How Long do Washing Machines Last?

When it comes time to upgrade your outdated, crumbling washing machine, there are a number of things that can affect your subsequent buy. Value, model trust, critiques, technical specs and capabilities are all components that may affect your alternative. However maybe one of an important issues that anyone wants from a washing machine is longevity.

As a washing machine is an investment akin to a new Television, laptop computer or a dishwasher, it’s vital that you just get probably the most years potential out of this investment. So how lengthy should you anticipate a washing machine to last?

Client research by sustainability charity WRAP (Waste & Assets Motion Programme) found that we anticipate model new washing machines to final six years before needing changed.

Then again, you could know some folks who have had their washing machine for 10, 20 and even 30 years. And what are you able to do to increase their life? So how long ought to washing machines final?

Why Solely Six Years?

While we might have talked about the likes of TVs and laptops, the primary purpose we regularly exchange these devices just isn’t necessarily as a result of these devices have stopped working; we simply need a greater user expertise.

Yet with regards to white goods similar to washing machines, most of us are content material with proudly owning a machine that gives our clothes an excellent clear in a timely vogue – irrespective of the machine’s age.

So why do washing machines now have a life cycle that is comparable to shopper electronics?

Up to now, washing machines were constructed to last. They have been strong and ready to stand up to the demands of families with 2-four kids. Additionally, repair costs have been cheaper because manufacturers would offer good prices on spare elements and they would provide extensive technical information to repairers.

In the present day, nonetheless, the story is slightly completely different. It’s not atypical to find newer washing machines requiring restore after just 18 months of service.

What changed?

Washing machine manufacturers are producing extra cheaply made fashions than ever before. This approach is just not exclusive to the white goods business – it has been adopted by many businesses throughout all consumer goods industries.

As such, low cost goods and longevity not often go hand-in-hand.

On prime of this, washing machine repairers are additionally having a tougher time of it too. While there may be extra washing machines in want of repair than ever, the cost of spare elements for newer fashions has gone up and it’s tougher to obtain technical assist from manufacturers.

So while a washing machine will undergo a few repair cycles, there reaches a point when it starts to be extra financially reasonable for purchasers to contemplate buying another washing machine slightly than have an older, failing mannequin repaired.

That being stated, it’s nonetheless potential to search out good washing machines that have been constructed to manage hundreds of hundreds – which, depending on utilization levels, can final so long as 20 or 30 years.

But today’s cheaper models can usually only handle a whole bunch of masses earlier than buckling beneath the stress. In case you are putting on a wash as soon as a day, your machine might be previous its cycle life in simply a couple of years.

Washing producer Indesit say that they expect their products to final 7-eight years. On the opposite finish of the scale, Miele say that their machines are examined to final for 20 years. As Indesit also owns the Hotpoint brand, it is fair to say that this standard seemingly applies to these machines too.

Yet, with the exception of some Miele models, most washing machine manufacturers provide warranties that last just one year.

Analysis by Candy Hoover reveals that the common Brit is likely to do 2.6 washes a week or 135 washes a 12 months. From this, we can extrapolate that a pair will perform 270 washes a 12 months; whereas a family of 4 will put on 540 washes a year.

Once you realise that many cheaper washing machine fashions have been constructed to handle a whole bunch of cycles, you start to know why we’ve poor expectations of our washing machines.

Unfortunately, while manufacturers know how many cycles every of their models could be anticipated to carry out, this information isn’t straightforward to search out. As a substitute, we’ll hear all about power consumption rankings, drum or spin velocity and noise levels.

Whereas all of these components are undoubtedly important, none of that information tells you the way long a machine will final. So it pays to perform some analysis and ask questions of manufacturers to find out what washing machine would fit your lifestyle.

How Can I Extend My Washing Machine’s Life Cycle?

The great news is that you should utilize this new data to to find a machine that suits your purposes. But what about your current washing machine? Is there something you can do to keep it ticking over?

Thankfully, with planning and care, try to be able prolong the life of your washing machine.

There are a number of factors that can have an effect on how long a washing machine lasts – comparable to how much you are utilizing the machine, the amount of detergent being used, set up procedures and the load of your hundreds.

For instance, in case you overload your machine with a heavier load than it has been built to take, this will just put unnecessary pressure on the machine’s bearings – which can cause them to prematurely fail. By that same measure, beneath-loading your washing machine can be a waste of a cycle.

Whilst you may be tempted to stuff each final dirty t-shirt into the drum, it’s essential to follow producer guidelines on the machine’s capacity. This ensures that you’re not solely getting probably the most out of your machine possible, but that you can keep that trip to the scrapyard (and accountant) at bay for the time being.

Moreover, it’s vital to get your washing machine checked and repaired by a professional as soon as you notice any problems. It’s tempting to maintain utilizing the machine if it nonetheless works despite the issue, however the difficulty may very well be indicative of a wider complication in the innards of the machine. It might even trigger different points that can end up being dearer to repair.

Approaching an organization reminiscent of Restore Aid for skilled washing machine repairs is essential to ensure the long-term health of your equipment. It’s all the time price discovering out how much your machine will price to repair before you consider investing tons of or thousands of pounds on a brand new washing machine.