New washer help- ISE in utility room too risky?

[domdom272]

I’ve been reading up on the buying guide section here on ukwhitegoods.co.uk to try to decide on which washing machine to buy… I have discovered ISE and admire its ethos but I do have a few questions…

1.The location of our current washer is in a conservatory style utility room. This is unheated and does get cold and damp in winter and hot in summer so doesn’t sound ideal as per your location advice section. However our last washer lasted six years in there and finally broke as its bearings have gone and its a hotpoint so is uneconomical to repair…my point is it does not seem to have broken due to the hot/cold and damp. It would be very inconvenient, impractical and costly to take up the tiled kitchen floor to re plumb in the kitchen and then it would have less space for air circulation and would probably be semi boxed in/fitted (ie cupboard sides but no door) so trading one set of problems for another…what would you advise in our circumstance?

The second question is more theoretical: In buying ISE appliances we are paying more so that they last longer. They guarantee for 10yrs but say the washer may last 20yrs. This is theoretically amazing. However in ten years time technology will have changed/improved, parts may no longer be available, their company may no longer exist, I may no longer exist etc. So aren’t I still better off buying a £200-300 machine which will last 3yrs (maybe more if I get lucky) so that I can upgrade every 3yrs to the latest advances in technology at a cost of £80-100 per year rather than take a risk on a machine which may still break, may become technologically out-dated and won’t reach costs of £80-100 per year until its tenth birthday? It just seems a big financial risk that’s all…the eco argument doesn’t stack up either as my input/choices will be irrelevant in world terms…depressing thought but no getting away from it. Even if all comparatively wealthy westerners go eco (which they doubtless won’t) there is still 90{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of the worlds population who, if they can even afford any of these things will have no choice but to get the cheapest (and probably not the knowledge about the issues why not either). Am I just feeling negative today or are we all doomed?

[kwatt]

Re: New washer help- ISE in utility room too risky?

To be quite candid, any machine that you put in that environment with electronics in it at severe risk of an early demise.

K.

[domdom272]

Re: New washer help- ISE in utility room too risky?

Thanks K,

Is there anything I could do to make the environment more suitable other than put the washer in my kitchen? It is a very small kitchen and it would involve re-plumbing (very costly) and as I said, even then they would be boxed in with little room to “breathe” so wouldn’t we be swopping one problem for another?

[kwatt]

Re: New washer help- ISE in utility room too risky?

Possibly you could be swapping one problem for another, that is possible, if less likely.

But in the end, it’s equally pointless spending a heap of cash on something then wrecking it just because of where you want to put it.

These days, if you wouldn’t run anything that has sensitive electronics in the location then that location is unsuitable for modern kitchen appliances as virtually all of them have electronics and every single one, without exception, is sensitive to operational temperatures and conditions.

This means, sadly, that even some kitchens are unsuitable believe it or not.

Damage caused by an unsuitable environment will not be covered by anyone’s warranty either, you’ll be on your own.

K.

[domdom272]

Re: New washer help- ISE in utility room too risky?

Wow, that is shocking news, especially since most people keep their white goods in the kitchen which is one of the most humid rooms in the house and usually if not integrated they are at least boxed in under a counter and sandwiched next to other appliances….surely that or a cold utility room (or even garage) is in fact the situation of the majority of people and therefore “normal” use?

I do have the space in my kitchen as I said, but that is going to be boxed in. How much airflow/space does a washing machine need? If I go this route it will be next to a condenser tumble dryer side by side under a counter top with side panels but no front door panel. If I set up in the utility room I can get a vented tumbler (generally better?) but I cannot vent if I set up in the kitchen…although maybe a heat pump condensing tumbler would help with the humidity in the room? (does it?)

My other idea is to buy 100mm insulation panels and insulate the utility room walls and roof, still no heating in there. Thing is, how do I then “air” the room to reduce humidity without opening a window/installing an airbrick or something which would then make it cold again? Catch 22!

Many thanks again for your thought on this tricky situation….

[domdom272]

Re: New washer help- ISE in utility room too risky?

Update: Just spoke to wife and we decided to go with the “insulated utility room” idea. Do you have any other ideas on how to make this space more suitable for our new washing machine/tumble dryer in addition to the insulation boards?

Thanks!

[kwatt]

Re: New washer help- ISE in utility room too risky?

You would be surprised at the number of machines that suffer problems due to condensation forming on electronics and causing corrosion problems.

Loads of people do it, many get away with but that doesn’t mean we can endorse it or tell you that everything will be peachy because, it might not be.

Normal operating conditions is considered to be a normal heated indoor room generally between about 10?C and roughly 32?C as anything outside those ranges can lead to issues, especially so with tumble dryers and refrigeration which are almost sure to have issues beyond those temperatures, up or down. Go lower you get condensation on metal and cool surfaces as well as electronics, which I suspect may be the issue that you might face. Higher and stuff like a dryer not condensing starts to happen as the air drawn in is to warm to allow the process to take place.

Which is why there are several articles on here and, has been for years, advising against the practice. A lot of it is just down to physics and, there’s not a lot anyone can do about that.

But given that the largest issue in an unheated area is condensation, I doubt very much that insulation will help with that.

K.

[Ric2013]

Re: New washer help- ISE in utility room too risky?

there is still 90{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} of the worlds population who, if they can even afford any of these things will have no choice but to get the cheapest

Luckily, they CAN’T afford these things. If you compare the carbon emissions of the average Chinaman with the average European or American, you’ll see why we’re a problem and they are not, in spite of their numbers.

And don’t be fooled into thinking UK emissions are falling. Sadly, calculations on emissions are based on country of origin. Hence China picks up the carbon tab for the products it makes for us that we used to make for ourselves. We really ARE Western pigs 🙁

(Buy a reliable eco machine and save money by not flying on holiday, or eat less meat or something, that way you’ll be saving the world twice over 🙂 )

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