Candy Washer Exploded During Spin!

[logixx]

Just read this bulletin on our consumer magazine's web site.

They are apparently preparing a new washer test and are just going through the durability test. The full durability test includes 1840 cycle. The first Candy washer below blew apart after 752 cycles, the second sample lasted 1328 cycles. During the 1400 rpm spin, the drum's weld seam broke, blew up the outer tub and lid and threw plastic pieces ten feet into the air. Look how even the concrete weight was thrown out of the tipped-over unit!

 

[dj-gabriele]

It feels hard to believe, what was in the machine?
And also I think I've seen a picture of that (or similar) explosion somewhere else as a fake (or purpose made).

 

[appnut]

I wish our Consumer Reports organization would come up with some type of durability test too!! Yikes, that is one scary looking scenario. Kinda reminds me of when Toggles spinner exploded.

 

[mrwash]

Well, this will be an interesting report. It will appear in late summer I think.

 

[logixx]

It feels hard to believe, what was in the machine?

A regular load of laundry.

 

[dj-gabriele]

Gosh!

I hope my machine doesn't explode like that
We have had at least one Candy washing machine since the early 80s and the new one is similar to the one pictured...

 

[bertrum]

How on earth did the inner drum tear through the outer tub like this? Never seen anything like it in my life.

Hate to be cynical but unless a foreign obfect was caught between the inner and outer drum this could not happen.

 

[mrboilwash]

Gracie Candy !

They always have two of a kind in their durability tests and both exploded. Scary !

 

[bertrum]

whats the link to the website its on?, out of interest.
thanks

 

[logixx]

http://www.test.de/themen/haus-gart...460-D-Gefahr-aus-der-Trommel-4100054-4100056/

 

[mrwash]

That shows why durability tests are so important. Thats why I don't understand that they didn't do it with the last dishwashers they tested. They used to do such a test with dishwashers as well.

 

[whirlcool]

I could just imagine somebodies poor Mum starting a load and then having the neighborhood ladies over for tea. Then while they are having a lovely chat with their tea, something like this happens in the kitchen.
One can only imagine the noise it must have made! I think the poor ladies would have tea flying everywhere at the moment the washer exploded!

 

[tolivac]

That washer makes me think of exploding airplane engines on engine testing stands!Maybe those washers should be in an enclosed area!

 

[whirlcool]

At least jet engines have a steel containment belt around them!

 

[fredriksam]

I,m not surprised. I have seen some exploded Candy Washing machines recently at our local dumpster. I would never buy Hoover/Candy anyway. They are just bad machines.

 

[Wasmachineman]

Dude, WTF!

That is one-kind-of-a-fail, Found the old thread btw:

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?20678

 

[MrX]

It looks like product safety rules might need to look at drum design & steel belts around the outer tub to contain the drum.

I wonder if it's just a case of 1600 rpm & bigger loads creating more G force than the machines can withstand?

Some of them have pretty flimsey baskets thrsedays.

 

[logixx]

After the bulletin on the magazine's web site, a reader sent in these pictures of his Candy washer that did the same thing during the final spin (see below). Also, the prison in Flensburg reported that a Hoover VisionHD VND 9163 blew apart during spin.

 

[mrwash]

See the pics of the prison washer here. I really hope that leads to a discussion about cheap washers and about their safety. I am pretty sure if Candy-Hoover does not react (and they do not react at the moment) that German consumer reports is informing the media. At the latest when they publish the test it will be a really big bang.

 

[superelectronic]

I live in hope of there being GOOD news regarding Candy one day...I suspect I may die in despair, though!

My parents have only just bought a Hoover OPH616 (i.e. Candy clone - no idea what difference there could actually be bar the badge - do enlighten me if you know); I closely inspected the drum whilst at home over the weekend and was disappinted to find the seam running from front to back of the drum had a rather sharp edge...perhaps telling of the overall quality! Do we know which weld seam is failing?

I hope the fact that my Mother isn't interested in using the 1600 spin will reduce the risk of an explosion. It's a worry either way!

Unfortunately, I wouldn't put money on the likelihood of a mass recall.

Can't help but wonder who lets these miscalculations slip through the design process? Does no-one check the drums are up to the job? Surely if they offer a 5 year parts guarantee (in the UK anyway) they'd think it sensible to ensure the parts were at least made to withstand the basics? Is there foul play in the supply of the parts or at the factory, or is it just carelessness? Do they just not give a damn?

I'm somewhat dismayed by it all. Still, I suppose for most people, dodgy washing machines are but a minor irritation in the grand scheme of things. I think I will have to take that point of view should the new Hoover turn out to be a bad investment!

 

[hotpoint9534]

Cost cutting at the expense of quality and safety

Candy were never particularly good machines. A few years ago there were stories of Candy/Hoover tumble dryers catching fire. Now the washing machine drums are flying to pieces.

It just goes to show that you can only cut costs and quality control so far until safety becomes an issue.

I would never buy a Candy or a post 1996 Hoover machine.

Tom.

 

[davek]

It looks like they've cost-cut to the point that the major parts of the machine are no longer sufficient. I know they don't sell in the US, but it's kind of sad since it's a family-owned private business. I'd like to see that kind of business do well.

