Washing machine advice wanted.

[PD1964]

2 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

With the ZWC1301 you may have to keep the inverter engaged and not allow it to go into standby by having a light on at the same time. There is a low consumption pause in the spin cycle that causes some inverters to go to sleep and then wake up and start the spin all over.

My friend has this model and has run it with no issues using a Sterling Pro Combi 2500w. She runs it while moving the boat so to not drain the batteries too much. So as you say it must be down to make of inverter with what you describe above.

Edited February 1, 2022 by PD1964

[doratheexplorer]

22 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Thats what we have on both of our boats.

 

Uses absolute minimum of electric

Uses far less water than an automatic

Gets clothes dryer than an automatic

 

Whats not to like ?

 

1) It requires some human intervention (you cannot just put it on and go off to the pub)

2) It requires lifting out of the cupboard and using on the rear-deck, shower, or draining board.

3) Load size is smaller than an automatic.

4)  It doesn't clean anywhere near as well as an automatic.

5) There's no simple way to do a proper rinse with it.

 

If I wasn't living aboard I might be happy with one.  But for permanent livaboard use, I wouldn't go near them.  They're designed for occassional use only.

[Alan de Enfield]

26 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

4)  It doesn't clean anywhere near as well as an automatic.

5) There's no simple way to do a proper rinse with it.

 

If I wasn't living aboard I might be happy with one.  But for permanent livaboard use, I wouldn't go near them.  They're designed for occassional use only.

 

I guess we all have different experiences.

We 'liveaboard' for 4-6 months of the year and it works fine for us.

[doratheexplorer]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I guess we all have different experiences.

We 'liveaboard' for 4-6 months of the year and it works fine for us.

Genuine questions:

 

What detergent do you use?  And how do you thoroughly rinse out that detergent?  Bear in mind, that in an automatic machine, the rinsing parts of the cycle are commonly longer than the washing parts.

[MtB]

23 hours ago, canals are us? said:

Door catch not working, and had to prise door open which snapped the door catch tang

 

That's a shame. Washing machine doors are generally easily opened (against the wishes of the electronics!) using a piece of thin chord or piano/guitar string. Slip it around the door circumference and use it to pull the tang back against its spring. There are a few videos on youtube showing details of how.

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

58 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Genuine questions:

 

What detergent do you use?  And how do you thoroughly rinse out that detergent?  Bear in mind, that in an automatic machine, the rinsing parts of the cycle are commonly longer than the washing parts.

 

Whatever is available, but, normally 'quality' brands (Persil etc).

I have very delicate / sensitive skin (don't laugh) and I can feel if clothing has not been rinsed properly, No idea how SWMBO gets them rinsed so well, but in all honesty I have had to 'send back' more itchy washing from the Auto at home than I ever have with the TT on the boat.

[JonesBoy]

On 31/01/2022 at 09:42, Grassman said:

We have a Victron 3kw inverter and our old 12 year old Candy washing machine worked fine. When that broke beyond repair a couple of months ago we bought a new Candy from Midland Chandlers. After using it only once it packed up. It would begin to fill and then stop. Candy's engineer diagnosed a faulty solenoid, replaced it, and it worked for 2 washes but now has developed another problem in that when the programme starts it begins to fill with water but discharges it at the same time. I've checked the hoses etc and will now have to call them out again.

 

The issue is that it's in it's own cupboard in a narrow corridor and at about waist height meaning the only way for the engineer to be able to access it to get the top or back off is to fetch it out and work on it outside the boat, a very tight squeeze and a hell of a job getting it out. This is a 2 person job and their engineers won't help. In fact they have a problem finding an engineer who will come out (they all seem to be sub contractors) because a lot of them refuse to come out to boats or caravans.

 

I'm wondering perhaps if it could be our Victron 3kw inverter causing the problems?

 

 

 

For attention of Grassman

Filling and empting at the same time is usually the drain hose pushed too far down the drain outlet causing it to syphon.

Don’t know how yours is fitted, if directly fitted to a hose to outside maybe clamped by a jubilee clip try forming a bend in the drain hose above the outlet to stop the syphoning.

[canals are us?]

7 hours ago, MtB said:

 

That's a shame. Washing machine doors are generally easily opened (against the wishes of the electronics!) using a piece of thin chord or piano/guitar string. Slip it around the door circumference and use it to pull the tang back against its spring. There are a few videos on youtube showing details of how.

 

 

Tried it several times with some thick string. Like a cheese wire and pulling both parts of the string to no avail. The catch is only £4.75 so cheap. James👍

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, canals are us? said:

Tried it several times with some thick string. Like a cheese wire and pulling both parts of the string to no avail. The catch is only £4.75 so cheap. James👍

 

Works fine for me on my Indesit WDG1095..! 

 

I broke the catch a good three years ago and its not available as a spare part, so I've been using a length of picture frame-hanging wire and two Allen keys as handles ever since, at least once a week! 

[Grassman]

16 hours ago, JonesBoy said:

For attention of Grassman

 

Filling and empting at the same time is usually the drain hose pushed too far down the drain outlet causing it to syphon.

