Colston Ariston Automatic Wash and Tumble Dry 850 XD
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docker
Well-known member
"They're made by Riber of Italy"
These were sold as Indesit 525 in SA & Oz.
These were sold as Indesit 525 in SA & Oz.
Lines on the rotor
Are for balance and to make the rotor run true centre.
Are for balance and to make the rotor run true centre.
hotpoint9534
Well-known member
I remember the washer only version of the Colston had a very odd final spin cycle, where it would continuously speed up, slow down, speed up etc. Never seen anything like it before or since.
electron1100
Well-known member
Man and Machines
Hello Steve what a great machine, all mechanical, these sort of machines tick my boxes, engineering and engenuity, i love it.
I can only endorse what Mat has said about replacing the failing motor wires, take your time keep a clear head, and it can be done.
Als comment about Mats professional tool kit is well spotted, I always have a "Universal Adjuster" or "Harry the Hammer" close at hand as do others that I know ;-) the only extra tool I have is a packet of fags and an ashtray.
Good luck
Gary
Hello Steve what a great machine, all mechanical, these sort of machines tick my boxes, engineering and engenuity, i love it.
I can only endorse what Mat has said about replacing the failing motor wires, take your time keep a clear head, and it can be done.
Als comment about Mats professional tool kit is well spotted, I always have a "Universal Adjuster" or "Harry the Hammer" close at hand as do others that I know ;-) the only extra tool I have is a packet of fags and an ashtray.
Good luck
Gary
"I remember the washer only version of the Colston had a very odd final spin cycle, where it would continuously speed up, slow down, speed up etc. Never seen anything like it before or since. "
The reason for this is the clever motor arrangement. These use a particular type induction motor, a characteristic of which was a very slow spin. There just isn't a great enough difference between the slow speed (for wash) and the fast speed (for spin). A few Italian machines of this era used an expanding pulley to speed up the spin speed - on wash the two halves of the pulley would be wider spaced, so the belt would run on the inner edge of the pulley, a smaller diameter and thus slower speed. When the motor hit spin speed, the pulley would expand due to centrifugal weights behind the pulley forcing the two halves closer together, thus squeezing the belt to the outer edge of the pulley... larger diameter pulley gives faster belt speed. As the pulley expands, the motor rises up on the belt and moves closer to the drum.
Indesit used a clever extra feature - a microswitch is fitted between the motor and drum. When the slower spin speed is selected, the motor spins up to speed till the motor rises up and compresses the switch, then the power to the motor is cut, the motor slows, the pulley opens up and the motor drops back down...till the switch is released, then the motor starts up again, expanding the pulley, lifting the motor, compressing the switch and turning the motor off again, to repeat the cycle.
If you select the fast spin speed - a blazing 800 rpm - then that microswitch is bypassed, so the motor runs at full speed for the entire spin time.
I really like these machines, I have owned a couple some years ago. Mine were South African orphan imports, they had four option buttons and a black fascia instead of chrome.
I have a spare motor for these in my shed, but it is on the wrong side of the planet to be any use to you - postage would be prohibitive.
The reason for this is the clever motor arrangement. These use a particular type induction motor, a characteristic of which was a very slow spin. There just isn't a great enough difference between the slow speed (for wash) and the fast speed (for spin). A few Italian machines of this era used an expanding pulley to speed up the spin speed - on wash the two halves of the pulley would be wider spaced, so the belt would run on the inner edge of the pulley, a smaller diameter and thus slower speed. When the motor hit spin speed, the pulley would expand due to centrifugal weights behind the pulley forcing the two halves closer together, thus squeezing the belt to the outer edge of the pulley... larger diameter pulley gives faster belt speed. As the pulley expands, the motor rises up on the belt and moves closer to the drum.
Indesit used a clever extra feature - a microswitch is fitted between the motor and drum. When the slower spin speed is selected, the motor spins up to speed till the motor rises up and compresses the switch, then the power to the motor is cut, the motor slows, the pulley opens up and the motor drops back down...till the switch is released, then the motor starts up again, expanding the pulley, lifting the motor, compressing the switch and turning the motor off again, to repeat the cycle.
If you select the fast spin speed - a blazing 800 rpm - then that microswitch is bypassed, so the motor runs at full speed for the entire spin time.
I really like these machines, I have owned a couple some years ago. Mine were South African orphan imports, they had four option buttons and a black fascia instead of chrome.
