elderly hotpoint Empress

[anthony]

Well

You weren't far off Darren . I spoke to the old lady this morning [she is 90] She was enthralled when i told her i had her old machine . She and her husband were married in 1953 .That year they bought their house round the corner from mine .The washing machine and a television set were wedding presents from her parents.She used the machine till 1990 .That year the house was rewired and a new kitchen was installed .She told me there was a new auto washer and dryer installed in the wash house [both Hotpoint] and she could no longer use the Empress because its round pin plug would not fit any of the new sockets. so it was left in the corner [where it had spent all of its life] and forgotten about until two weeks ago when it was reluctantly given to the scrap man to make room for her new scooter . She was over the moon when i told her the machine was not only still in one piece but that i was busy doing it up and when its finished she wants to see it . I did ask about the tap drain set up and she told me they bought that particular model because the wash house had a drain in the floor that the belfast sink drained into so she could just turn on the tap and let the water run down the drain while she was pegging out in the garden.So now we know the machine is 70 years old this year

 

[slowspin66]

It just makes it all right

Anthony I’m chuffed to bits that you’ve made contact with the previous lady owner . It will have made her day to know it’s been saved and being restored . The Empress I have was gained in a similar circumstances. When I was a district nurse I visited an old couple who were clearing out the kitchen to make way for a new washer and the empress was in the garage and they knew I had moved into my first house and offered it to me!!
When I collected it they stood at the end of the drive crying !!!! Over 30 years later I’ve stil got it and love the old machine !!!!
Having the history and background makes all the difference . Really good work Anthony looking forward to seeing the machine working again ..

 

[anthony]

yes

its great to know the history of the machine and its only had one owner all its life . Well i finally managed to get this tap thing apart [The machine has a slight drip when there's water in it] The rubber washer is rock hard and needs replacing it just a run of the mill tap washer so no problem but i am intrigued by the rest of it .After soaking for a few days i managed to get the bullet shaped end off and as you can see there is a screw on the side allowing a small adjustment but i cant understand why or what purpose it would serve. earlier i said the writing on the side said PULL OPEN but after a bit of a clean you can see it clearly says FULL OPEN .It was full of water when i opened it so i thought once the washer is replaced i would fill it with silicone sealer in an effort to stop it filling up again . Any thoughts on this thing will be most appreciated
cheer Antony

 

[anthony]

more photos

3

 

[sesteve]

Wow. Love the back story and great to see the work you are doing.

I’m pretty sure this was the model our next door neighbour had but she didn’t have the wringer. Not sure if there was a wringerless version available or if it had just been ditched as it wasn’t in the storage area and this machine went under a shelf/worktop arrangement when it wasn’t used.

She’d wash for a family of 7 with it and use a Hoover spinarinse with the turquoise lid and a leaky drain arm she’d wrap a cloth around to stop it spraying everywhere. I remember the tap behind the door and it being emptied into buckets to tip down the outside drain. I can close my eyes and still remember all the smells. I must have only been around 6 when I used to sneak round to help and no scared wringer alththis might have been pre-incident.

One of her sons bought her an Indesit automatic not long after and both machines were probably scrapped although the spinarinse would have been useful given the spin speed of the Indesit!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress Restoration

Morning Anthony,

Great you got to speak to the lady owner, I best will be really pleased to see it in use after full restoration.

Interesting that she gave the date of purchase as 1953 as a wedding present, can you ask her which store she got it from ? or I wonder if it was it a hand me down present for a new home as many people did back then . Reason asking if it was brand new this must have been old stock or if it was a Special Factory Request with the manual drain and produced from previous parts , my gran purchased her Hotpoint Empress in 1952 and has the later Hotpoint metal design logo and pump but with black bakelite / phenol agitator ?

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress Restoration

Great work on the drain valve Anthony

I wonder if that screw and slide insert was to slow down the water pressure of the waste water exiting to a bucket ? as opposed to a long hose into a drain ?

Am sure a tub full of hot water being emptied into a bucket has quite a force ?

Just my thoughts , probably something completely different Lol.

 

[anthony]

Hi all

i will ask her when i see her again. As for the tap well there is a slight drip when the tap is open but its fine when closed. I have no idea about the adjustment on the end maybe there was originally a bolt right through the whole thing with the rubber washer attached to the end so as the washer wore down you could adjust the rubber washer by moving the bullet end further in [hope that makes sense]. I would love to know exactly how it worked .I am thinking of fitting an electric pump from an old auto .It could be done without doing anything drastic to the machine . I did it many years ago to my mates grandmas Empress whose pump was badly corroded .I fitted a bathroom pull switch for controlling the pump with the cord coming out through the slot where the agitator start lever is .Just pull the string and the pump started .my early effort to make the thing safe no wet hands in contact with the switch

 

[slowspin66]

Pump

I was going to ask Anthony where would you put the discharge hose ? On the pumped models it’s in the tub ..

