Can Hotpoint get any worse

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

iadom wrote:Answers on a post card.

the top balance weight was very loose and had severely damaged the top mounting lugs and top concrete weight. ……I have read one report on this forum, of WMA top weight lugs snapping off, but to be honest this is the first time I have had any problems with WMA type weight fixings. It may well be that someone has altered the torque settings for the mounting bolts, oh what joy. 😥

Had a loose top weight on one such the other day. Half the lugs worn away. I asked the lady if she had anything suitable to use as packing for the holes. She brought out a selection of single unmatched socks. I wrapped them round the lugs,replaced weight and tightened up carefully so as not to strip the plastic threads. I told her to call me at the first sign of noise next time and I’ll take some suitable lockwashers to replace the ones which have all their teeth worn off. 🙂

Wonder how many jobs I’ve sent to Merloni engineers(?) by assuming that noisy WMA’s would be bearings?

[Phidom]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

I’ve noticed that the bottom weights on WMAs have loads of play on the lugs until you tighten the screws. The first one I did I packed the gap with silicone, assuming there was a metal insert or something missing but then I found they are all like that.

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

Phidom wrote: … assuming there was a metal insert or something missing ….

I found a couple of very much eroded bits of sheet metal stuck in the gaps.

[iadom]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

The metal inserts are only used on the top balance weight, and then only on the front and rear left mountings.

[electrofix]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

the early machines used metal inerts on the front weight as well but no doubt to save 10p they have been removed

[Penguin45]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

electrofix wrote: 10p

As much as that? I have no doubt that the bean counters have beaten the design wonks into submission to the last fraction of a penny…. And now the customer pays. Probably part of the plan from the beginning.

Chris.

[burns]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

Although I have no sympathy with the cost cutting done by these guys every screw has had the threads removed to save a penny (dont take literaly), but this sound like a torque setting problem in the factory, rather like what was encountered on the wm range some years ago, with the top weight coming loose.
Although they’ve taken away every cost, and filled this machine with Indecent electronics, its still the same wma drum, the s/steel cups were omitted a few years ago with no real effect?
if this is just becoming apparent it would suggest a tooling problem, or the robot fitting the screws should have three shredded wheat before next shift.

💡 Now these robots are been paid by Indesit Co, they wont get Shredded wheat anymore it will be pasta shapes, cooked by robots of course..

[eastlmark]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

kwatt wrote:Well…

Everyone knows that Daewoo is now a rebadged Chrysler or whatever
.

Chevy, ken, Chevy.

[kwatt]

Trust you! 😆 🙄

So long as you got the point… 😉

K.

[jimbo2207]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

I was talking to one of the guys in the factory about this problem, we see a lot of them. He tells me it’s caused by cement dust getting under the washers when the bolts are fitted (it’s an automatic machine operation), cement dust builds up in the counterweight and bolt fitting machine, and every now and then it ends up under some washers, so when the bolts are torqued down by the machine it is onto a cushion of dust, when the machine goes into service, vibration causes the dust to shake out, and voila! a loose counterweight.
Normally we catch them before any damage is done because the owner compains about excessive noise on spin.

[leavemetogetonwithit]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

jimbo2207 wrote:
Normally we catch them before any damage is done because the owner compains about excessive noise on spin.

What’s the policy in these cases? Quick drum change? 😉 (Presumably you’ve got six drums in the van anyway as you don’t know whether it’ll be weight or bearings). 😆
Seriously, I take my hat off to you, 70 odd minutes.
Mike.

[iadom]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

Unfortunately I have to answer my own question with a resounding yes they can. 😥

Longstanding customer phoned me yesterday. Bought a new Hotpoint washer ( they insist on buying them because I have always repaired them 😳 )

Machine arrived last Monday, faulty on first use. Supplier exchanged for a new one which ran for two days then went with a bang, they reluctantly agreed to a service call and the Indesit Co engineer confirmed a major failure requiring parts he didn’t have. A third machine was delivered on Friday and that also failed on first use. 😥

The upshot is, the customer has demanded, and been given a refund, a shiny new ISE is going in tomorrow. 8)

[kwatt]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

iadom wrote:The upshot is, the customer has demanded, and been given a refund, a shiny new ISE is going in tomorrow. 8)

Result then. 😉

Thank you Mr Merloni, keep up the good work. 😆

K.

[indespoint]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

I can honestly say the problem of loose counterweights is not a common one in fact i cant remember that last time i tightened one up
20 years ago Hotpoint machines were made near Colwyn Bay in North Wales. Merloni now Indesit company bought Hotpoint. The machines ARE still made in North Wales just south of Ryhl. What is inside the machines had been changed but what business man with any sense would make a product for one company totally different from another that he owned?
Ok so what is inside a hotpoint has changed from the past models but hey thats progress. Maybe you should look inside an Ariston or a Creda because they are remarkably similar too.
The same goes for lots of comapnies. Ideal boilers, who I worked for previously bought boilers from Italy and badged them up. What matters most is surely quality and reliability.
If you were to stand on any city street and asked people what washing machine they own and would they but another of the same make you would get those who would and those who not have another no matter what make.
Ok Im slightly biased I work for Indesit but I know from experience both past and present, 6 years as an engineer with Hoover or should that be Candy?
There are engineers out there that when called to a Hotpoint machine that will change the part that is faulty on a machine less than 5 years old knowing very well that it would be cheaper for the customer to call the manufacturer out on the 5 year free parts.
I have also had local repairers complain that they cant repair newer models of Hotpoint machines due to the power module having a programmable chip in it. Hotpoint sell the chips already programmed for the machines for this purpose, mind you if us manufacturers engineers use them we get told off as we have our laptops to program blank chips.

[gegsy]

Re: Can Hotpoint get any worse

indespoint wrote:20 years ago Hotpoint machines were made near Colwyn Bay in North Wales.

Llandudno Junction to be exact, and cracking machines they were

Merloni now Indesit company bought Hotpoint. The machines ARE still made in North Wales just south of Rhyl

Bodelwyddan and they not the same breed at all. I can see this closing and manufacture being moved to Italy and just using the site for Northern distribution, cheaper I would imagine 😉

Greg

[Author]

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