings.

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Who's automatic machine take an hour or more? Mine has quick wash settings.

Our Auto, on 'Synthetics 40 degrees' takes about 1 hour 20 minutes.

 

(I only know because following SWMBO's accident I now have 'domestic duties' as well).

[cuthound]

11 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Who's automatic machine take an hour or more? Mine has quick wash settings.

 

All of the automatic washing machines we have owned have settings that take longer than an hour.

 

Our current AEG Electrolux has a "quick wash" button, but Mrs Hound says it doesnt clean heavily soiled clothes well enough, so rarely uses it.

[GUMPY]

Unless I use the stupid Eco mode washes all the washes on my 2 year old Indesit are under 60 mins and that's without going to the 20min quick wash. If yours are all over 60 mins then its time for a modern machine.

[cuthound]

59 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Unless I use the stupid Eco mode washes all the washes on my 2 year old Indesit are under 60 mins and that's without going to the 20min quick wash. If yours are all over 60 mins then its time for a modern machine.

 

Possibly, it came with the house and we've been here over 5 years now.

 

However it works well (except on "quick wash") and a new one would take forever to pay for itself in reduced energy and water costs.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

9 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Ours 'lives' under the bed.

In use it is on the rear deck and drains directly overboard.On 'not so nice days' it is used on the draining board and drains down the sink.

Mine has a plywood shelf that slots over the bath tub and drains in to bath, then pumped overboard by the Gulper. Use the shower hose on the taps to fill. Recently set up a waterproof socket nearby, to save running an extension lead to it.

 

Jen

[blackrose]

18 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

All of the automatic washing machines we have owned have settings that take longer than an hour.

 

Our current AEG Electrolux has a "quick wash" button, but Mrs Hound says it doesnt clean heavily soiled clothes well enough, so rarely uses it.

 

My zanussi compact has settings that take longer than an hour too but I rarely use them as it does a very good wash on the quick setting which is about 35 mins. 

[nicknorman]

On 30/05/2019 at 10:03, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The water usage estimate for a camping twin tub is massively off. I've just measured mine and the wash compartment would hold about 15l of water. With a wash and two spins, which I find gets clothes very clean, that is 45l per cycle.

 

Don't know about weight of clothes, I just stuff them in to the spin station till it is full, then transfer them to the washer side. That seems to be the limit. Beyond that the washer agitator has trouble moving them. If they are thin material I can just get a double duvet cover and bed sheet in one load.

 

For energy, I give mine 15mins of washing and two x 6 minutes of rinsing at 230W and three by two minutes of spin at 116W, so 230*27 + 186*6 = 7326Wmins, or 122.1Whrs, or 12.2Ahrs from the batteries per load washed, rinsed and spun, using 10V to take inverter loss in to account.

 

My hot water is provided in huge amounts by stove back boiler in the winter and thermal solar in the summer, so this gives really good washing at very little load on the batteries and charging system.

 

As you have guessed I like them for boat use. Excellent wash and come out almost dry to the touch, so I can line dry them inside in winter in just a few hours. Downside is that the ones I've used only seem to last around five years before breaking. There are several weak spots, including the switch mechanism that detects the closure of the spin lid to disable and brake the motor.

 

Jen

But surely you don’t just wash and spin - you must rinse several times as well and this, in any washing machine, is what uses most of the water. Or do you “wash” without detergent?

Edited June 1, 2019 by nicknorman

[alan_fincher]

22 hours ago, Loddon said:

Unless I use the stupid Eco mode washes all the washes on my 2 year old Indesit are under 60 mins and that's without going to the 20min quick wash. If yours are all over 60 mins then its time for a modern machine.

Our domestic machine (a Bosch) is virtually brand new.

The vast majority of it's cycles are an hour or more.

It's modern enough that it projects onto the floor where it is in it's cycle, and exact time to completion.

[Alan de Enfield]

36 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

It's modern enough that it projects onto the floor...…………..

Ours used to do that, but a new door seal sorted it.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

3 hours ago, nicknorman said:

But surely you don’t just wash and spin - you must rinse several times as well and this, in any washing machine, is what uses most of the water. Or do you “wash” without detergent? 

