Let the machine last!

Longevity of heating elements in a washing machine depends largely on the load: on how often the washing is done in the house. The heaters get limescale much faster and when washing shabby laundry large amounts of individual fabric particles are formed, precipitate and thus create the “ground” for lime deposits .

Fake detergents cause great damage to the washing machine. So it is best to buy laundry detergents not in flea markets, but in brand stores.

And yet the biggest threat to your washing machine comes from other factors.

Consultants: Wash-master service specialists

//wash-master

The main enemy lurks in the hard water

Water with a high content of calcium and magnesium ions the so-called hard water , and also including additives of insoluble mechanical impurities for example, the smallest particles of rust can put the washing machine out of operation in just 2-3 years of intensive use.

It is the solenoid valve that suffers most from mechanical particles. These particles get caught between the valve plug gaskets, get stuck there or cause accelerated wear. Particularly much of this kind of debris gets into the washing machine after preventive maintenance of the water supply system and water outages.

Only mechanical water filters with removable cartridges can be considered as a radical means which will substantially safeguard the machine parts. They are mounted directly on the water pipe.

“Chemical attack” – as a way to clean the heating element

Suffer from poor-quality tap water and heating elements. On their heating surface a scale is formed – an insoluble sediment that sharply reduces the thermal conductivity of the metal.

Scale build-up adds to the overheating of heating elements, up to their breakage up to 50% of all damages of washing machines are connected exactly to the failure of heating elements . The causes of scale formation are the calcium and magnesium bicarbonates dissolved in the water the more of these salts, the harder the water is .

When heated, the salts decompose into carbon dioxide and an insoluble sludge, which is the very scale.

There are a variety of ways to combat it. The “chemical” method is the most frequently employed. In this case the internal surfaces of the tank and fuel element are treated 2-4 times a year with acids containing agents for scale removal such as Kron Star, Kristall-Fix, “Antikipin-M” .

This method is relatively cheap quarterly treatment of the elements of the machine with domestic remedies will cost a maximum of 50-100 Dollars a year , but it can only be used if the tank is made of stainless steel or plastic, but in no case from metal with enamel coating.

For such tanks are good softeners, which can not remove limescale, but reduce the hardness of water. They need to be added to the solution with every wash.

Manufacturers of household chemicals have developed as “separate” softeners the most famous brand is Calgon added to detergents, and a complex means for machine washing Persil, Ariel , which already includes softener.

When buying a washing machine, ask the dealer which of the commercially available softener is best suited for the chosen model.

However, the chemical method of scale removal has its disadvantages: the acids present in the used agents have a negative impact on the operation of washing machines automatics when evaporated, they eat rubber seals, and as a result water can leak from the tank in addition, acid vapors worsen the ecological condition of the room.

Wash in lukewarm water and there will be no limescale

The other method is technological. It is known that the intensity of scale formation is directly proportional to the degree of water heating. For example, when the temperature is raised to 40-50 ° C is formed only a small amount of limescale.

This fact is taken into account by developers of new programs of washing and new detergents which are able to clean effectively pollution only slightly warmed up water of course, such programs and detergents are developed not only to fight with a scale, but also for the purpose of energy saving, but in this case economy is justified doubly . In short, if possible, choose for washing modes with the least heat.

Cleaning can be magnetic

Unfortunately, at very high water hardness such measures may not give a positive result. In such severe cases it is again necessary to resort to the use of external softener filters or magnetic converters.

Magnetic converters are a system of cylindrical permanent magnets, superimposed outside on the water pipe, or cut into it there are different models .

As a result of the water treatment the hydrogen bonds of its crystal lattice are broken, the calcium ions precipitate and do not reach the surface of the heating element.

Thus no limescale is formed on the heating element. Moreover, previously formed deposits are loosened by magnetically treated water, and further cleaning of surfaces takes place. Service life of the magnetic water converter is 50 years.

So, what we have in the dry residue? We have counted several options for saving the heating elements:

Use softeners, in the form of additives, with each wash according to the manufacturer’s instructions .

Install a magnetic softener on the pipe. Water passing through this kind of filter loses calcium and magnesium, reducing the formation of limescale.

Use citric acid. This method is the cheapest, but you need to know the proportions. Otherwise, too much acid can damage the rubber spigots and the manhole cuffs.

Wash at low temperatures. t.k. at boiling, sediments are formed more than, say, at 40-60 degrees.

We advise you to think: replacement, not cleaning. Count the costs that would go to the consumables for cleaning the heating element and compare them to the price of replacing the heater – it’s about 2500 Dollars. Without using any products, we recommend replacing the FEN – once every 5 years. It might be cheaper!

See the heating element and start taking action

To assess the condition of the heating element and the degree of its contamination with limescale you can. The heating element is located in the bottom of the tank, under the drum, and directly through the holes in the drum is almost not visible.

