The First Hotpoint Front Loader

[supermaticjames]

Now sounding much better and with the replacement hose arriving tomorrow I will be able to do a water test on Thursday all being well!

That's all for now!

http://https//youtu.be/sme30XegiEI

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint 1600

Fantastic work James, great to see finally just what the inside of this rare washer is made of, see what you mean about the outlet hole, Those motors are one of a kind , and certainly make it a unique sound, made in Dunstable by General Motors, I remember a school friends mum having one in a laundry outhouse and hearing it working !!

 

[robm]

Fantastic find James and it looks like it is in great hands.

Thanks for sharing and uploading the video.

Rob

 

[supermaticjames]

Hi Mike,

I've been informed by several engineers who worked on these that the AC-Delco motor is superior to the GEC motors fitted to the 1600s successors. I found hardly any trace of carbon dust and the brushes themselves are so easy to change - just unscrew the plastic caps and the brushes pop out. They are quite small like the brushes you would find in a vacuum cleaner motor but they seem to be more than up to the job. Just noticed I got Dunstable and Darlaston mixed up!!!

I can’t wait to stick a wash on again but there’s a few other things going on at the moment so I can’t guarantee when that will be.

Take care,

James

 

[supermaticjames]

Thanks Rob! I filmed a video of it on its maiden wash which is on YouTube. Here is the link to that if you haven’t seen it already.

Regards,

James

http://https//youtu.be/0a5fKdfNugI

 

[supermaticjames]

Now for an update...

I managed to repair the original hose so that I had the new old stock one to keep for years to come when I really do need it. So I went ahead and manually filled it up with water then walked away from it for half an hour. Hesitantly, I poked my head around the door and found that the floor was bone dry underneath so I selected a boil wash to let it stretch its legs a bit and see that everything works as it should before refitting everything.

 

[supermaticjames]

Here are some photos of the nice little lot of 1600 spares I bought. Hopefully I won’t need any of them for years to come but at least I can relax that I should be able to keep it going regardless of what problems it throws at me.

The spare timer is manufactured by Eaton so it seems Hotpoint were trying different suppliers or perhaps the design was licensed to Eaton later in production. The module is a reconditioned part. I’m surprised to have got a door seal as I’d have thought the supply of these would have been exhausted after the big fire, likewise with the main hose which looks almost too good to use with its British Domestic Appliances sticker! I also got a PMC and a knob cap.

 

[supermaticjames]

I took these before I put it all back together, all I did was wipe the insides with a damp cloth so it seems it was an easy life this machine had. The last picture is an interesting one - there is space and fixing holes for a second option slider and microswitch so it’s as if Hotpoint had plans for producing a second (De Luxe perhaps???) model to run alongside the 1600 if it was a success. Sadly, the 1600 had its ailments so expansion never happened and the back to the drawing board path was taken. I wonder what the second option was likely to be...

 

[supermaticjames]

Finally, I got it moved into the wash house. It slotted in nicely beside the 1509 - I knew I left that space wide enough for a reason!

 

[supermaticjames]

I nice little nook I must say!

So that’s the Hotpoint 1600 saved and restored. What on earth am I going to do now since I won’t be spending my time looking for one LOL!

James

 

[rolls_rapide]

Control panel

That illuminated control panel with that knob, reminds me of my mum's old radiogram.

 

[optima]

1600

Loving this thread. The Illuminated Timeline is just so stunning James.

 

[keymatic3203]

Absolutely wounderful

James

A great commitment to first find and collect this machine and then to find the parts, restore and show it here fully working.

That replacement door gasket looks very similar to the English electric liberator boot, any chance of a part number to see if they have another, it may well make a better seal with the door than what I've tried so far.

I like the touch of the backing sheet for your display, I always imagined if I ever put on an exhibition I would have a backdrop of black serge or such like.

Well done

Mathew

 

[hotpoint95622]

Fantastic

Wow what a find, such a sort after machine that we all thought that no one would find, all that effort has paid off keep up the hard work.

Fab machine, saved and now cared for...

Lee

 

[anthony]

just found this

from jhon Moores mail order cat 1973

 

[panthera]

Wow!

That is so cool! You know, the electronics aren't primitive, not really - how many Hotpoint electronics done today will be around in 44 months never mind years.

That would be none. Still, though - I'd replace the filter capacitor and any other electrolytics in her. Those are all well past their useful life and when they go, they can take other things with them.

Totally impressed.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Electronics

Hi Anthony thats a great add, hadn't seen that one, 4 classic washers all on one page, and great to have examples of them within the group. !!

Interestingly only around £20 between them all, which one would you have chosen ?

 

[ricky5050]

Today's prices

Looking at an inflation calculator these would all be between £1000 -£1200 each in today's money. No wonder a £299 matic from Tesco isn't built the same !!! And no wonder owners in the 70s cherished them !!

Richard

 

[keymatic3203]

I'd choose

the Hoover automatic de luxe lol. As I already have the keymatic lol.

Back then the £20 price difference was quite a large sum, several weeks earnings at the time, of course talking from our point of view today, how could we choose, we'd have 2 of each, one left in the box and one to enjoy.

Also notice that the hire purchase agreement is over up to 50 weeks, whereas in the 60's you would be paying an appliance off over 3 years. So shows how prices of automatics were already falling in relation to peoples earnings.

 

[aquacycle]

The Hotpoint is £131.29. When adjusted for inflation, that's £1,593.10 in 2017 terms.