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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2009 19:41:15 GMT
It is one of those strange European washer-dryer ones (which doesn't really dry unless you let it run for 2 or 3 hours), and what is strange is that something starts leaking during either the spin or the dry cycle but not during the wash cycle when the greatest amount of water is present. Yes, I have checked the lint trap.
I have checked the connections and plastic tubes (water in, water out) and have found nothing abnormal.
It isn't a big leak yet -- if I put paper towels on the floor in front of it (since my floor is slanted in this old building, I know in which direction the water will go), they get wet but not totally sodden. But it seems to be getting worse.
The machine is about 16 years old now, which is probably a ripe old age, but it has always worked perfectly, so it seems to be kind of stupid to just buy a new machine, even though it is not a financial problem.
Does anybody have any ideas about what is leaking and why?
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Post by Jazz on May 15, 2009 20:03:28 GMT
First, you should call in your favorite handyman/plumber that has done reliable work for you at a good price. My washer and dryer moved with me into the house and are now 27 years old and work perfectly. Once, I needed to have the dryer minimally repaired. Washers and dryers cost a fortune today, so it's worth it to have in an experienced workman.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2009 20:13:17 GMT
We had a washing machine malfunction recently and rather than pay for the plumber to come out and charge the $75.00-80.00US,just to come out,someone suggested that MrC. go t o the plumbing supply place and describe the problem(water overflow).So he did ,and the woman who handles all this stuff immediately knew what the problem was and gave him the part(some kind of shut off valve).$ 12.00 later our machine was fixed.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2009 20:18:37 GMT
Unfortunately, the only wonderful handyman that I knew, Mr Gonzales, the husband of the news merchant and knitting supply woman on rue Pajol, told me the last time that I asked that he is too old to do anything and had given all of his tools away to his son-in-law. So I am up the creek in terms of non outrageously priced assistance.
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Post by spindrift on May 15, 2009 20:31:32 GMT
Yes, I have an idea of why it might be leaking.
When you say you've checked the lint trap, do you mean it's the filter?
It might be that the filter needs cleaning out and emptying. How often do you do this? It should be done regularly. I do mine about once every 8 months. My machine's filter is at the bottom of the machine, near the floor. It is usually full of lint, perhaps a paper clip might be there plus calcium salts from the hard water.
My lint trap and filter are in different places. Actually they are in different machines!
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Post by auntieannie on May 15, 2009 20:36:33 GMT
maybe a slight ... I have to use the french word "jeu" around one of the pipes? or a washer that is slightly loose?
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Post by Jazz on May 15, 2009 20:54:10 GMT
Unfortunately, the only wonderful handyman that I knew, Mr Gonzales, the husband of the news merchant and knitting supply woman on rue Pajol, told me the last time that I asked that he is too old to do anything and had given all of his tools away to his son-in-law. So I am up the creek in terms of non outrageously priced assistance. OK, You need to progress to step 2, outrageously priced assistance. For this, get a recommendation from a trusted friend who has used the expensive assistance. Think in this way.... 1. High priced labour: 50-70Euro/hour (?) for maybe a 2 hour job? or... 2. New washer/dryer: Perhaps 600-1,000Euro?
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2009 20:59:07 GMT
I cleaned the filter (you are correct -- a lint trap is in a dryer only); there was not much crud in it, but I removed it. All of the pipe connections were dry, so I don't think the problem is there even though that is what I was hoping. The water seems to be coming from somewhere under the machine, but washing machines are much too heavy to tip over and look under.
I just wish Calgon did not do so many horrible TV commercials showing people having total flood problems because they did not use the proper water softener. They always show a plumber chipping calcite off the drum with a chisel, but my damned drum does not have any calcite on it! (I think.)
I did just a very small load of laundry today and had just a small leak. But I have some heavy stuff to wash over the weekend, and it will be interesting to see if heavier stuff causes a heavier leak. I will remain vigilant during the entire cycle.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 15, 2009 22:10:58 GMT
Going to the hardware store or the plumbing supply place and asking is a good idea. If there are old guys in the store at the time, that's all to the good. They'll probably be familiar with your type machine & its problems and happy to chime in with advice.
You can tip the machine over -- preferably with the assistance of another person. If there's no one to help you, push the washer out from the wall & place a large chair or hassock in front of it. Make sure that piece is braced or blocked so that it can't slide, then tip the washer on to it. Get down there with a flashlight to see what you can see or feel. For god's sakes, UNPLUG the machine before you do any of this.
Before tipping get together everything you might need -- pliers or wrenches to disconnect one thing from another, some dry rags, some teflon tape -- that kind of thing.
You might be able to clean the washer the way one does an automatic coffee maker -- pour in a lot of vinegar, let the machine agitate a bit, then put it on drain cycle long enough to get some vinegar down in the tubing. Let that set an hour or so, then finish draining. This could also be a good way to make everything worse, so check with someone much more knowledgeable than I (almost anyone!) before proceeding.
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Post by hwinpp on May 16, 2009 1:39:48 GMT
Get a new one, K2. Imagine what you'll be saving in electricity and water! You too, Jazz!
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2009 4:45:35 GMT
Get a new one, K2. Imagine what you'll be saving in electricity and water! You too, Jazz! That's what I am thinking -- new machines work better and they are much more energy efficient.
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Post by spindrift on May 16, 2009 7:43:38 GMT
K - you are fortunate that your machine has lasted 16 years. My machines never last longer than 6 or 7 at most and I buy good makes such as AEG. I don't understand it (unless it's due to a build up of calcium salts inside). My fridge and separate freezer seem to give up as well. Nowadays I suspsect that machines (especially printers) are programmed to expire so that we are forced to buy new ones. I did complain about Epson printers to an Epson representative who cornered me in John Lewis whilst I was choosing a new Canon printer, and she more or less confirmed my theory.
