Early Hotpoint Empress Washing machine

[andywash123]

Hello everyone just thought i would introduce my early Hotpoint Empress washing machine. I have recently bought this machine here in the UK just over a month ago now. i am guessing this is circa 1955 I know the early wringer Empress machines had the Chrome lever bar on the left hand side of the wringer. It has the old AC quiet moter and early set up pump and gearbox. I no here on the forum from the UK are some very wringer washing machine gurus . please feel free to comment and any advice on these machines would be most aprecisted. i would very much like to obtain an service manual for this machine, and is there anyone else who has a early Empress with early set up like mine this has the octaganal tub which i know many have and also with heater mine is heaterless. the casing at some time has been changed to off white and next year will hopefully be painted back cream which will match better to the crewam enamel top . Regards to all Andrew from the UK

 

[andywash123]

hotpoint early empress

just wanted to add more pictures of my Hotpoint empress machine not sure how to get more than one photo uploaded in this thread so here goes of the early AC moter situated on the left hand side of the back of machine with back panel removed Please ignore the ditracting soap powder line up amazing storage of persil and all.

 

[andywash123]

Early Hotpoint Empress Washing Machine

Here is another photo shot of the right hand back of the machine showing pump and gearbox and replacement of non original bottom hose . The early original rubber bottom hose was perished. finding replacement hoses is quite a hard job and apparently i have been told Hotpoint made three bottom hoses all totally different shape.

 

[andywash123]

More early Hotpoint Empress

Here is a further photo of the right hand side back of the more visible gearbox and pump lower down. i do not know how to get more than one photo in each post, please can please someone advice and let me know or please alter it if required. thanks Andrew

 

[andywash123]

more photo of early Hotpoint Empress

Here is another photo shot of my early Empress this time taken from inside the lower metal cupboard showing a modified copper pipe T piece far back middle . The original rubber hose which is like a T shape rubber pipe takes the remaining water empties out of the back panel through the rubber hose joining the brass nut and can be collected to drain the pump of any remaining water. By unscrewing the brass nut once released the water is emptied out in to my milk pan or bowl so it wont go stale or sour smelling till i use the machine next time.

 

[andywash123]

hotpoint early empress

with the photo of the inside of the Empress metal cupboard and pump lever connecting rod and modified T piece here is the back of machine panel with the brass nut which is simply screwed off which releases the water out of the pump. You can see this by looking at the left side near bottom of black flex and metal flex supports.

 

[andywash123]

Final photo of Early Hotpoint Empress

Simply looking at the machine with early chrome lever bar on wringer

 

[andywash123]

hotpoint early empress

Here is a shot of the inside of the large octaganal tub with water droplets on black gyrator from a previous wash not so long ago . Even with drying out the whole tub some water from the rubber tub lid seal escaped.

I would like to thank Lance for is constant support when i thought a machine was never going to happen and enthusiasms to . Also to Darren for the info chat and nudge to post something on here . Thank Guys hope you like this thread.

 

[andywash123]

hotpoint early empress

After reading back the first intro part seems i dont know my left from my right so the chrome lever bar on the early Empress is on the right hand side not left as you all probably no . The small curved shaped chrome lever on left operates the forward and reverse on the wringer rollers. Most of the Hotpont Empress i have seen have the right hand lever painted in white or cream anyone else have a Early Empress. In the first early photo shot the Empress resides with two Baby Belling 53 electric cookers one in white 1962 and one in cream cica 1959 all used daily .

 

[cfz2882]

looks like it is in "good nick"as you say over there The "E7"over the other numbers on the transmission might be a date code-1957 most likely.The motor nameplate might have a date too.

 

[optima]

Empress

Great photo's thanks for posting them.

 

[andywash123]

Hi thanks so far for the the comments, glad you like the photos i checked on the AC moter and i had to use a magnifying glass it looked to me like 1955 not 1957 maybe one of the experts will know the year of my machine, with the E7 stamped on the gearbox. I know its definately not late fifties because they changed the set up of moter and pump and used a moter with a relay and the pump was made of alloy and black plastic bakelte . I do believe they probably changed from the old set up when the Hotpoint Countess came out and the Hotpoint princess and these i think were 1957-58. I have seen another later set up on a friends Empress which has the heater and enamelled inner tub and this has the second bottom hose style they did on his model. Anymore Hotpoint Empress owners out there i know they were popular in survival rate.

 

[sesteve]

Hey Andy

Lovely machine and in superb condition. I love the improvements to it as well. One set of my grandparents had this machine with the heater and I can still remember the smell of oil in the wringer store in the base if the machine. I was always a bit scared of the look of the wringer though - something Dalek like about it lol

S

 

[keymatic]

Hi Andy,

Fab looking machine there !! Be great when it has it's finishing coat of Cream paint. It looks to me like it dates from Mid 50's - say 1955/6, I seem to remember reading somewhere, that Hotpoint stopped using British Thomson Huston motors in the mid 50's, plus the joined up "Hotpoint" logo looks the same as my machine (1958)
Cheers Keith

 

[andywash123]

Many thanks keith for posting your machine looks in great nick does it have the later moter in yours with bakelite plastic and alloy pump and moter at back with relay. Also i checked up on the net on the British thomson Houston company my what a history theygo back to late 1880s and hotpoint used their moters until they changed over to the other type like you say mid fiftiesand they stopped mentioning the british thomson houston name by 1960 under the AEI. No wonder the moter looks well engineered it is quite a big moter. Do you know where the moter bearings are on this moter they apparently need oiling every so often with regular use.i have lubricated the pump by removing the small screw which needs doing once as year Darren kindly scanned me the instruction book so i checked things out at the back of the book . I still would love to get hold of the service manual of the Hotpoint Empress so i know what needs checking further.

 

[andywash123]

WASH DAY IN THE EMPRESS

Thought i would take some more photos of the Empress in operation firt getting that tub full of soapy suds persil heaven.Bedding sheets in that great large octaganal tub no problam at all .

 

[andywash123]

Washing 7 loads the old fashioned way

Here we are washing away and trying to conserve that heat in the tub , with this old Early Empress no heater is fitted so keeping the large tub lid on helps keep that water temprature hot.

 

[andywash123]

Time to empty that octaganal tub

with my camera acting the fool all the pics have gone of washing and putting through the wringer so here we are just about to start to emprty that big octaganal tub with wringer swung over the sink.

 

[andywash123]

Emprying the large Octaganal tub

Emprtying the large octaganal tub with beige old original emprtying hose and filling grey hose visble in tub. pump working away merrily with that distictive soumd from the pump.