Now this might seem a silly question, but

[Phil Pascoe]

Why, when we are told incessantly to be economic with our energy usage, do washing machines and dishwashers come with a built in heater for a cold supply only? It compels us to use the most expensive energy to heat water., when often we have other ways of doing it. I'm installing a multi fuel with a boiler, and can't use hot water either from that or heated by Economy 7. Why? There must be a reason - surely a machine with no built in water heating would be cheaper to manufacture?

 

[blackrodd]

It ensure's that you have a correct amount of water in the dish washer or washing machine, at the right temperature,
saving water and power.
Some boilers are sited well away from the taps and consequently there's lots of cold water in the hot system pipeline.
So you'd have a double cold feed, in effect.
In Hospitals, they have a constant hot water supply in a "loop"going back to the boiler to ensure this is constant.
It's the easiest way to ensure an accurate 40 degree, or 60 degree wash in you're washing machine, or the 120, to 150 degrees in a dish washer, needed to combat germs etc.
Regards Rodders

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Thanks. Perfectly obvious when you know. It still grates, though, having cheap hot water that can't be used. Incidentally, in hospitals they have loop systems that ensure an endless supply of luke warm water, not hot. You ever tried getting a hot shower in hospital?
Actually, during my three month internship, we had a shower that was for the most part a trickle of luke warm water - until we thought to take the shower head off. It was a filter for legionella which cost £50 and blocked after about two days. They were changed every week.

 

[blackrodd]

'Er indoors, first dish washer lasted 12 years, It was an Indesit (I'm good to 'Er)
First washing machine lasted 6 years, pretty good for the grit and grime from building work.
Now, with all these energy rated appliances don't seem to last.
I buy the cheapest from Currys and a 3 year insurance policy, seems to work out cheapest.
About 4 years ago, in One week, tumble dryer, washing machine, dish washer and a freezer from Sunday to friday.
All burnt out or not repairable, one after another! Now I do the insurance thing.
Stupid bloke down our waste disposal had a go 'cos I'd unloaded the 3rd thing, dish washer, I think, and had exceeded some limit or other, Well, 'Er indoors was in the van and not wanting to experience that look again, I locked the boxer and drove off, I was half expecting a letter from the Council, but didn't get one.
Not really helpful when we like to try and stop fly tipping is it?
Regards Rodders

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That doesn't apply here - I pass three scrap yards on the way to the "recycling centre".

 

[RobinBHM]

Hot and cold fill used to be common but there are none available in the UK market now.

A bit frustrating for people that have solar hot water, they have to resort to the 2nd hand market.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My mother bought me a Creda washing machine at an auction for £22. I asked her why, and she said she thought I might find a spare one handy. :? I put it in the basement and it got used for all the really filthy stuff, work clothes, dog's blankets, training shoes, you name it. It ran without fault for years after the good one packed up.

 

[John Brown]

Surely, if you ave a very short pipe run from boiler or whatever to the washing machine, you can connect the hot feed to the cold fill inlet?

 

[MIGNAL]

The modern machines use very little water. By the time the boiler has heated the water the machines pressure switch has probably activated. The gains would be very marginal.
You might be able to do the first fill using a hose pipe via the soap drawer. Not that I've tried it but it certainly was possible on the old machines. Doubt anyone will go to that trouble though.

 

[Steve Maskery]

My first ever job was at the Creda site, in the Russell Hobbs factory putting the pins in the backs of electric kettles. I must have been 16 and was put on a production line of women. They ate me alive.

In pairs, we had to do 800 units a day. I started by operating some kind of punch machine; put the pins in a holder, place the handle on top and pull the lever. The pins were riveted in. Then they went to the pairs, one soldered over the riveting and the other squirted silicone sealant over the soldering, so we were breathing acetic acid fumes all day. It stank.

I earned 40p per hour, £16 a week. I was made.

 

[RogerM]

Surely, if you ave a very short pipe run from boiler or whatever to the washing machine, you can connect the hot feed to the cold fill inlet?

But then you would be using expensive hot water for all the rinses as well, when normally the machine would use cold without heating it.

The "cold fill" issue was what stopped us going fora solar thermal HW system. When we totted up what we needed hot water for, we had to discount the washing machine and dishwasher which are both cold fill. Then we tend to shower rather than bath, and we do very little washing by hand as we use the dishwasher. Ultimately we worked out that we would be installing about £5k worth of kit just to heat water for one shower a day, plus a bit of hand washing. It would never be worth it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

We've just gone down this route. I'm having a multifuel stove (a Dowling ) with a boiler fitted. I couldn't really justify the boiler (the water heating's economy 7) but with electricity being our only power source I wanted to diversify, which of course is one reason for the stove.

 

[rafezetter]

That doesn't apply here - I pass three scrap yards on the way to the "recycling centre".

why even bother with that? Put it on the drive with "free to coll....." and it'll be gone by the gyppo's before you can even finish the sign

 

[blackrodd]

That doesn't apply here - I pass three scrap yards on the way to the "recycling centre".

why even bother with that? Put it on the drive with "free to coll....." and it'll be gone by the gyppo's before you can even finish the sign

I read, last week some bloke did just that!, left a washing machine on his path, and a sign reading "working Washing machine, free of charge" and it stayed on his path for two days,
He changed the sign to "for sale working washing machine £30.00 and someone stole it the same morning.
And I can just see that happening!
Regards Rodders

 

[misterfish]

I was told that by starting with hot water in the machine that there was a greater risk of setting stains and stuff in the material making it more difficult to clean. Mind you, with both a hot and cold fill there was no reason why the pre-wash couldn't use cold water. I assume that fewer components should reduce cost and increase reliability.

Misterfish

 

[KevM]

I've never used one, nor even seen one, but Which magazine happened to mention recently that Fisher & Paykel machines do hot & cold supply. They sell direct from their website, but their dealers seem to be clustered in and around the M25 - so you might struggle to see one in the flesh down in oggy-land.

I seem to recall that Which were pretty scathing - but I can't remember why, if I can find the review I'll let you know.

Edit: Just did a search using their Dealer locator and they appear to be available in the provinces