Washing machine breaks every 1-3 years

Jumblebumble

andre_xs said:

Dear All,
since we moved into our house 9 years ago, our washing machines break rather frequently, usually after 1-3 years. Before this, we never had a problem.

My best guess is that it is because it sits in the first floor, and the floor is the usual wooden rafters with floorboards. Despite all attempts, it will vibrate quite a bit when it spins, I just don't get rid of this.

What we've tried in the past:
- The washing machine is always perfectly levelled
- Using these 'pads'/feed you can put under the washing machine feet
- Using a thick heavy 'rubber-kind' washing machine mat underneath
- Using a thick square (washing machine sized) piece of chipboard underneath
- Combinations of the above (e.g. chipboard with rubber mat)
- What so far helped the most: We have a pretty sturdy hanging cabinet above the washing machine, and I made sure to fix that very strongly to the brick wall. Then I made four wooden 'feet' which I can stick between washing machine and the cabinet (with adjustable (screw) feet), so that the feet press down on the washing machine. It reduces the wobbling, but it's still there.

I guess the floor is just too flexible overall, so that a heavy washing machine spinning will 'wobble' the rafters and floorboards. We usually have Siemens or Bosch machines (we have 'new used' ones).

Does anyone have further ideas or solutions to this problem? Or is it maybe something else?

Best wishes,
Andre

Spend £650 on a Miele
You have no idea if a second hand machine has been constantly overloaded

Section62

Jumblebumble said:

andre_xs said:

Dear All,
since we moved into our house 9 years ago, our washing machines break rather frequently, usually after 1-3 years. Before this, we never had a problem.

My best guess is that it is because it sits in the first floor, and the floor is the usual wooden rafters with floorboards. Despite all attempts, it will vibrate quite a bit when it spins, I just don't get rid of this.

What we've tried in the past:
- The washing machine is always perfectly levelled
- Using these 'pads'/feed you can put under the washing machine feet
- Using a thick heavy 'rubber-kind' washing machine mat underneath
- Using a thick square (washing machine sized) piece of chipboard underneath
- Combinations of the above (e.g. chipboard with rubber mat)
- What so far helped the most: We have a pretty sturdy hanging cabinet above the washing machine, and I made sure to fix that very strongly to the brick wall. Then I made four wooden 'feet' which I can stick between washing machine and the cabinet (with adjustable (screw) feet), so that the feet press down on the washing machine. It reduces the wobbling, but it's still there.

I guess the floor is just too flexible overall, so that a heavy washing machine spinning will 'wobble' the rafters and floorboards. We usually have Siemens or Bosch machines (we have 'new used' ones).

Does anyone have further ideas or solutions to this problem? Or is it maybe something else?

Best wishes,
Andre

Spend £650 on a Miele
You have no idea if a second hand machine has been constantly overloaded

MSE?

At the average price the OP was paying you could get six and a half machines for the price of that one Miele.  At an average life of 2 years, that means the OP could get 13 years of washing machine use.  Will the Miele last 13 years? (who knows).

Also, Miele machines are not immune to excessive wear from vibration, which was the problem the OP said they were getting at the top of the thread.  So maybe getting 13 years from a new Miele would be somewhat optimistic, unless the vibration issue can be fixed first.

casper_gutman

Even if the Miele lasts 13 years, you have to pay for the whole thing now. Surely it's much more MSE to pay in interest-free two-yearly instalments!

victor2

Our Bosch washing machine lasted for over 20 years. It was bought in the last century and died in 2022. 

Replaced it with a Samsung for under £400 including removal and disposal of the old machine. When registering it online, the warranty was extended from 2 years to 5 at no extra cost. It's still running fine. 

Sometimes, buying the cheapest is not actually the best from an MSE viewpoint - so long as you can afford the initial up-front cost of course.

jennifernil

I do not understand why the OP is having so many problems with vibration.    All the houses we have owned have had  suspended wooden flooring and none of our washing machines have had a problem with that.   

We did rent an old farmhouse while having our present house built, it had a concrete floor where the WM was used, the machine really hated it!

subjecttocontract

When we started our property empire we would buy brand new fairly basic washing machines, install them in rental properties and have an expectation that they might last for 3 years if we were lucky. We had no control over the tenants use or misuse of the machines. Not one of them suffered a breakdown, they all lasted at least 10 years and when we decided to let the properties unfurnished instead, we sold them on at £50 each through well known internet sites. Either we were dead lucky or the OP is doing something wrong.

jennifernil

Our daughter used to rent out a flat, now sold, and she bought Beko WM and Beko dryer, paid for a 5 year warranty as that was less expensive than buying more expensive machines, especially as her long term tenants were very hard on appliances .   They both outlasted the warranty and were still fine when she sold.

subjecttocontract

jennifernil said:

Our daughter used to rent out a flat, now sold, and she bought Beko WM and Beko dryer, paid for a 5 year warranty as that was less expensive than buying more expensive machines, especially as her long term tenants were very hard on appliances .   They both outlasted the warranty and were still fine when she sold.

It's probably just as well that she didn't need to claim on the insurance because they nearly always exclude use in rental property. The insurers are well aware that there is far greater chance that the machines will be used and abused.