In order to get a good look inside the drum, install a light turned on with the bulb facing downwards . The drum is shaken slightly. By trial and error, it is possible to pick up the speed so as to achieve uniform illumination of the heating element and examine it.

Much easier for the owners of ASKO and Brandt machines – vertical loads. There’s a device attached to the drum that’s easy to remove and put on by hand, without any tools.

Removing it, you can not only look at the heating element, but also if necessary to remove the stuck in it a foreign object or debris caught from the tank and save on calling a master, at least 1000 Dollars .

And don’t forget that if any objects fall into the tank and get stuck there, it is forbidden to operate the machine!

Lasts indefinitely

The most common cause of the first major repair washing machine – overheating and burning of the heating element that heats the water when washing.

You can avoid this breakdown, if you install a special filter in the intake pipe, to prevent the appearance of limescale on the heating element. And since there will be no limescale on the heating element, it will not overheat, and the machine will last much longer.

The filter and the insidiousness of the fine mesh

The most insidious enemy of the washing machine is debris and rust in our pipes, to protect against which the manufacturers install a fine mesh on the water supply hose.

This is where the tricky little rust particles get trapped. After a few years the strainer becomes clogged and the water passes through less easily. At one point the water pressure becomes so weak that the washing machine begins to behave inadequately: the washing mode does not turn on, then poorly rinses the laundry.

The most unpleasant thing in this situation is that only a few owners of washing machines are able to properly understand the cause of its “strange” behavior. Many people have no idea that the strainer is to blame for the breakdown.

No less dangerous for the washing machine and the finer rust, which is not detained by the mesh. Because of it on the laundry can appear red stains, there will be plaque on the parts of the pump, valve, hoses, heater and other parts. To avoid thinking about the dangers of rust, install a mechanical water filter that will remove large contaminants.

The rubber feet – no noise!

What housewife would not want her washing machine to run more quietly?? And owners of narrow washing machines would be happy to reduce vibration.

Of course, you can try to set the washing machine strictly horizontally, but if you do not have a perfectly hard floor, the inevitable vibrations arising from the imbalance of the laundry in the drum and noise will multiply.

However, even on a concrete floor vibrations are transmitted to the floor. Trouble related to vibration can be avoided with a set of special rubber feet. They dampen vibrations, not allowing them to be transmitted to the floor.

The hose with two channels is not afraid of leakage

The most costly breakdown is the breakage of the hose that carries the water. You can, of course, buy a machine with multi-level leak protection, but there is another option.

You can buy a special hose with a leak protector. This is a double-wall hose, t.e. the hose that carries the water is inside a plastic sheath.

There is a special valve at the end of the hose. Water in normal mode goes on the inner hose, at a rupture of which the water enters the space between the hoses. It reaches the valve that automatically shuts off the flow of water.

Wash in a bag

Sadly, most service calls are due to breakdowns caused by the hostess herself.

The most common is that small items buttons, pieces of zipper, laces, bra straps, bra bones, kerchiefs and baby socks get caught between the drum and the tank.

It is impossible to remove foreign objects by oneself, and for the master this procedure is not the easiest and for the client it is also quite expensive – a few hundred Dollars .

However, it is quite realistic to avoid this. A special laundry bag will be a lifesaver in such a case. It is a reusable “bag” with a zipper or tightened with a special cord.

Its dimensions can be different. Small sacks are handy for small items like socks and kerchiefs, so you don’t have to hunt around the drum.

Another use for small bags is for things that can lose their shape when washing. This won’t happen in a wash bag.

An additional advantage of using a laundry bag is the convenience of loading. Everything you need to wash should be gently folded into a sack and loaded into the washer.

Insertion – by oneself

If you want to install a washing machine in a kitchen set, it may be that the height of the machine does not allow you to place it under the countertop. It doesn’t fit much, just a couple of centimeters.

But this shouldn’t upset you. There is a way to make a freestanding model into a built-in one. You can use a special thin metal lid to replace the tall plastic one.

This will reduce the height of the washer and allow you to place it under the countertop. If you can’t find a thin cover, try replacing it with a thick polyethylene foil. To do this, remove the top lid, put double sided tape on top, around the perimeter, and on top of that, a film.

Careful, it won’t work!

• Check the door and drum seals to make sure they are free of debris?
• Check the pockets of your clothes – remove hard objects.
• Do not load bras into the machine.k. Metal bones can damage the drum.
• Don’t wash just one thing and don’t overload the washing machine. In this case there is a lot of wear and tear on the bearings.
• Only use detergents for automatic washing machines. Powders for hand washing form a large amount of foam. This can cause flooding of electrical components and assemblies.
• After washing leave the door of the hatch ajar for better aeration, and remove the hopper for loading the powder and wash it from the remnants of conditioner and powder to prevent mold formation.