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thelaundrylab

thelaundrylab

Well-known member
Platinum Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2011
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450
Location
Hampshire UK
 

Hey lovely people, hope all is well?

I've been asked to do a new thread to my request earlier asking if anyone have any Creda/Electra video's on YouTube?

I'm really keen to see some of these machines working. Plus it would be great to refresh our memory, as these machines tend to be push to the side lines and not often talked about. The Creda machine's I'm interested in, would be the machine's from the 70s/80s, right up and till the "Supaspeed" generation. I'm also interested to find out more about the "Creda Supaspeed Generation", like the pic below showing the "Creda 1200 Supaspeed". 

My sister in law owned this machine and was a washer-dryer. My memory was, during the spin intervals, the spin would rev up to its top speed for a few seconds, (sounded like a Concorde, which made it all exciting) then would continue its next rinse phase and so on. My personal opinion is, this was rather a "cool" machine for its day. In fact it was the last "cool" looking machine Creda did, after it looked too much like Hotpoint, as I wasn't personally fond of these designs. 

Any how if anyone one has information, clippings and so on, you'd make me one happy guy. Plus more info on Creda Micro would be excellent too. 

 

Thanks everyone...

 

Hass

http://www.youtube.com/hasszanussi
thelaundrylab++4-9-2012-10-06-49.jpg
 
We had an Electra branded Creda from 93-95. It was hopeless. It didn't wash all that well, and it was forever breaking down. It was the same as the pic below, only it was all white and had an additional delay timer.

aquacycle++4-9-2012-15-31-12.jpg
 
You jolted my memory...

...if I can remember correctly my sister in law's Creda Machie ie the pic I posted above, she also had problems problems with it. Mind you her machine was contantly on the go, as she had young kids back then. But then again as Hotpoint was behind making of Creda, then you can see why they often broke down :)
 
Creda

This Ti Creda 10500 Electronic Super deluxe rhythm spin was my parents first automatic. What i would give to find one of these now!

optima++4-9-2012-17-19-41.jpg
 
Your opinions and questions...

So how many of you guys love these machines then, it seem's the Creda 10500 Electronic Super Deluxe are difficult to find? Would this be a the "must have" in your washing machine collection?
 
How do Hass.

Vintage Creda's are exceedingly rare indeed. Dont really no why that is as, as far as I know, there was never a stigma against buying the brand and there weren't any major reliability issues I know of associated with them.

I remember catching the tale end of the black fascia machines and the start of the brown slant fascia series machines in the early to mid 80s.
Indeed one of my fondest memories is of seeing a Creda Model 12000 Microelectronic de luxe 1000 - the black fascia machine festooned with white buttons - fully plumbed in and working, on show outside Currys in Accrington.

The only black fascia Creda washer that has ever surfaced, as far as I know, was a model 10700 that was taken to the council tip where Gary (electron1100) worked. That was over a year ago and unfortunately the machine was wayyyy too far gone to even consider restoring.
Gary will be able to tell you more about it, but I know that he stripped the fascia and door off it. A real case of so near and yet so far.

Then of course there was the unfortunate black fascia Creda destroyed in a particularly cruel episode of 'How Clean is your House'.

Re the 10500.....one of those lived at number 16 on my parents street. It was a really smart machine, but unfortunately I never saw it working.
It was replaced by a Hotpoint 9901 washer-dryer and consigned to their garage for a few years.
One day a skip appeared on their driveway and when peering over the top, being a nosey youngster, I saw their 10500 inside and lying on its back.
That was the last time I ever saw a square door Creda and they were the only household that I knew, who had one.

Would be superb to see one again and to find out just what the Rhythm spin was all about.

Paul
 
Oh - forgot.

Mike of course has an Electra 11500, but it requires a drum bearing change.
So there is one in good hands, just sat in a repair queue.

So, in time we shall get to see an electra branded, black fascia series machine at work.
He even has the matching dryer for it now too!
Paul
 
I don't know if this will help, but I have a Creda SupaSpeed 1000 Eco Wash made for export to the US. It has two dials: one is the timer and one the wash temp selector. It has switches for ON, SLOW SPIN, SUPER WASH (high water level) & something that holds it before the last drain & spin. After the first, second and third rinses, it goes into a distrubution speed then the slow spin speed for just long enough for enough water to be spun out that it runs between the inner and outer tubs & down the door glass, then it slows back to the distribution speed as the water drains. After some time, it resumes the slow spin for a longer period then slows to drain that water and then goes into the next rinse. After the fourth rinse, it does that then goes into the final spin. I flip the Super Wash switch on when the wash water drains for high level rinses. The machine dates from the 90s, I think. I keep putting brushes in the motor and it keeps running. It is so unusual that the motor is at the top of the machine.
 
