Problem with New Washing Machine - Advice Please

Only

I bought a new Bosch washing machine last August .. did all the research and picked a model with good reviews.
Used washing machine and noticed that every now and then that clothes came out wetter but left it as it wasn't too often.
Noticed that problem getting more frequent and beginning to really annoy me so contacted place where I bought it - sent out guy to fix it week before last .. he said there was no problem with it but found a couple of Colour Catcher sheets in it and removed them and said the outlet pipe had a little bit of a kink in it. Said if any more problems to ring.

Did a wash and clothes came out sopping wet - put on spin cycle and still sopping, did it again and same thing - 3rd toime they came out ok.

It seems that the clothes come out wetter most often when there is a smaller than full load (but not all the time) .. I put in a childs coat last night and it washed it but was drenched when it came out - put it on the spin cycle 4 times before it came out the way it should.

Anyways, guy came out today (boss guy this time). I made sure I was there (hubby there last time) so I couldn't be fobbed off.
I had done a wash last night with a bath sheet towel and it was sopping so put that into a basin for him to see how wet it was. He had said to do a wash before he came so I put in tow bath sheets and low and behold it came out fairly ok.
Guy was trying to tell me it was a balancing problem and it was a problem with me loading the machine! Asked him them why did it spin ok some times and it varied with loads but was a lot of the time with smaller loads. He told me to not wash small loads!!
He askede had I read the manual on trouble shooting - basically saying it said it in there that that could cause a problem - i got out the manual and it doesn't say it anywhere.

I told him I wasn't happy at all and I couldn't put up with a machine that cost €600 and didn't work the way it was supposed to (ie not spin properly) ... he said he'd contact Bosch but that thay'd probably say its a balancing issue and the issue is with my small loads. He said that all the same models might do the same thing and that its a safety thing

Now I KNOW he will come back and try fob me off ... what do I say???? I do not want this machine the way it is! Its driving me nuts!!! It says nothing in the manual about it not working properly with small loads (it doesn't always happen on small loads - sometimes happens on half to 3/4 loads too although they're not 'quite' as wet as if only one or two or a couple items go in).
This machine has a quick wash function and it specifically states that its only for small loads - when I use this function a lot of the time the clothes come out sopping too .. if you weren't supposed to put in small loads then why is there this function?? Its an 8kg machine btw so takes a fair bit of filling too.

Sorry - this ended up being a longer post than intended but I wanted to state all facts ... and advice greatly appreciated!

cast_iron

To me, it sounds like an issue with draining the water. So either pump or waste pipe related.

Anyway, just be firm with him. If there's nothing in any documentation about potential balancing problems, then that's not a valid "issue" you should accept. See what the Bosch people say. Be firm that you have no interest in a Bosch machine if that's how they designed it. Ask him to get Bosch to put it in writing that "balancing" is a normal design in their machines and will result in wet clothes every time.

Only

Thanks a million for the reply cast iron!

OK, well it was as I guessed - he came back at 9am and told me he was on to Bosch and they said its a balancing issue!! And the loads are too small!! NOWHERE does it say that you shouldn't put in a small amount .. it states maximum loads on the brochure - eg for the quickwash the max load is 2kg ...nothing about minimum load.
I looked at the brochure for trouble shooting and the only thing it says about clothes coming out wet is this:

What to do if.....
*Unsatisfactory spin result. - NOt a fault- the unbalanced-load detection
Laundry too wet / too damp: system has cancelled the spin cycle
because of uneven distribution of the
laundry.
Distribute small and large items of laundry
evenly inside the drum.

* Drum spins gently several times - NOt a fault- the unbalanced-load
detection system is adjusting the
imbalance.

It seems that this machine detects an imbalance a LOT of the time .... BUT it doesn't say anywhere about small loads ... do I have a case???
Its driving me absolutely crazy having to spin and re-spin loads / half loads. Its not always when the load is small, it happens when there is a half load or 3/4 load too:mad: ... its more often with smaller loads but not all the time.
The thing is, it might not spin the water out once, twice or even three times but would do it eventually - the same load ... I can't understand it.

The guy who came out and who rang me this morning is a Bosch agent - not from the place I bought it from.
He said he can't do anything and wanted me to ring Bosch so that the guy there could basically tell me the same thing:( .. I told him I would contact the retailer as my contract is with them ... what do I do? What do I ask for??? Am I right in expecting that a machine should not do this or have they covered themselves with the troubleshooting statement??

Would really appreciate any help here!
Thenka!

wmpdd3

try calling an independant repair person get them to diagnose the problem and put it in writing, then write to the retailer asking for redress. See how you get on, but act quick!

cast_iron

So the balance issue is a bit of a get-out for them.
However, since it's happening more often than it should be, there may be a problem with the balance sensor setup.
Speaking to Bosch themselves may help, they may admit it shouldn't happen as often as it's happening to you, and suggest a replacement part. To be fair, the retailer is somewhat fulfilling his obligation - as the manufacturer is claiming there is no fault.

slimjimmc

Fault or no fault the machine is not fulfilling the function it was purchased for.
The retailer still has an obligation under the Sale of Goods and Services Act to provide the product which the consumer wanted and thought they had purchased, i.e. a washing machine that will spin dry the clothes every time, not just 1 in every 3 or 4 attempts, which is a reasonable expectation of any domestic washing machine.

wmpdd3

If its a 'classic' model there seems to be a history of this problem, most sites do mention the balance problem but only as a thing to check, somepeople got replacements from the company.

http://www.google.ie/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=Bosch+washing+machine+spin+problem


http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=247207

Only

It seems it is definately the balance mechanism.
I am going to do an 'experiment' ... I am going to weigh out different amounts (weights) of clothes up to the max recommended weight of 2kg and do each set of them in the quick wash with 1200 spin and see what happens with each load. I have no doubt most of the loads will come out without having spun ... then I will be able to go back to Bosch with actual facts.
Only problem is, when I went to do this yesterday I found that the guy that came messed up the temperature control and it won't adjust - hence I can't get the 1200 spin on the quick load now - I rang him and hes coming back today to fix it.
Thing is, when I was talking to him it seems hes been talking to some 'bosch people' and this balance issue seems to be very common ... apparently a 'Bosh guy' told him it drives him crazy!!!!

Its a Logixx machine WAS24460GB if that helps!

Am going to wait a day or two until I get my facts together with the experimental washes and then I'm going back to the retailer as thats who my contract is with ... think thats the best option????

magsmurray1

hi there

Im having the exact same problem with my washing machine. Sometimes it spins the washing no problem - and other times the washing remains wet etc.

I read the troubleshooting too - and they do mention the balance issue - but as far as I know the floor in the utility room is fine!!!

Will be interested to know how you get on with your little experiment!

thanks
mm

coylemj

magsmurray1 wrote: »

I read the troubleshooting too - and they do mention the balance issue - but as far as I know the floor in the utility room is fine!!!

I think when people talk about 'balance' they are not referring to the surface of the floor, they're referring to the ability or inability of the machine to balance the load around the drum before going to full spin. For example if you had a small, heavy item in the load, that would skew the centre of gravity and probably prevent the machine from achieving an even distribution of the weight around the drum. Spinning up to full speed in that case would produce unacceptable stresses on the hub so the machine will refuse to go to full spin speed, hence the clothes come out wet.

Ideally you'd put a half or higher load of similar items (e.g. all cotton shirts or all wool socks) so that when the machine tosses them around and spins up to half speed, the centre of gravity will be the centre of the drum in which case it can go to full spin speed.