I have a spare motor for these in my shed, but it is on the wrong side of the planet to be any use to you - postage would be prohibitive.
docker
Well-known member
Indesit 2527
Chris, Those South African orphan imports were Indesit serie 2000 machines.
Chris, Those South African orphan imports were Indesit serie 2000 machines.
I remember it as being a fairly quiet machine though, other than having a very noisy pump!
Is the induction motor English Electric ?
The only very big flaw on the design was how it handled dryer exhausting. It really should have had a filter somewhere accessible and a hose out the back.
It was fine if you were using the machine without a worktop over it and in a well ventilated shed. However, I remember the one I was familiar with completely destroyed work tops by constantly blasting out steam. Even the wash cycle caused a lot of steam if it was 60ºC.
They were actually an excellent tumble dryer though, albeit tiny load capacity.
My granny had the Thor 850XD washer/dryer and also a Hoover Tumble Dryer Deluxe
She'd tend to use the 850XD just to dry maybe a few small things as it was more economical to run than the big vented dryer (although, I'd have my doubts to be honest!)
There was also a slight problem in so far as if there was a major suds lock causing foam to spew up, the foam could back up into the dryer blower! Didn't seem to worry it though.
Is the induction motor English Electric ?
The only very big flaw on the design was how it handled dryer exhausting. It really should have had a filter somewhere accessible and a hose out the back.
It was fine if you were using the machine without a worktop over it and in a well ventilated shed. However, I remember the one I was familiar with completely destroyed work tops by constantly blasting out steam. Even the wash cycle caused a lot of steam if it was 60ºC.
They were actually an excellent tumble dryer though, albeit tiny load capacity.
My granny had the Thor 850XD washer/dryer and also a Hoover Tumble Dryer Deluxe
She'd tend to use the 850XD just to dry maybe a few small things as it was more economical to run than the big vented dryer (although, I'd have my doubts to be honest!)
There was also a slight problem in so far as if there was a major suds lock causing foam to spew up, the foam could back up into the dryer blower! Didn't seem to worry it though.
statomatic
Well-known member
Hi, very nice machine, another solution is to put the wires in shrink tubes, I did this on a machine of my collection, it works very fine.
A and B buttons were I believe...
Short spin was one and the other raised the water level for delicates and wool etc.
Does anyone remember the predecessor of this machine and it had the dryer unit built into the door?
They were good for their time !
Oh and if you look at the bundle of wires in the pics above they are not as hard to trace as you think as each has a unique number that is on each end !
Austin
Short spin was one and the other raised the water level for delicates and wool etc.
Does anyone remember the predecessor of this machine and it had the dryer unit built into the door?
They were good for their time !
Oh and if you look at the bundle of wires in the pics above they are not as hard to trace as you think as each has a unique number that is on each end !
Austin
hotpoint9534
Well-known member
Thanks for the information, Chris. I'd wondered for years about the reason for this, and now I know at last. Very interesting!
Tom
Tom
sesteve
Well-known member
Thanks chaps for all your comments. Just spent ages putting a reply together and then lost it all so will start again and post a bit at a time grrrrr
Mathew - thanks matey you have given me the encouragement to give it ago. I don't think the coils are going to come out easily so I will give it a go from the top even though I have sausage fingers so not too good with the fiddly things! Do I need to use heat resisting wire or anything special - I was thinking of using sone old Hoovermatic wiring that I have if it would work. I might be able to spend some time on it at the weekend and I am looking forward to seeing the pulley in full operation so that's a good incentive for me to get this back up and running.
Love the precision tools too - I'll be using something similar I'm sure! Will keep you posted.
S
Mathew - thanks matey you have given me the encouragement to give it ago. I don't think the coils are going to come out easily so I will give it a go from the top even though I have sausage fingers so not too good with the fiddly things! Do I need to use heat resisting wire or anything special - I was thinking of using sone old Hoovermatic wiring that I have if it would work. I might be able to spend some time on it at the weekend and I am looking forward to seeing the pulley in full operation so that's a good incentive for me to get this back up and running.
Love the precision tools too - I'll be using something similar I'm sure! Will keep you posted.
S
Why not use insulating tape?
It would save having to take the plug on the side of the motor apart or heat shrink you can get from car part stores !
Austin
It would save having to take the plug on the side of the motor apart or heat shrink you can get from car part stores !