 

[sudsmaster]

Is the name "Candy" indicative of something?

Like, is the thing made of peanut brittle?

;-)

Seriously, 1820 rpm is very very fast, seems to me. Sounds like they jumped the gun on offering that top speed without doing enough engineering and testing to make sure the components could handle the g-forces.

Maybe they figured that by 762 cycles something else would break on the machine and it would be in the dump anyway? No excuse.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Testing

Hi Suds, it was a 1400rpm machine they where testing I think?? In UK 1400rpm seems to be the industry standard now along with 7kg capacity drum!! although most people I know have 1600rpm, a couple with 1800rpm and 2,000rpm on front loaders..

You do have to ask about the testing regime!!
Was it back to back continuous cycles??
Was Anything In The Drum.
How long has this model been on sale?
Has the outer drum & spin basket been modified, i.e. components made thinner, weaker??
Or, is it a brand new to market model??

So if back to back testing, I wonder if the excess heat, strain, contortion just built up to a point where this happened!! Thats why brands like Asko / Miele are over engineered for domestic use to the point where continuous testing isnt an issue!! for other brands it could be.

If the back to back testing isnt the issue and its purely metal fatigue after the number of cycles, then it will only become apparent on a mass scale in a number of months down the line from release or introduction of weaker components!!

If you take the lower number of cycles at 752 and say customer uses washer for 2 cycles a day 5days a week, then you are looking at about 18months home use before could start to show en mass!

Again at 752 cycles if it was used 3 times a day, seven days a week then about8 months, assuming my maths is correct..lol

Whatever the situation its not a nice experience!!, but its not a new issue, the brands I covert & restore all had major issues with drum seems busting in the late 70`s early 80`s due to cutting costs on grades of metal in order to reduce the bottom line!!

All I can offer is with all the Visions I`ve sold only been a problem with one, and that was a wiring harness had come loose!!

 

[fl1012]

Certainly a worry seeing this. Some of the photos do have a slightly staged look to them, but one of the photos a reader of a magazine sent in, showing the door open, lid cracked and door seal out of shape looks pretty genuine.

The look of the machine is just like the Candy Grand O's we already have in the UK, but whether this is a new revision with a different drum design, i (like others) am not sure.

The earliest memory i have of Candy is seeing an article on GMTV when i was in my School days, of one of their washers catching fire whilst the owner was upstairs. This stuck with me so i've never looked at them as potential buys.

My Aunties elderly Indesit died around a year ago & the engineer 'recommended' she got a Candy. I think he mustve been on drugs. She got an Activa Smart which is the smaller capacity to the Grand O & it's been okay for nearly a year, so doing well

However on a few occasions she says there's been smoke coming from it. She thought it was just a bra wire caught or something so puts small items in a sock bag now. I didn't wanna mention it's actually probably because it's a Candy with a crap motor. She's very careful about not leaving things on whilst out of the house so i won't mention it unless she says to me about any further problems.

Either way, this thread and my Auntie's experience is hardly doing anything to convince me that Hoover/Candy are anything more than the overpriced rubbish i already thought they were.

Liam.

 

[toggleswitch]

It's lovely to think that thre is a race to see who can squeeze more RPM during spin cycles.

HOWEVER, this simply leads to more creasing/wrinkles/ironing, of soem items even when tumble-dried.

No thank you.

Hi Bob! The spinner in question commited suicide with a very loud bang, and flung itself across the room. Being that it was Pakistani-made can one assume it was moslem? LOL

 

[hoover1100]

HOWEVER, this simply leads to more creasing/wrinkles/ironing

It really dosen't for me.

My clothes are no more creased spun at 1200, 1400 or even 2850 or 3100rpm (in spin dryers) than they are spun at 500.

It's all about the spin profile. If the machine just ramps straight up to 500 for a few mins I find it creases more than a spin where speed is gradually increased in stages, and where the spin starts in graduated "bursts" even when topping out at much higher speeds like 1200 or 1400.

A faster spin will also leave clothes softer, the longer they take to dry the stiffer they end up I find.

If clothes are shaken out and hung to dry straight away there really isn't a problem with creasing for me, the dryer just makes things go crinkly and causes the bottoms of trousers/ shirts to wrinkle up. That's why I'll only use it for towels and in emergencies now.

I do iron, but that's out of preference, I could wear most of my clothes without ironing, but I'm very particular with these things.

Although the pictures are quite shocking, this is just what I've come to expect of Candy appliances.

Matt

 

[rolls_rapide]

Look at 'Logixx's' second batch of photos, (reply #17).

The thickness of the Candy's polypropylene outer-tub seems to be paper thin.

 

[fl1012]

Paper thin tub.....

This may explain why there seems to be more Candy-made Hoover machines with punctured/leaking tubs than i've noticed of other makes.

I dunno why people even bother to buy them, theyre not even that cheap. Hoover in particular must just live off past reputation & large drum sizes (that the motors can't handle half the time).

Liam.

 

[fredriksam]

According to a swedish paper, this has happened three times in Sweden also. However, it wasnt reported until Aftonbladet (Swedish newasmagazine) wrote about the german test.

Its not the same number on the machine here in sweden but same drum and looks the same. Now Elgiganten (swedish store)has a big recall of the sold Candys and hoover machines.