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Is there anything worth doing about this or just put it down to experience? Its worked flawlessly for 12 years and is well out of warranty. I doubt Bosch will have anything to do with me now its so old but who knows, what would you guys do?
Also is this model on any kind of recall or hazard list? Ive googled but mostly I get their combusting dishwasher problem and nothing about self igniting Classixx.
Model: WFO2866GB
My story is I put a normal washing load on and after half an hour something smelled like a steam engine from the kitchen direction. Going in I saw a light grey smoke flowing from under the counter where it lives so cut power, ripped out the supply lines and the machine, all while the smoke was getting worse. Luckily I had 5 star torx handy to take the top off and I could clearly see the smoke coming up from the lower front of the box. I did see a small flicker of flame down there at first but a flood of cups later it was all out.
Ive yet to take the bottom off (presumably it will come off?) to find out what the hell went wrong but im thinking its strange that it was near the base, under the drum/door area and not a control panel or logic fault higher up, nor anything on the rear or mains pathway.
Thanks to quick action its just the washing machine needing replacement but it could have been a whole lot worse. Even if it is repairable I dont want it in my kitchen any more, you guys probably get asked recommendations all the time here but as I dont have time to research whos machines are going to last another 12 years (I cant afford a Miele!) if someone can throw out a recommendation for a reliable 7kg machine around the 3-400 quid level which doesnt want to burst into flames id be grateful, I need to solve this problem asap.
Thanks for any and all information guys!!
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
I don’t want to make light of it but, a fire?
In a washing machine there’s hardly anything that will go up and, even if it does have actual flame, it’ll soon burn out as there’s no fuel to feed a fire in there.
But without specifics it’s hard to say exactly what happened.
As to a replacement machine for that money that will last that long, all I can say is, good luck with that. In my opinion, other than for light use, there’s no chance of any in that range that will see out the same service as your old Bosch.
K.
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
Yep 100{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} no mistake. The detectors went off and it smoked out my kitchen and living room with grey smoke, I can still smell it now many hours on. If I hadnt spotted it early it could have heated up plastic parts to melting or caught other items inside alight.
Being in an inaccessible part of the machine I could only see a reflection of the flame flickering from the sides of the drum space down the front of it but I was more interested in chucking down as much water as it took to stop the smoking than assess how much flame was in there. I heard hissing noise so whatever it was was getting hot and fuming bad, definitely working up to be a kitchen fire.
Have not had time to do more than secure and fix my waste and deal with the draining down and all the cleaning up mess, finding a capable replacement machine is key and then I want find out how to open up this firetrap Bosch and see exactly what parts failed, just my research on new machines tonight has been slow (everyone swore by Bosch 12 years ago) and I have no idea who owns which brand names and who sells genuinely good machines. The only one standing out is Samsung for its 5 year warranty, but I have no idea if they are good machines.
EDIT: Have opened the firetrap Bosch up from the bottom, ouch!! Fire looks like it was caused by vibration failure of a power cable attached to the drum, causing arcing to heat up the whole contact plate enough to melt and ignite the plastic splash cover above it. Its a melted unrepairable mess with black smoke damage up the drum front and rubber. I took a few snaps but its a bit gloomy on my phone, will take some tomorrow in better light and post the links here.
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
Sounds like the heating element….very unusual for that to happen. It wouldnt hurt to send an e-mail with photos to Bosch but as the machine is well out of warranty what I think they will susjest is to send out one of their engineers to inspect the machine at your expense. So probley best put your money into a new machine.
When buying a new machine a good judge to go by is the warenty offered….you want to be going with something that has a 5 – 10year parts warenty and pay for the extra warenty that will cover the labour also, it will be the cheapest £100 you pay. Budget the extra cover into the price of your machine.
Unfortunatly what ever you buy will more or less be gaurenteed to breakdown at least once in the next 5 years.
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
Samsung really aren’t very good IMHO and, you’ll struggle to find many or even any of the guys to recommend them.
Looks great to customers with all the marketing whizz bang but, not actually great product. Their marketing is more reliable.
K.
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
Ive never heard of a wfo doing this. Why didn’t it blow fuse or trip rcd on the consumer unit? I would be checking if the earth is connected on socket and Mains plug?
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
@simon46 it was still operating at that point, the wash was still going, infact I replugged it back in briefly to run the drain cycle before ripping it out fully. If the flame/melting had got to the control board I expect it would have fused but it was localised to the drum connector block.@all Photos here.
http://i.imgur.com/lPQ8OVE.jpg General Area, blackening is all smoke damage, it was light gray!
http://i.imgur.com/6B53qvd.jpg Contact Plate
http://i.imgur.com/xx61so3.jpg Close up of burned wire I think caused the plate to melt its surroundings
http://i.imgur.com/Ii2haCY.jpg One of the bits of melted detritus which fell to the bottom
So my main question is still is it worth bothering Bosch over this? Even tho it was a catastrophic fail which could have burned down another kitchen theyre likely to tell me to sod off right? Im certainly not paying them to look at it (as @jerry85 said they might), I know its dead, I dont need their engineer to tell me that.
Had a quick look in our local Currys, not good for someone who suffers from choice paralysis! So many machines, so few differences, so many hidden gotchas, im so out of my depth. As a technical guy I feel I have to review all the options and choose the right one but its just not my field. Should I just close my eyes and point at one? 😮
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
Loose spade terminals causing arcing and heating of the wire plastic insulation.
Maybe a leak from doorseal above. Do you have an rcd on your consumer unit?Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
Its not too clear in the first picture but the far right wire was burned through and disconnected from its spade terminal which was still attached to its pin, my guess is from checking/pressing on the loom I can see a small movement in the clip that the motor>terminal loom was secured to, meaning gradually as the drum vibrated wash after wash the wire had broken inside its sheath causing arcing, which in turn heated up the whole metal plate causing the plastic surrounding to ignite.
No RCD, is an older property still on a fused box. Like I said the machine was still washing away and even completed the drain cycle while it was on fire pumping out smoke. No evidence of door seal leak, am almost certain it was the power wire from the controller arcing.
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
On an RCD that’d likely have tripped the RCD a long time ago.
But no, Bosch will just say it’s a failure due to age and won’t want to know I shouldn’t think and, in all honesty, it’s realistically a bit much (maybe even unreasonable) to ask them to take much to do with it at the age and with the circumstance.
K.
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
Oddly enough it looks fixable! New heater plus wires and new crimp terminals. Oh and buy yourself a plug in rcd if you have a wylex fusebox !
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
Simon46 wrote:Oddly enough it looks fixable! New heater plus wires and new crimp terminals. Oh and buy yourself a plug in rcd if you have a wylex fusebox !
I echo the thoughts of the last speaker. Common failure given it’s age. Easily fixable and inexpensive. Here’s to another 12 yrs service once it’s done :tup:
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
Just to end the story (thanks for all the replies guys!!) I had time to take the front off tonight
http://i.imgur.com/cMSB2W7.jpg
After the comments here I looked up a new heater/thermostat, they were inexpensive so I did the teardown to assess viability. I think the conclusion must be there may be issues keeping it watertight going forward? 😆
Still havnt worked out what to replace it with, every time I find something well reviewed reevoo is right there to tell me whats wrong with it. The only thing I know is its not going to be a Bosch!! :fire:
My search for reliability continues!!
Re: My 12 Year old Bosch Classixx 1400 just caught fire
OMG. That is shocking. Ive never seen one do that.
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