A little update...
Firstly - a few more piccies have been added of the machine (see link)
I've been out in my mothers back yard all day tinkering with it and having a play.
Firstly I did another 95c cottons wash following on from the one last night except this time I added some commercial descaler. Lordie! I checked the filter afterwards and you could seriously have built something that wouldn't have fallen down with the contents of it.
I then decided to give her a whirl with some laundry. Around 1/2 to 2/3rds of a load of cottons and polyester mixes on programme 2 (Cottons 60c) which yielded excellent results - the motor fluctuation has settled down slightly when I did the cycle with some washing in - but it's still an area of concern which I will come back to!
Wash and rinse levels are both the same (high!) Even for a cottons 95 or 60c wash the machine fills almost half way up the door - with a sensible load in the machine due to absorbency, its more like 1/3 up the door once the load is saturated but even so, plenty of water used! Likewise rinsing is of the same water levels with tumbling commencing during filling as the pressure switch engages at the first level about 2 inches above the level of the door gasket.
Interim spins are 500rpm and last for 90 secs or so after rinses 2 and 3 (it does 4.) Final spin is in 3 stages which appears to be 2 mins at 500rpm 3 mins at somewhere about 800-850rpm (ish) and then the final minute at 1000rpm followed by some "fluffing" action involving 3 or 4 anticlockwise tumbles of about 10 seconds each before the end of the cycle.
So all in all - a great buy of which I'm thrilled with. It's now been tucked away into my mothers shed where is sits covered in egyptian cotton towels with its transit bolts back in which is where it will stay for a short time until I can convince my other half that theres no reason why it can't go home and sit alongside the Miele in the utility!
I have had a good look beneath the surface - had the back cover off and had a look underneath and noted a few areas of concern which I intend to get sorted once I get the machine home.
1a) Despite my efforts in descaling it today, there is so much limescale deposit, it's going to take time to shift it, if the door gasket is pulled back you can see it about 5mm thick stuck to the other side of the drum. That will be a work in progress to get it to the standard I'd personally be happy with as there are also limescale deposits still inside the drum. I haven't looked at the heater element yet!!
1b) The dispenser drawer and it's housing. The main wash compartment is stained black and it will not come off - I've tried everything, it's a lost cause as is the fabric conditioner compartment underneath the insert. It is however markedly better than what it was. The recess is caked in years worth of detergent residue which has hardened to form something that won't shift too easily. Still, I have removed the black gunk from it so the deposits aren't really harming anything in the meantime while the machine is tucked away.
2) There is a little surface corrosion on the underside but nothing too worrying though the motor looks a little oxidised on the outside. I have peeled back the sound insulation on the motor and from what I can see at first glance it seems like the motor brushes may have worn unevenly so this of course will be a priority job when I get the machine at home to sort at leisure.
3) The drive belt has seen better days. It's starting to crack in places and is rather dry and brittle.
I did some videos (poor quality as I did them with my mobile) which I will upload to Youtube and provide the link in due course.
I'll shut up for now but will update on developments made.
Saj.