Hello guys, as always, appreciate you sharing your stories. Paul interesting read and sounds torturing when you wrap it up like that, as I sense you really wanted to grab hold of these machines, especially the Creda that was on display in Currys.

Paul, when you find the time, maybe you could help me/us go through each series for Creda's? Even though I did my research by going through the archives, still can't place which time period each machines are except, The Creda Micro Series is from the mid 80s. Also was the name "Electra" first, before it became "Creda"?

Tomturbomatic: The description to your Creda Supaspeed 1000 machine sounds more like the Hotpoint wash rhythm to what I had explained in my previous post... Great to hear the machine is still going strong, even if you do have to change the brushes time to time.
 
Hi all

Regarding the 10500, this was one of my favourite machines. My nan's best friend and next door neighbour had one and I was lucky enough to see it working a few times drinking tea in the kitchen. This would have been around 1980.

This is what I remember -

Looks - I always thought somewhere between Hotpoint and Hoover - sort of a 70s Hotty and Hoover love child LOL. The dials were almost Hotpointish but the square door was very Hoover, although the glass bowl itself was wider and less pointy than Hoover - more like Hotpoint and rounded. Of course the square door was inset into the frame, unlike Hoovers at the time where the door was proud. Interestingly the Credas looked more modern like the Hoover A3110 which was yet to be introduced. The door seal was grey and there was no bottom trim. The drum was really a complete cross between Hotpoint and Hoover. I think the paddles were similar to Hotpoint but the trim and holes were very Hoover and the back was its own unique pattern. The dials and buttons had some orange going on.

In action - Sadly the machine was always set to the synthetics spin (through a button) which removed the rhythm spin. I think the machine used to fill just to the glass when washing and half way up when rinsing. The wash action was standard long turns and short pulses except when heating. The distribution was exactly like Hotpoint and Hoover. The short spin accelerated very fast and stopped almost as soon as 800rpm was reached.

The sound - It's difficult to remember exactly but like Concorde. Probably pitchwise somewhere between the Hotty and Hoover and definately loud but in a good way! I remember it having a pump that made an atchoo noise.

This was definitely a great machine and sadly missed. I believe what finished a lot of them off were dodgy program dials not working. That's what killed that one.

Here is the Which report from 79

Rob

robm++4-14-2012-07-24-8.jpg
 
Creda

Where very understated in the Automatic world and yet had some fab machines, those first series machines look well ahead of their time, rumour is they sold the castings to Hoover for the electronic series, yes the Electra I have is a fab machine and just awaiting a bearing replacement, next one is the Servis MK72 fill valve and then it will be done next!!

chestermikeuk++4-14-2012-09-28-18.jpg
 
Hey guys, 

Rob: The way you described the machine, almost sounds like the Creda Supaspeed. During the spin intervals after each rinse, the water would drain out the drum as it tumble round clock wise and anti clock wise for a few minutes. When it was about to hit it's spin phase, the machine would then go to a quick distribution mode, then the spin accelerated very fast and stopped almost as soon as the Max Spin Speed was reached, (in this case 1000 RPM) then continued to it's next rinse phase. 

Also the Supaspeed machine spun anti clock wise, which I found rather odd. Because I always got the impression British made machines always spun clock wise and most European machines spun anti clock wise. 

Ok I might be getting a little technical, but can any one explain why this is the case? 

The drum of the Supaspeed machines, is exactly the same as the Electra machines, like the pic below (borrowed from the archive, which was originally posted by Electron1100)

Mike: We look forward to seeing your machine's in action. As Paul explained your Electra machine needed new bearings. 

Thanks for reading, Hass

thelaundrylab++4-14-2012-10-51-49.jpg
 
Electra/Creda Pic's

Gary thanks for sharing the pic with us, guessing not many of the machines couldn't be saved? The Electra 1100 Washer is growing on me, the more I see it, the more I like it and looks very similar to Creda Micro machines. 

aquarius8000: That's a shame, hopefully something will come up soon.

As I don't know much about Electra's, I'm getting the impression Electra's were the alternative machines to buy, selling them for a cheaper price to Brands like Hoover, Hotpoint, Creda & Servis. Did "Electra" buy the rights, build there machines and sell them on, hence why a lot of Electra machines's looked similar to the above brands I've mentioned. Anyone care elaborate more about this, seeing there's little history on Electra's. I'd be most grateful. 

