Bosch WAE series washing machines

[tompw60]

I got a Bosch series 4 WAE24377gb washing machine. I have been told by the Bosch engineers that these are very reliable machines. I have had mine for 10 years. It’s had 2 new heaters over the years and a new seal recently. It’s just me using it and I roughly use it 4-5 times a week. It doesn’t seem to like full loads much particularly towels and bedding and bath mats is it makes an awful noise on final spin sometimes think it’s going to fall apart even though I know it’s a solid machine. My godparents have an earlier WAE series Bosch Classixx they bought in 2012 but as far as I am aware they haven’t had any issues with theirs. It is kind of weird because they are in a hard water area like myself and they haven’t seemed to have any problems with theirs though they are quite elderly and unfortunately my godmother died this year. My godparents (well just my godfather is about now) were in their 80s and 90s and I had been told by the engineer that a lot of elderly people look after their machines very well. I am expecting it to last at least 15 years before it completely dies. My grandmother from my dad’s side had a Bosch classixx from 2006 and it had to be replaced 17 years later. She lives in an area where they have soft water. I regularly clean the filter on my washing machine. My grandma’s previous washing machine prior to the Bosch she had was an AEG from the 80s though I think she got in around 91 and lasted till 2006. It had a breakdown 4 years before it finally died. Her engineer managed to fix it before it completely died and reckoned that she could get another 10 years out of it. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. I am just wondering about this because although I been told that mine is a good machine and will last providing how well I look after it. I was told by the supplier that solid it to me to expect at least 12 years out of it. I manage to fit my single duvet in it to wash about once or twice a month and the same with my pillows.

 

[henene4]

4-5 times a week is considerable usage, but not out of the ordinary.

That's something like 250 cycles a year, about 500h a year lets say.
That's 5000h at 10 years.


There was a certain time range where heater failures every 5 or so years was common.
AEG had a similar streak around the same time, so i wouldn't be surprised if it's just a supplier issue, but couldn't say for sure.
It's kind of unfortunate that BSH fitted heaters from the front on these. Back fitted heaters are somewhat easier and quicker to replace. Especially if you don't go with brand name parts, a heater swap on a machine with a removable back panel and a heater fitted from the back is a 20 buck 20min job for anybody who can use a screwdriver.

These machines are well designed in so far that it has a splitable tub. That means in theory any repair is doable without 300 quid just in parts.



But at the same time: That was a 400 or max 500£ machine at the time.
That's far from TOL.
And it is very questionable if throwing any major parts at it makes financial sense if something major is up for replacement.



The heavy vibration might be the dampers going out.
At about 5000h that isn't out of the ordinary.

 

[tompw60]

That makes sense though it seems to be whenever I wash bulky loads. I am kinda going to wait until it completely before it completely goes. I have got it covered by domestic and general at the moment. Last time I had the engineer out was earlier this year for a new seal.

 

[tompw60]

4-5 times a week is considerable usage, but not out of the ordinary.

That's something like 250 cycles a year, about 500h a year lets say.
That's 5000h at 10 years.


There was a certain time range where heater failures every 5 or so years was common.
AEG had a similar streak around the same time, so i wouldn't be surprised if it's just a supplier issue, but couldn't say for sure.
It's kind of unfortunate that BSH fitted heaters from the front on these. Back fitted heaters are somewhat easier and quicker to replace. Especially if you don't go with brand name parts, a heater swap on a machine with a removable back panel and a heater fitted from the back is a 20 buck 20min job for anybody who can use a screwdriver.

These machines are well designed in so far that it has a splitable tub. That means in theory any repair is doable without 300 quid just in parts.



But at the same time: That was a 400 or max 500£ machine at the time.
That's far from TOL.
And it is very questionable if throwing any major parts at it makes financial sense if something major is up for replacement.



The heavy vibration might be the dampers going out.
At about 5000h that isn't out of the ordinary.

My washing machine cost about £400 when I got it back in January 2015. The actual model it is was manufactured in 2014.

 

[me]

Do you descale it?

I've got very hard water and the first two elements in my 2009 Zanussi Jetsystem (made by Electrolux, same as AEG is now) only lasted about 3 years each. I started descaling the machine once a year after I fitted the current one, which is still going after about 10 years.

I'm pretty sure the limescale deposited on the heating element caused hotspots which caused the failures, because I'd found broken rings of limescale with blackened interiors, that had clearly broken off the element, blocking the pump filter.

My machine has only done about 5,000 hours though, and I put in new seal and bearings a few years ago, due to the seal letting water rust the bearing, so not the same quality as Bosch.

 

[phillymatt53]

I got a Bosch series 4 WAE24377gb washing machine. I have been told by the Bosch engineers that these are very reliable machines.

My next door neighbor has a Bosch stackable pair since 2010.
And it's had numerous problems such as the washer having a leaking door gasket/seal, and pump isses due to coins getting caught in the impeller.
Those, and other issues point to design flaws, and the neighbor is not satisfied with it's performance anyway.
And the dryer takes forever as well.

 

[tompw60]

Do you descale it?

I've got very hard water and the first two elements in my 2009 Zanussi Jetsystem (made by Electrolux, same as AEG is now) only lasted about 3 years each. I started descaling the machine once a year after I fitted the current one, which is still going after about 10 years.

I'm pretty sure the limescale deposited on the heating element caused hotspots which caused the failures, because I'd found broken rings of limescale with blackened interiors, that had clearly broken off the element, blocking the pump filter.

My machine has only done about 5,000 hours though, and I put in new seal and bearings a few years ago, due to the seal letting water rust the bearing, so not the same quality as Bosch.

Hi yes I do descale it from time to time even with Bosch Owen descaler.. the heater got replaced when it was 6 years old and again in early 2024.