Austin
sesteve
Well-known member
I've attached a link to the instruction book for this and the 800VS washer only courtesy of Chestermike for anyone who is interested. The A button is the rinse hold and B is for bio wash. The book also mentions a venting kit although there will be no chance of tracking one of these down now and it still wouldn't address access to the filter. Strange that the advert for the machine shows it under a worktop - perhaps the Formica was stronger in those days.
I wonder if the high pump failures were done to that filter Ronan. The one on this machine was totally clogged with fluff. The instruction book also mentions the soap dispenser switch - my mum's old neff used to have this but there was no chance of that jumping around lol.
www.automaticwasher.org
I wonder if the high pump failures were done to that filter Ronan. The one on this machine was totally clogged with fluff. The instruction book also mentions the soap dispenser switch - my mum's old neff used to have this but there was no chance of that jumping around lol.
user instructions for colston 850XD
Hi all I have just taken ownership of one of the above auto washing machines but do not have any paperwork to help me operate it. Can anyone help me to identify the programes and use of the controls. cheers Mick.
www.automaticwasher.org
sesteve
Well-known member
Hi Austin
If only it were that simple. The problem with the wires is that the actual core has frayed apart as well so in some cases it's down to a couple of strands. It's also really brittle so it's just going to snap and the insulation has broken at the point were they pass through the casing. I would have preferred to have been able to do the shrink tube but alas it's a full on challenge instead. Thanks for the note on the rotor - it's a relief to know its deliberate.
If only it were that simple. The problem with the wires is that the actual core has frayed apart as well so in some cases it's down to a couple of strands. It's also really brittle so it's just going to snap and the insulation has broken at the point were they pass through the casing. I would have preferred to have been able to do the shrink tube but alas it's a full on challenge instead. Thanks for the note on the rotor - it's a relief to know its deliberate.
Sorry Steve
it did not seem so bad in the other photo.
I was trying to make life easier as I know its a bitch trying to get the spade connectors replaced or will you have to replace the whole thing ?
Austin
Ps do you still want those Servis Quartz PCB's?
it did not seem so bad in the other photo.
I was trying to make life easier as I know its a bitch trying to get the spade connectors replaced or will you have to replace the whole thing ?
Austin
Ps do you still want those Servis Quartz PCB's?
sesteve
Well-known member
Meant to say I will look out for the numbers too! That spin is an interesting way of doing things. I know the way the motor is mounted is unique to enable the belt to keep its tension when it's washing or spinning.
Gary - I will have a similar tool kit out but will swap the fags for fruit gums and perhaps the tea for a gin although I'd better leave that for when I'm almost done or I'll end up crossing my wires! I love the clicks and whirs of these old beauties so hopefully I will get it back on its feet.
Chris, thanks for the offer but you are right, these motors weigh a ton so no chance on shipping. I'm guess other motors of this age may be suffering the same issues as the insulation is rubber. This motor was made in Romania so that would explain why it's so robust. They don't make em like this no more!!
Will keep you updated
S
Gary - I will have a similar tool kit out but will swap the fags for fruit gums and perhaps the tea for a gin although I'd better leave that for when I'm almost done or I'll end up crossing my wires! I love the clicks and whirs of these old beauties so hopefully I will get it back on its feet.
Chris, thanks for the offer but you are right, these motors weigh a ton so no chance on shipping. I'm guess other motors of this age may be suffering the same issues as the insulation is rubber. This motor was made in Romania so that would explain why it's so robust. They don't make em like this no more!!
Will keep you updated
S
The previous version
Was the Colston Commodore, this picture is dated November 1973. It is my recollection that, after the demise of the large Bendix washer/driers this was the only combo that was around for quite some years, although Thorn did revive the large style Bendix towards the end of the 1970s.
This Colston also came as a washer only with a conventional door.
Al
Was the Colston Commodore, this picture is dated November 1973. It is my recollection that, after the demise of the large Bendix washer/driers this was the only combo that was around for quite some years, although Thorn did revive the large style Bendix towards the end of the 1970s.
This Colston also came as a washer only with a conventional door.
Al
Nice one Al
I think we had one of these that the motor went on and I bodged a different motor to make it work as a dryer only which it did for quite some time it lived in the garage and the fluff behind it was amazing ...
Nice seeing a picture of it again after all these years.
Austin
I think we had one of these that the motor went on and I bodged a different motor to make it work as a dryer only which it did for quite some time it lived in the garage and the fluff behind it was amazing ...
Nice seeing a picture of it again after all these years.
Austin