Shirley I don't. Wash (with detergent) and two rinses. Implied by the water usage I stated, 15l wash compartment x 3 = 45l of water per wash cycle.

Edited June 1, 2019 by Jen-in-Wellies

[GUMPY]

1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

Our domestic machine (a Bosch) is virtually brand new.

The vast majority of it's cycles are an hour or more.

It's modern enough that it projects onto the floor where it is in it's cycle, and exact time to completion.

Must be an eco jobbie then

Indesit have a numerical display that tells you minutes left to go that's how I know how long washes take.

 

[nicknorman]

5 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Shirley I don't. Wash (with detergent) and two rinses. Implied by the water usage I stated, 15l wash compartment x 3 = 45l of water per wash cycle.

45l of water is a pretty average consumption for a 5kg automatic washing machine. How much washing does your twin tub hold? There doesn’t seem to be an argument for twin tubs based on water consumption.

Edited June 1, 2019 by nicknorman

[Jen-in-Wellies]

6 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

45l of water is a pretty average consumption for a 5kg automatic washing machine. How much washing does your twin tub hold? There doesn’t seem to be an argument for twin tubs based on water consumption.

Afraid I don't know the mass, just the volume. 

 

I just stuff things in to the spinner until no more will fit, then that becomes one load for the washer. Seems to work OK. Is probably possible to use less water than I do and get an adequate wash. Have never looked in to optimising this. I expect a lot of auto machines use less water than the way I work a twin tub.

Jen

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Is probably possible to use less water than I do and get an adequate wash.

Does it really matter ?

Every day we move we pass a number of taps, just take a few minutes and top-off the tanks.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

Does it really matter ?

Every day we move we pass a number of taps, just take a few minutes and top-off the tanks.

My thoughts exactly. Why I've always gone for using lots of water and having clean clothes, rather than trying to minimise this. The minimal electricity usage is more important to me when away from the shore line. Water I can (almost) always get. If water is a problem, say with everything frozen up, then I can make other arrangements, or just be very smelly!

 

Jen

[mrsmelly]

54 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

My thoughts exactly. Why I've always gone for using lots of water and having clean clothes, rather than trying to minimise this. The minimal electricity usage is more important to me when away from the shore line. Water I can (almost) always get. If water is a problem, say with everything frozen up, then I can make other arrangements, or just be very smelly!

 

Jen

Ive always found the same. As a continuous cruiser I obviously pass loads of taps to top up,  or when on a mooring as now I have my own tap. lectrics not a problem for me either though which is a bonus.

[jetzi]

I'm distrustful of any washing machine or mode that takes less than 45-60 min for a wash, rinse and spin. Quick wash modes might be useful in a pinch but I don't believe they wash well enough to be my normal form of washing. My "single tub" washing machine I had as a student was faster, more compact and washed very well. So I am pro these. But if we do get a fully auto I'm not interested in the eco quick washes, I am basing this off the standard synthetics wash.

 

Thanks for all the different viewpoints and setups - lots to think about here. I'm still leaning towards the weird Hotpoint toploader that Cruising the Cut uses.

I want my water supply to last two weeks. We usually cruise once a week and of course we top up whenever passing a tap, but we get to the bottom of our tank much too frequently for my liking. There are also always times when you need/want to stay put for a whole fortnight (especially in winter). Having a water supply that lasts a bit more than a week when we are being very careful is not good enough for me. Water is such an important necessity and the urgency of only havning a week's supply makes me uncomfortable; I want a bit more of a buffer. If you can manage with a smaller tank and a less economical washing machine, hats off to you. But for us the water supply is the limiting factor on our boat, and a larger one would make the single biggest difference of any upgrade to our comfort.

 

Incidentally for those who followed my other thread about that topic, I took the advice and last time we went for a cruise I got 150kg of stuff and around 450kg of friends to stand in the bow and move around as if they were water sloshing, all on one side then all on the other, leaning overboard, and so forth. I found no difference to the handling of the boat apart from a slight list when everyone was on the same side. Certainly the scuppers were still well above the waterline. So I'm quite convinced that my plan to add another 400 odd litres of water in well-balanced tanks with baffles to reduce the sloshing would be a feasible option. I'm going to wait until I get to the boatyard in a month to chat to them and the surveyor about the plan.