 

Don’t know how yours is fitted, if directly fitted to a hose to outside maybe clamped by a jubilee clip try forming a bend in the drain hose above the outlet to stop the syphoning.

 

This could well be the issue. The washing machine is in a cupboard which is about 4ft off the floor. I've noticed that the drain hose comes out of the back of the machine at it's base and is lying curled up on the cupboard floor (no kinks in it) before it enters the drain hole in the side of the boat which is only a few inches above the base of the machine. So if I take up the slack of this drain hose by hanging it up so it forms an inverted U shape might that solve the problem?

[Slim]

37 minutes ago, Grassman said:

This could well be the issue. The washing machine is in a cupboard which is about 4ft off the floor. I've noticed that the drain hose comes out of the back of the machine at it's base and is lying curled up on the cupboard floor (no kinks in it) before it enters the drain hole in the side of the boat which is only a few inches above the base of the machine. So if I take up the slack of this drain hose by hanging it up so it forms an inverted U shape might that solve the problem?

Doesn't every washing machine come with installation instructions specifically stating that the drain hose has to extend a given height above the base of the machine. Every w/m I've installed has.

[Tracy D'arth]

54 minutes ago, Grassman said:

This could well be the issue. The washing machine is in a cupboard which is about 4ft off the floor. I've noticed that the drain hose comes out of the back of the machine at it's base and is lying curled up on the cupboard floor (no kinks in it) before it enters the drain hole in the side of the boat which is only a few inches above the base of the machine. So if I take up the slack of this drain hose by hanging it up so it forms an inverted U shape might that solve the problem?

Certainly is the problem. Its syphoning out the water as fast as it fills. Incorrect installation, customer error, = chargeable service call.

[Nightwatch]

20 hours ago, MtB said:

 

That's a shame. Washing machine doors are generally easily opened (against the wishes of the electronics!) using a piece of thin chord or piano/guitar string. Slip it around the door circumference and use it to pull the tang back against its spring. There are a few videos on youtube showing details of how.

 

 

Good tip.

[doratheexplorer]

20 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Whatever is available, but, normally 'quality' brands (Persil etc).

I have very delicate / sensitive skin (don't laugh) and I can feel if clothing has not been rinsed properly, No idea how SWMBO gets them rinsed so well, but in all honesty I have had to 'send back' more itchy washing from the Auto at home than I ever have with the TT on the boat.

I'm more inclined to laugh at the fact that you never do your own washing yet see fit to comment on threads about washing machines.  Not remotely surprised though.

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

I'm more inclined to laugh at the fact that you never do your own washing yet see fit to comment on threads about washing machines.  Not remotely surprised though.

 

 

Laugh away - the joke is on you.

 

I eat food I haven't killed, processed, packaged or bought but it doesn't stop me having an opinion on what I'm eating

[Grassman]

Update - Thanks JonesBoy & TD 👍. Being in a cupboard not much bigger than the washing machine and one which is not on the floor, made it awkward to plumb in so I included the installation as part of the purchase. I've just had to take apart some of the cupboard to access the drain hose to hang it up like it should have been in the first place, and it's now working fine.

[doratheexplorer]

48 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Laugh away - the joke is on you.

 

I eat food I haven't killed, processed, packaged or bought but it doesn't stop me having an opinion on what I'm eating

Do you have an opinion on the best packaging techniques?  Or whether the person who bought it should have used ten pound notes or twenties?  The mind boggles.

 

I think most people would draw the line at reviewing a device they've never actually used!

[system 4-50]

Two flat stones works well, I've seen it used (in Sri Lanka) though I haven't used the method myself.  I prefer Candy.

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

Two flat stones works well, I've seen it used (in Sri Lanka)

 

How do you know they work well if you havn't actually used them yourself ?

[system 4-50]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

How do you know they work well if you havn't actually used them yourself ?

The people doing the washing were wearing clean clothes.

[Alan de Enfield]

17 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

The people doing the washing were wearing clean clothes.

 

Apparently you cannot comment on subjects unless you have actually experienced the subject personally - looking at the results achieved by others is not acceptable and laughable that you should even consider it.

[MtB]

20 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

The people doing the washing were wearing clean clothes.

 

Maybe they also had a Candy washing machine somewhere you didn't notice....

[system 4-50]

9 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Maybe they also had a Candy washing machine somewhere you didn't notice....

They were generously proportioned but I did search them thoroughly.  They thought I was a bit odd, searching them for a washing machine and they were disappointed that I didn't find one.   But I shouldn't be commenting on them as I didn't experience either of them.

[Janz]

On 30/01/2022 at 15:50, Onewheeler said:

Our domestic washer was jammed with a piece of curved steel about the size of one of the wife's undertits. Buggered the pump completely.

 

Looooool..! 😂

[Maudesmaster]

We have a hot point top loading washing machine that fits in corner level with work top 

Runs fine off the victron Multiplus 3000 

although we only use while cruising 

Conected to a mixer valve at around 30/40 degrees it’s 7kg load and use cold wash (calorifier hot)