Philips Slimstar Hn3156

[sesteve]

Brilliant - thanks Alan

Behzad - if only it was the same weight as a toy. Too many stairs in this house to move them up and down lol

Hi Louis. It has a 1000rpm spin on this machine - the later machines dropped to 850rpm for some reason. You can see the belt move up the clutch pulley on the spin once the water has drained out.

Does anyone know when Philips moved away from the spin drain as I know Al's front loader did this as well. Not sure if it was a 70s thing

 

[alanlondon]

Service Manual

I've scanned the whole manual to upload, but the writing is very small. Here's something though that maybe of interest.

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Steve.

Blimey, you snook that one in quietly by the back door didn't you! lol.
So there are now two safe HN3156's - the more the merrier, as far as I am concerned and great that you have started to tinker with it.

As you hint at earlier, my god they weigh an absolute ton! Don't envy you having to climb stairs with it - everything is solid, forged from the heaviest metals known to mankind. That's what it feels like to move anyway.

Won't go into too much waffle, as I've waffled on about it before, but one of my grandma's had one of these and it was installed sideways, with the dials running up the right hand side. Haven't the foggiest why they didn't by a front loader to be honest, as it was installed under a worksurface anyway.

Was overjoyed to be able to acquire my own and now there are two!

 

[matchboxpaul]

'647'

Mine was made in the 47th week of 1976.

 

[matchboxpaul]

Both our machines highlight a small weakness in the design and its probably caused by twisting forces when operating. Do you see it?

 

[matchboxpaul]

Unfortunately my machine has a pump issue that is yet to be investigated.

It has hopefully a blocked, rather than failed, pump. The machine was acquired, filled up and put on spin, where upon it spat water out of its suds overflow.

The flow of water through the outlet hose was minimal and it didn't pump out sufficient water before it began to spin, with the result that it threw it everywhere.
Apart from that, it works! lol.

Keep us updated with how everything goes with the Slimstar - I will observe with interest.
Cheers
Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

p.s re spin draining. As far as frontloaders were concerned, all left hand drive machines were spin drainers, with this feature being discontinued when the right hand drive series 90 models were introduced in the mid 80s.

Cant speak for toploaders, but this second generation SlimstarMkII AWB117 (owned by Richard in Bristol) was also a spin drainer and was also considerably lighter in weight than the HN3156.
I dreaded collecting it for Richard, but it was light as a feather (well maybe not that light, but you get the idea)...

 

[matchboxpaul]

...

 

[matchboxpaul]

Calling Alan!

Hi Alan.

Welcome to the club and what an arrival!
Thanks for posting pages of the literature concerning the tank, sorry ... Slimstar.

An absolute classic from a superb brand that I for one miss from the scene. Constructing classic machines, with character that set them apart from the rest.

Really appreciate you posting pages from the instruction manual, especially as I have always been a bit confused by its operation.

Cant wait to read more about this superb machine.
Regards
Paul

 

[alanlondon]

Thanks Paul for your welcome

Here's something else from the manual

 

[alanlondon]

Just trying...

one page to see if you can read the print

 

[alanlondon]

unfortunately you can't read

the print, anyone who wants the manual please email me. I'm going on holiday this week, so there will be a bit of a delay in me replying. Cheers, Alan

 

[statomatic]

@ matchboxpaul :
The "Slimstar mkII" machines are quite common in France, they are called "Cylène", the motor is a brushed type with permanent magnet with speed controlled by an electronic circuit.
The spin drain starts at 200rpm and increases until the tub empties, they are lightweight because of the plastic chassis.
I have a brown finish Philips AWB135 in my collection (it's a low end model so max spin speed is just 550rpm !).

@ alanlondon :
Very interesting technical documents, if you have better scans I'd be interested.

 

[alanlondon]

Hi Statomatic

I've emailed you the whole document. Cheers, Alan

 

[chestermikeuk]

Philips Slimstar

Hi Steve, you are racking up the teasures for sure, another fine example of the "Best of British" I remember seeing this model in a local Trident electrical shop when my Nan was looking for a new spinarinse, the blue hue of colour always sets them off, do you have the matching dryer?

Hi Alan, and welcome to the club, would welcome seeing pics of your collection and literature when your back, if you can I would also request an email copy to view...where you an engineer for a company or independent repair shop etc?

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi statomatic.
Would be really good to see just which model the AWB135 is. Any chance of a photo of your machine as, though Philips made many different versions of the Slimstar, images of the different models are difficult to come by.

Welcome to the forum!
Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Alan.

Can I add my name to the list of future recipients of your Slimstar servicing information please.

Have a great holiday.
Regards
Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Alan.

Many thanks for the servicing information. Fingers crossed that once things settle down with my house and the slimstar lands safely here, that I can get the drain issue sorted.

I don't think that the following machine has ever been posted on the forum before - do you ever remember seeing this slimstar variation?

The HN3157 Slimstar 666 ....

 

[matchboxpaul]

and the HN3154 Fatstar ..... erm, sorry .... Top Star....

 

[ozzie908]

Now thats a similar looking machine to the one

my mums neighbour had it was a Phillips slimstar with brown details and a similar back to the one pictured above but it had a flap that when lifted had all the instructions on, don't recall the model though sorry.

Austin

 

[sesteve]

For mash get smash!

Hi Paul

Certainly no chance of sneaking this machine in anywhere. The only advantage is that it is slimmer that the hotpoint top loader which is difficult on the stairs as they are narrow. Did your Grandma's one have gaps around it as you can see how much mine wobbles back and forwards on the first spin drain so if it was wedged in with would have shook the place to bits!

Yours looks to be in better condition. Mine is a bit scratched on the console and the plastic has yellowed - I think it was by a window and would explains the hardness of the drain hose. What is your one like? And yes, they both have the crack in the same place. There is a bit of rust that has formed inside the console because of that crack so will have to sort that.

I haven't undone my pump but it looks like it is easy to service so hopefully it is just a build up of fluff or scale with yours. I need to take a look at mine as the flow does slow when it starts spinning. On the first spin drain it barely has time to get up to speed before it stops so perhaps a clear out will help.

It's great seeing that there is all this literature on these and some of their cousins. Mike I haven't got the dryer. I've seen a couple come up but haven't got the room. I've got 2 dryers and I think that's enough for now. Perhaps if the next house has more room then I'll consider it especially if it means I don't have to keep carrying these about.

 

[foraloysius]

The Philips Topstar was also known as the CC1000.

 

[rolls_rapide]

My uncle and his wife had a Philips Slimstar. I don't know which version, but I do remember him saying that it was a pain in the neck to work on. I presumed that it was very cramped inside.