washing machine - heating element?

positivelymummy

i noticed the other day that the water in the washing machine is not getting hot any more (tried various cycles) we bought it about 6 years ago, cant remember how much but i know it would have been as cheap as possible!! under £200 for sure, and have used it at least once a day ever since.
i think the problem might be the heating element and looking at the part, i cant find any cheaper than £30, i presume labour would be a minimum of £50, so i'm thinking it might work out quite expensive to get it fixed, even more so as i live so rurally. has anyone had this problem before and got it repaired? any tips? i'm thinking to just start looking for a new one and donate this one to a local company/like charity org who repair and mend things to sell on....got no money just yet though so will have to wait a few weeks..its yukky knowing your clothes have only been washed in cold water....i feel like i'm walking around with a sign on my head saying 'clothes are still dirty'!

Avoriaz

A temporary solution while you wait to repair or replace would be to heat some water in a kettle or saucepan and add that slowly via the soap dispenser as the machine fills up with cold water for the wash cycle.

You will have to guess how much to add.

Or you could try running a length of hose from your hot water tap if that is possible without splashing too much water around.

Not a long term solution but at least you can get a few loads of washing clean.

You could also buy a box of low temperature powder.

positivelymummy

thanks, i did add some hot water to a wash this morning via the drawer (just hot tap water) i think that maybe the machine stops water going in the drum when it gets to a certain level but i kept an eye on it and it didn't look too full of water. ta

ormus

you probably guessed it right. cost to repair about 80/100 quid.
you can get a new machine for 160/170 quid.

positivelymummy

thanks, why oh why did i not become a plumber/electrician instead of a housewife:D ..maybe one day!

maninthestreet

positivelymummy wrote: »

thanks, why oh why did i not become a plumber/electrician instead of a housewife:D ..maybe one day!

Being a housewife requires no training or qualifications.