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Thread: Spares for UK model Washing Machines

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Waikanae Beach
    Posts
    176

    Default Spares for UK model Washing Machines

    Our Hotpoint Aquarius stopped working the week before Christmas.
    The door lock light wouldn't light when it was set to any wash program.
    Long story short... There was nothing wrong with the door lock and an exhaustive search on t'interweb (as my dad used to call it) told me that the problem was with the carbon brushes in the motor being worn (sounded a bit implausible but turned out to be true).
    I couldn't get any brushes from anywhere in NZ so I ordered some from a UK based firm called ESpares.
    All I got from these people was lame excuse followed by lame excuse as to why they hadn't shipped an "in stock" item for over 14 days.
    I cancelled the order and got my money back and reordered the items (much cheaper) from a place called UK Whitegoods Ltd (they have a web site and you can pay by PayPal as well as all the other usual methods) and this morning less than a week from ordering the brushes turned up.

    So, if you are bringing a New Washing machine with you (they are way too expensive over here in my opinion and I wouldn't use a "Top Loader" which is 80% of what is available over here... very 1950's) then it would pay to get the spares like brushes and possibly door seals, drive belt etc. before you leave and bring them with you, our machine was new and lasted 2 months less than 5 years which is very good, but being without a washing machine with the closest laundrette some 25 miles away is not a pleasant experience.

    I took out the original brushes and cleaned the accumulated carbon powder out of them, cleaned the commutator, put them back and it started working again and got us through the holidays but the brushes were very worn down, new ones have around 1.5 inches of Spring Loaded carbon and the original ones were worn to around 3/16" but still worked after a good cleaning out.

    So if you are bringing a washer with you buy a spare set of brushes for when it stops working.
    If you are already here then use "UK Whitegoods Ltd".
    If it stops working first remove and totally clean the existing brushes as this could extend its run-time by just enough to get the new ones through.

    Hope my experience will be of use to someone.

    Cheers
    G

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Waikanae Beach
    Posts
    176

    Default

    Just an update : -
    Since I cleaned the carbon powder from the brushes which allowed the spring-loaded carbon to move freely again, the machine is Still working on the original brushes, I will fit the new ones when it eventually fails again.

    Should your machine fail, then remove and clean the brushes (and get the exact part number for ordering spares) which should give you more than enough time to order and receive replacement parts while it is still useable.

    Cheers
    G
    Last edited by Falcon_XR6; 12th January 2013 at 10:42 AM. Reason: typo

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