 

[anthony]

well

I have a new old stock hose from a twintub .I would just roll it up and put it in the cupboard when not in use and when it is being used it would come out od the bottom where the half moon cut out is that way i don't have to cut any holes in the cabinet just stick a cork in the hose end to stop drips

 

[anthony]

Well

I have just done a stupid thing .I have managed to put all the photos of the finished machine on Andywash s thread which has a similar title [Early Hotpoint Empress ]Hope he isn't too annoyed with me . I will now attempt to put them on here .keep ya fingers crossed and away from that wringer . back held on with bolts not those self tappers that work loose .The nylon bearing on the wringer bottom roller is worn .I will get a new one printed but till then three olives and a dollop of grease are taking up the slack

 

[anthony]

Well

I have just done a stupid thing .I have managed to put all the photos of the finished machine on Andywash s thread which has a similar title [Early Hotpoint Empress ]Hope he isn't too annoyed with me . I will now attempt to put them on here .keep ya fingers crossed and away from that wringer . back held on with bolts not those self tappers that work loose .The nylon bearing on the wringer bottom roller is worn .I will get a new one printed but till then three olives and a dollop of grease are taking up the slack

 

[anthony]

Anyone

noticed the ridges in the lid ?

 

[slowspin66]

Fantastic work.

Anthony it looks beautiful love it looks like new I bet it’s silent … beautiful work . Thanks for sharing the story . What’s next ????I presume it’s going in the kitchen ?? Best wishes Darren

 

[anthony]

Hi darren

It cant go in the kitchen.We have just had a new kitchen fitted and as you can imagine a state of the art kitchen and a 70 year old washing machine dont get on very well so for the time being i will have to play with it in the garage or outside when the weather is nice .I have enjoyed doing it though . We are having a having a porch /conservatory thing put on the side of the house this year the idea being to put the NOISY auto washer in there but i will also be installing a sink with hot and cold water so i will be able to use the machine in there

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress Renovation

Morning Anthony

Yes the ridges in the lid were on the earlier models , another distinct feature

Here is a 1947 Hotpoint without the badge but logo in letters .

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress Renovation

And here is your 1950 Hotpoint Empress add from Ideal Homes yearbook .

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress Renovation

And here is your 1950 Hotpoint Empress add from Ideal Homes yearbook .

 

[chestermikeuk]

GEC "Hotpoint Empress *

I came across this GEC model from 1953 yearbook and was surprised , as it had different controls arrangement , all combined with the Agitator control knob , older style cabinet , have never seen one of these before ?

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress 1934 - 1979

The last Hotpoint Empress came off the production line in 1979 , first produced in 1934, thats 45 years of production...

 

[anthony]

facinating

stuff .To think that machine was in production for all those years and that GEC set up clearly a hotpoint hiding in there . I have always liked those parnall machines .there was one in a flat i rented back in the early 70s .Not only did it do the washing but it allowed us to have a bath we would fill it to the brim put the heater on and once the water was hot we would pump it into the bath add some cold water and you could get a decent bath .A godsend as we had no hot water system

 

[slowspin66]

The production life

I never realised the production was so long …it’s a testament to fantastic engineering . They are the king of the wringer machine … you will
Have to do a video of the washer working …

 

[vacbear58]

'Twas On The Monday Morning

A film produced by the Electrical Association For Women. Sadly there is no sound track to this but I have seen it before in the Manchester Industrial Museum. The title was a reference to Monday being laundry day and the woman, having struggled in a kitchen with poor layout and antiquated appliances stops for a cup of tea. Taking it into the living room she sits down to listen to a Woman's Hour type programme when an "expert" comes on to talk about wash day that she has already had enough of hence she almost changes channel. But as she talks the expert leads on to dreams of what it could be like. Note that, at this time, Bendix and Thor washing machines were available but in short supply and, for the most part, beyond the dreams of most women. So they stuck to the Hotpoint, as shown above

 

[anthony]

well

i decided to fit an electric pump to the machine and it works well . i have not done anything drastic and the pump can be removed leaving the machine in its original state . once empty i can let the hose into a drain and remove all the water from the pump and the tap arrangement is still in place. the double pole vintage switch is a bit overkill .It used to control the immersion heater in the house but now it will have a new life controlling the pump .the hose can be stored inside when not in use .I also made sure there is still room for the wringer below . I have done a couple of videos of the machine in action i will post them on youtube over the weekend