Thanks for reading,
Hass :)
 
The Electra 1100 washer in Reply #17 is nearly the same as my neighbors washer when I was growing up. The only differences were the name (hers was a Creda Concorde not ELectra) and hers did not have the smaller dial.

I remember on these machines you had to push and hold in the temperature dial as you turned it around. And the programmer had a very distinct 'clicking' noise as you turned it (don't know why that sticks in my head).

I remember finding the tiny power button funny just because the other buttons were big chunky rocker switches.

Noise wise I remember it sounding like our Hoover Logic that we had at the time particularly when on 1100rpm spin.

Also my neighbors was dark brown with orange around the dials and rocker switches I believe.

I found it interesting the way they grouped the cycles into the different sections of the programmer in the care label numbers (i.e: 1,2,5 or 3,4).

This machine died when apparently Hazel tried to wash a pillow in it and she told me how she had to bucket water out of it because it just plain died.
It was replaced by a Creda SupaSpeed 1200 which I used to have a lot of fun helping her use, as I got older I was allowed to flip the switches or open the door as long as my hands were spotless clean and if not they were scrubbed for me with the ever present huge block of Fairy bar soap next to her kitchen sink lol

Also Hazel knew how to wash, never saw her use 95 degrees but it was always 60 for towels, 40 acrylics for her shirts and slacks, 50 for her bed linen etc...

She favoured Daz Liquid and SurCare softener, thats something I always remember

Ahhh memories, what I wouldn't give to walk into that house again and be told I could 'flick the switches then', and proceed to flick Deep Wash and On/Off and then sit on the floor watching the whole cycle.

I went back into that house to visit her when I was back in the UK this past November and it had been replaced with John Lewis washer. ALthough Hazel did comment on how I used to sit and watch the old one for hours and hours and how much I loved watching water as a child, sweet :-)

SOrry for the long post, things came back to me as I was typing lol

Regards
Matty
x
 
The rhythm method

Does anybody else remember the the T V adverts for explaining the benefits of a rhythm spin? They stared Proffesor Magnus Pyke,Who at the time was a sort of celebrity science boffin.He was quite a tall lanky man with long arms, that he waved about to explain the spinning method.The rhythm spin just consisted of a series of short spins followed by reverse tumbling prior to the final spin.Because it added quite a lot of time to the cycle they provided a time saver button that would rapid advance the programe timer past the rhythm spin.I seem to remember that Bosch used a simalar spin on some of their machines that they called interval spin.I think there must still be 1 or 2 about somwhere as they were a well made machine,galvanised steel cabinet so rust not so much of a problem althougth the paint would flake of sometimes.And typicaly Creda the back panel was held on by about 30 self tapping screws.Ahh memories.Regards Nige.
 
Creda 10500

That brings back alot of memories the amount of screws on the back panel & me helping our dad put numerous belts back on it, but for me it was the wonderful & powerful unique noise it used to make when ramping the spin speed up. Considering it only had a maximum 800rpm spin, the sound really made you think it was spinning much faster.
 
Electra

At the time, Electra was the brand of the Electricity Board stores (e.g. Seeboard, Scottish Power, Norweb, etc.) and their machines were made by a variety of manufacturers. I can remember ones by Philips, Hoover, Creda and Antonio Merloni. Later, I think the brandname may have been bought by Antonio Merloni, as I can recall seeing Electra branded machines that looked v similar to Servis ones in the likes of Currys and Comet.
 
Electra was indeed the name used by electricity boards as a house brand for various makes of machines and models which were sold in their high street shops.

THe name seems to have been dropped but I have no idea who owns its now. Up until about 7 years ago it was used by the one chain shop Powerhouse. They stocked Electra "merloni servis" machines and Electra "Creda/Hotpoint aquarius dryers".

Creda I would say badged up a good portion of Electra machines sold, and probably sold the most of the electra machines found.

However lets not confuse Creda with Hotpoint here, depending on the machines age it would either be a creda or Hotpoint,

Living on the border of the potteries im a 10 minute drive into Hanley (Stoke on Trent) where Hanley Library has a massive collection of local history. I went a few years back to look at the Creda archives and got information of what happened and when.

True Creda was bought out by Hotpoint in 1988 although machines were still produced up until about 1990 when everything was harmonised and homogenised, THis meaning all washers were Hotpoint's with reviewed fascias but the same internals as Hotpoint.

The dryers however plodded on for a good couple of years after in Creda's filter in the door design under Electra etc. Creda and Hotpoint Dryers became a uniform and revised design taking Creda's multivent design with back of drum heaters and dropped the filter to under the door.
 

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