Goodbye Hotpoint Smart 9KG

[aeg03]

After having my Hotpoint for 1 year and 9 months I have experienced the same F05 fault that I had last year in July 2015 - 4 months after purchase. Hotpoint engineer said it was because he reckoned I was overloading it and they will not cover under warranty again if same fault occurred. The fault video of the fault attached when it went wrong last year. This time, I went to put it on the wash cycle and it didn't respond, just the timer counted down every minute. I opened up the pump chamber and went further to check the pipe from the tub to the pump and it was all clear so the fault appears to be the pressure switch like before.

Machine is not under a labour warranty but parts warranty is still valid. £109 for an engineer visit.

I have lost confidence in the machine so its time to sell it for spares or a complete machine for someone to fix it.

I have purchased a Beko 8kg 1500rpm Washing Machine WY85242. It will be arriving tomorrow. I was put off buying BEKO as the wash dial has Cottons and then Cottons ECO. I would have expected ECO to be automatically activated like on the Hotpoint. I suppose it gives me the option of selecting 'Eco' like the Zanussi's Ive had.

I look forward to the change and I hope that the Beko does not make horrible banging noises like the Hotpoint machine did regularly. I really did like the Hotpoint machine and I hope it goes to a good home with someone handy who can fix it and get running, I could have attempted to repair it myself but thought I would make a change due to the concern of the fault reoccurring and the slight rumbling noises I can hear from the drum.

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKJcdKuFvfY

 

[paulc]

Good choice going with the Beko and being a WY model it will have the twin recirculation jets. You'll notice that the Beko feels a bit more substantial than the Hotpoint.

I only used the Cottons Eco cycle on my Beko a couple of times as the rinsing was very poor and you couldn't add an extra rinse. Having said that I had the 12kg model which differed from the other WY models as it only had the one jet.

I'm sure you love the Bekomwhen it arrives, I look forward to hearing all about it.

 

[aeg03]

Heya Paulc,

I'm very much looking forward to getting the Beko. Didn't realise there's a jet inside. I couldn't see that in the spec sheet. That's a wonderful surprise if has one as I like the jet feature and miss this feature. I almost went for a Hoover because they have the jet that switches on when the machine fills up but I didn't like the feel of the detergent drawer (it's tiny) and the drum feels very tinny compared to my Hotpoint, though I'm sure the Hoover would be just fine. I do notice Bekos feeling more substantial than my Hotpoint.

Just have the battle of trying to get the Hotpoint down the apartment stairs tomorrow.

 

[paulc]

Just checked the Beko website again and I'm not sure if the model you ordered will have a jet. The 10, 11 and 12 kg WY's have jets but the site says the WJ 8kg machine has jets. I'm not sure if this is a typo, Beko can be inaccurate with their specifications. Either way, I'm sure you'll be happy with your new machine. The jet less machines use slightly more water for the wash and rinses plus they use distribution tumbles.

 

[mielerod69]

Overloading

I like how the engineer uses the 'overloading' excuse. I think today that the marketing dept is so focused on capacity, that the machines can't handle the loads they are intended to wash. I notice the drum is 62 litres for the 9 kg model. I have a Miele 9 kg and I think the most i've loaded it to is 7 - 7.5 kg. To get 9 kg in, I think I wouldn't be able to close the door. In the past a 62 litre drum would've been rated 6 - 6.5 kg based on the 1:10 ratio rule.

 

[paulc]

Beko are overly optimistic with their KG ratings I'm afraid. The 8kg machines have a 55 litre drum, 9kg have 64 litre drums as does the older style 10kg machine. The newer style 10kg have 65 litre drums and the 11 and 12 kg machines both have a 72 litre drum. Even these measurements aren't a true reflection of the actual drum size as Beko, along with some other manufacturers, include the door boot space in their drum measurements.

 

[logixx]

How do Beko call their recirculation system? I can't find anything on their website - except for AquaFusion which seems to be a ball valve in the sump.

 

[paulc]

logixx

Beko call it duo spray technology .

 

[aeg03]

Here she is

 

[aeg03]

I like the drum

 

[aeg03]

I was a bit surprised to see the sound insulation panels. These really do help with keeping noise down. That ProSmart Inverter motor is tiny but very powerful and a lot quieter than the Hotpoint one that is manufactured by Nidec. The Beko motor is manufactured by it's owner, Arcelik A.S.

 

[logixx]

Thanks, Paul!

Seems none of the German models have Duo Spray, though. :-/

 

[aeg03]

Mielerod69,

I too liked how the Hotpoint engineer put the F05 fault down to overloading. I was careful after that to make sure the drum wasn't jammed packed but there was enough room for my hands width at the top. This was fine from July 2015 until December 2016. I really do believe its the fact that the machine cannot handle a full 9kg load of absorbent items on a continuous basis. The engineer did make a comment 'they don't make em like they used to' so perhaps he knows all about it.

Paulc,

I have managed to use the machine today properly. I was initially regretting my purchase as the machine has static fills and I didn't notice it cut down the wash time yesterday when I put it on an empty wash to clean the manufacturing residue, but I must point out that I did select 'Quicker Wash' so this is the reason why.

Today I did a 60 degree wash with bedding and 3 towels. The machine was on a standard Cotton wash and it did the intial slower tumbles after filling and after around 10 minutes, the machine cut the wash time from 2 hours 15 minutes to 1 hour and 40 mins. So I was glad that the machine didn't do the full time cycle. The machine also used a decent amount of water for the wash and it was good to be able to see the wash water sloshing. This was even after the machine topped up 3 or 4 times after the first initial fill up.

The machine continued with static fills for the 2 rinses it completed after the main wash. The water still remained high after tumbling which was good and it did a through job with the rinse cycles. The machine also carries out distribution draining after the rinse which is another feature I remember seeing on older 90s machines, I have not seen a machine do that in years, since the Servis Slimline 1000 we had in the 80s - 90s I grew up with.

The spins were excellent and it was great to see the machine get on and do the spin without all the fuss of continuously balancing like the Hotpoint machine used to. I was used to it stopping and starting for what felt like forever. The Beko just spun and didn't hesitate. The drum was shaking and there was ever so slight vibration of the machine but nothing to be alarmed by. Another sign that this machine is of better quality is that there was no banging, rattle or 'ticking sounds' like the Hotpoint used to make, it just handled the load very well. The inverter motor on the Beko is also quieter than the Hotpoint machine.

The last thing I like in the Beko is the motor has the ability to 'brake' the drum speed and stop very quickly, further cutting down any noise from an unbalanced drum slow down.

The Hotpoint is sat in the garage awaiting to be sold for spares or a repairer.