Washers FAQ's

Washing Machine

The page is dedicated to the types of questions that we regularly get asked, concerning Washing Machines.

1. The door seal on my washing machine is black what is it?
   Answer: - The black marks on the door seal are bacteria that have built up from fatty deposits & Detergent. To stop this from happening make sure when you finish using the appliance to open the door slightly and also the soap draw slightly to create an airflow through the appliance & also make sure you do a service wash once a month.
2. What is a service wash?
   Answer: - Some appliances have a service wash programme others don’t. If you do not have a service wash programme then put the appliance on a 90 degree wash with nothing in it (you could put the tiniest amount of bleach in the soap draw. No more than a thimble) and leave it to finish the programme. You could buy a descaler from a store and follow the instructions on the packaging. This will clean out the appliance of a build-up of soap powder, fatty deposits etc. will keep the machine running efficiently (costly you less), Stop the appliance smelling and help the appliance to last longer. This is needed now more than ever since we are now washing a much lower temperatures than before. A Clean washing machine equals clean washing.
3. My Washing machine smells what can I do?
   Answer: - First of do a service wash. Try to keep the door and soap draw open slightly.
4. My washing machine is not pumping water out why?
   Answer: - First of check your pump filter is not blocked and the pump propeller can turn. If all is clear check to see if the drain hose is blocked. If all is clear then it's very likely that the pump will need replacing.
5. The drum on my washing machine is not spinning?
   Answer: - This could be due to the fact that your washer has been working hard and the carbon brushes within the motor have worn down. When these are new they are about an inch long. If they have worn down to about 1/4inch then this will be the problem and in most cases fix the issue. However sometimes the motor can surge back to the pcb and do damage to this as well.
6. Which washing detergent is better Soap powder or liquids?
   Answer: - Liquids work better at lower temperatures, washing powder works better at high temperatures over 60 Degree. At lower temperatures the water has problems trying to dissolve the soap in to liquid whilst a liquid is already a liquid. If you are using gel then this has to be dissolved and works similar to powder. Manufactures of washing machines are producing appliances at the top level that only use liquid detergents this sort of thing speaks for itself.
7. I sometimes have tiny holes in the fabric of my clothes why?
   Answer: - If you use washing powder and you have put too much washing powder for a type of wash you have been doing then the washer my not have been able to rinse all the powder out during the cycle, the powder been very caustic the burns through the material leaving a hole where it has been.
8. I sometimes get black marks on my clothes after a wash why?
   Answer: - If the bearings on your appliance are on their way out you can get oil coming through from the bearings and this can end up on your clothes, a good way of telling is if the machine is noisy, when you turn the drum by hand does it feel lumpy.
9. When you fit built in washing machines do you re-fit the cupboard door back on the washing machine?
   Answer: - Yes so long as the holes on the door line up with the new appliance. If the door holes do not line up the door will not fit, and will need filling and re-drilling new holes before the door will fit. This we do not do.
10. How many clothes can I get in a washing machine? When looking for a new machine what does KG really mean?
    Answer: - Generally you can have 5 T-shirts to every 1KG which is a good way of seeing how much a washing machine will take.

    5KG = 25 t-shirts	7KG = 35 t-shirts	9KG = 45 t-shirts	11KG = 55 t-shirts
    6KG = 30 t-shirts	8KG = 40 t-shirts	10KG = 50 t-shirts	12KG = 60 t-shirts

    Now just because the washing machine is capable of taking the weight of 45 t-shirts does not necessarily mean you can fit that many inside! But it gives you an example. All domestic washing machines are the same width and height, they do very slightly on depth. Therefore the internal drum size cannot change that massively, and the clothes do need room inside the drum to move around and provide that wash action.

    (A tonne of feathers is going to take up much more room than a tonne of gold).

    Next time you go and put a wash on, weight the clothes beforehand you will be surprised to find out that its much lighter than you thought, this will give you an idea on what washer to go for next time.