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Post by BigIain on May 16, 2009 12:47:32 GMT
After 15 years you should replace it if you can afford to. You could pay for a repair but on an old machine something else could leak or break next week and so on.
Is it a quaint top loading machine like the type your countrymen so adore??
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2009 16:08:52 GMT
No, in France just about all machines are the water saving front loaders. This particular machine was built in Slovakia, I think -- it was the BHV department store house brand.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2009 20:01:01 GMT
I dared to do another load of laundry tonight, and the situation is even more mysterious. (Paper towels and a rag were set down just in case. And since the floor is slanted -- even though the machine itself has been straightened with a level -- it makes it easy to know where any water will run.)
No leakage at all during the wash cycle.
No leakage during the spin cycle (which is what I suspected).
The leakage happens during the 'dry' cycle. These weird European combi machines do not dry like North American machines. There is some sort of suction while the machine continues to tumble and heat up, but there is no hot air like in 'normal' dryers. Yes, the result is quite unsatisfactory unless you really follow the instructions and only dry half a load at a time, but doing that is even more unsatisfactory to me. I prefer to take the stuff out damp and hot and let it finish drying in the bathroom.
Anyway, the leak on my machine happens only when the machine is pretending to dry what is inside. All I can imagine is that there is some little crack in the drainage hose that opens when it gets warm?
Tonight's leak was not as bad as last time -- the paper towels hardly got wet at all, so I am more confused than before.
On the good side, at least I am not as scared to wash my clothes anymore. If I don't use the pathetic dry cycle at all, maybe I won't have any problems.
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Post by auntieannie on May 18, 2009 20:59:41 GMT
I rarely ever use the dryer cycle of the machine here. only with items that would take forever to dry otherwise (and smell musty in the process).
I was always told that these washer-dryer machines weren't that good. usually they are either good at washing OR at drying, but not both.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2009 21:03:16 GMT
Mine is good at washing (of course my clothes are never dirty anyway! ), but the drying has always been crappy. That's why I am (almost) hoping to need to buy a new machine.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 18, 2009 21:13:11 GMT
I had one of those when I lived on the boat. My whole attitude towards the dryer was, "how dare you call yourself a dryer?!"
Do you have anyplace to dry your clothes on a line -- the roof, maybe? Would it make any sense to keep the washer & buy a separate dryer? I imagine space is always an issue with stuff like that.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2009 21:19:56 GMT
No place to put a dryer. I couldn't even put it on top of the washer because the hot water heater is there!
But actually, the items dry very quickly when I spread them around the kitchen and the bathroom. I just need to be sure that no visitors will arrive unexpectedly.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2009 22:47:03 GMT
My mom used to have one which washed and then dried. It took so long to dry though, in the end she gave up on the dryer cycle completely.
16 years is a long time for a washing machine to last. Mine never seem to last more than a couple of years at the most. Yep, I agree, investing in a new one will save you a lot of electricity in the end. Do you have a Sears store or outlet near you? I find their machines are really well made, although they may be a bit more expensive to buy initially.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 18, 2009 23:49:17 GMT
You need a retractable clothesline. The link shows the kind I have, although there are many others, such as this: . Having a line inside is great for working people, since there's no point in leaving clothes outside on the line to get rained on before you return from work. With the single line retractable clothesline, simply mount it and find a place to put an eye hook in order to attach the other end. Unless your palace has a ballroom, you're unlikely to have a 40' run. I simply attached another hook next to the retracting device, ran the line to the far hook, then back to the hook next to the retractor. In fact, you don't even have to have the retractor. Simply put some hooks fairly high up on the wall and run clothesline between them when you need to dry stuff. Look how happy these people are with their drying devices! I can see a few make-your-own ideas in that.
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Post by spindrift on May 19, 2009 8:27:14 GMT
My dryer is stacked on top of my washing machine. I can't do without a dryer. I use it mainly for drying towels, sheets and duvet covers. It has never given me any trouble and is 100% efficient.
I have a horror of using towels that have been dried over radiators. They become stiff and are uncomfortable to use.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2009 8:39:56 GMT
Anyway, the urgency of getting a new machine went down a tiny notch on the list yesterday, but it is going to be reviewed every time I do a load of laundry.
The only problem now is that I can't run the machine at night, because I have to sneak up on it regularly to make sure it isn't doing anything it shouldn't. Electricity is cheaper in Paris between 23:00 and 07:00 so I always used to start the machine when I went to bed and empty it in the morning.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 19, 2009 16:27:40 GMT
Is there any way to slip a shallow pan underneath it to catch any leaks? Then you can slumber peacefully and save on electricity.
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2009 11:18:48 GMT
What's the latest K? Could something have rusted or corroded?
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2009 12:00:00 GMT
Maybe this weekend I will tip the machine up and take a look underneath. If I see no trace of leakage there, I will know that it is a simple matter of a leaking drainage hose.
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Post by bjd on May 20, 2009 19:09:22 GMT
Kerouac, most French apartments have top-loader washing machines -- it's a question of space, since they are either in the kitchen or the bathroom. My old Siemens machine was on its last legs a year ago -- after 20 years. I changed it rather than investing in a second big repair. The new one (a Bosch) is quieter, uses less energy and water. A friend changed her 27-year-old Miele about the same time. Again, it was fixable, but the new ones are much more efficient.
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2009 19:45:45 GMT
I think top loaders are extremely rare in France. However, I will see which of us is correct the next time to go to Darty.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2009 12:58:17 GMT
Weekend's over. What's the verdict?
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2009 13:36:29 GMT
Oh stop reminding me!
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