Washing machines

RE: Washing machines

grumpyoldman — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 23:17:19 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Do you work in an igloo or do you have no heating?[/quote]

The laundry is in a conservatory , Everything else is centrally heated ,but it does get very hot in there most of the time.

RE: Washing machines

Bob Russell — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 13:31:44 GMT

You must have been really unlucky! Nothing Miele in our household has headed to the tip much younger than 15 yrs old!

We have a spare Miele dishwasher in the boiler house, cannot remember why it was replaced!

RE: Washing machines

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 12:01:57 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] the ground hog day moment comes because they have turned it on while the pipes are frozen [/quote]Do you work in an igloo or do you have no heating?

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] Does not matter how much you have paid for it. So buying this lot a miele is a bit like buying your teenage son a ferrari ,it just hurts more when they wrap it around a tree. [/quote]We have had several Mieles at home (Mrs A made me buy one for earlier this year and it cost £1.2K even on special offer) and despite their amazing reputation they last no longer than 5-6 years on average (OK don't ask, 'so why did you buy it'? - I just want a quiet life!). So at the surgery where the nurses don't nag me quite as much we have had various John Lewis, Bosch and AEG machines which have all lasted about as long and cost 1/4 - 1/3 the price.

RE: Washing machines

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 11:51:51 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]

I find the biggest problem comes in cold weather after a bank holiday , the ground hog day moment comes because they have turned it on while the pipes are frozen ,ignoring all the instructions not too ,and its buggered.I think a lot of it is because their mothers do everything for them at home so they never learn. I remember one trainee loading the dirty washing into the dish washer. Does not matter how much you have paid for it. So buying this lot a miele is a bit like buying your teenage son a ferrari ,it just hurts more when they wrap it around a tree.

[/quote]

RE: Washing machines

grumpyoldman — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 11:37:09 GMT

We have SOPs everywhere in the laundry but i fear the trainees never read them . You either splash out on a miele or something good or just have a naff one every 18 months. I find the biggest problem comes in cold weather after a bank holiday , the ground hog day moment comes because they have turned it on while the pipes are frozen ,ignoring all the instructions not too ,and its buggered.I think a lot of it is because their mothers do everything for them at home so they never learn. I remember one trainee loading the dirty washing into the dish washer. Does not matter how much you have paid for it. So buying this lot a miele is a bit like buying your teenage son a ferrari ,it just hurts more when they wrap it around a tree.

RE: Washing machines

Bob Russell — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 10:51:35 GMT

Fewer and fewer premises have gravity fed water supplies. Combi boilers mean they are not required.

RE: Washing machines

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 10:20:28 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]I fitted a header tank for our two washing machines and it took about 2 hours and cost me about £150.[/quote]Yes £2K does sound rather excessive. And I find it difficult to imagine any premises which don't already have a gravity feed tank for at least part of the current water delivery system which could be easily adapted but c'est la vie.

RE: Washing machines

Bob Russell — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 10:17:52 GMT

I would go for rental if machines were unreliable or needed frequent updating. Think back to the early days of rental TV's!

Miele machines are tough as old boots so sticking one on HP/lease would potentially be better value as the machine would end up being yours!

Rental is a safe option!

RE: Washing machines

Michael Woodhouse — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 21:47:55 GMT

[quote user="Allison Gleadhill"]We would need header tank pump & backflow valves & the plumber quoted £2k for this.....[/quote]

I fitted a header tank for our two washing machines and it took about 2 hours and cost me about £150.

RE: Washing machines

Allison Gleadhill — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 19:35:15 GMT

Thanks for the help. Backflow valve apparently insufficient if you don't have a header tank. We would need header tank pump & backflow valves & the plumber quoted £2k for this.....

Have gone for a Meile on a monthly rental & maintenance. £75/ month. At least it'll get fixed quick if it needs it. Quite a bit cheaper from the second guy so I can say no to JLA who did irritate me as they were very pushy & smarmy & seemed to know all about our inspection.

RE: Washing machines

Rob Loxley — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 19:13:32 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"][quote user="robloxley"]He might have been, but according to the regulations a standard non-return valve is insufficient for a vet practice.[/quote]Maybe he was one of the few who still have a modicum of common sense![/quote]

This doesn't help the OP with their forthcoming inspection though

RE: Washing machines

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 16:02:29 GMT

[quote user="robloxley"]He might have been, but according to the regulations a standard non-return valve is insufficient for a vet practice.[/quote]Maybe he was one of the few who still have a modicum of common sense!

RE: Washing machines

Rob Loxley — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 15:04:25 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]man from the water board was happy with the way it was fed with the back-flow valve[/quote]

He might have been, but according to the regulations a standard non-return valve is insufficient for a vet practice.

RE: Washing machines

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 12:47:56 GMT

As Rob says, you don't need any special washing machine unless you think it gets the vet-beds and drapes cleaner, as suggested you just need a backflow valve, or feed it from a header tank. Our John Lewis machine which cost less than £300 does it well enough and the man from the water board was happy with the way it was fed with the back-flow valve.

RE: Washing machines

Bob Russell — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 11:34:08 GMT

https://www.laundrystuff.co.uk/machines/miele-pw6065

RE: Washing machines

Rob Loxley — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 13:32:47 GMT

[quote user="Allison Gleadhill"]Hard to tell with eBay machines if they are WRAS level 5 approved[/quote]

You can google the model number, Miele have good information online to reference.
Our Miele is over 12 years old and still going well - despite having to put up with our hard water.

RE: Washing machines

Allison Gleadhill — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 11:05:10 GMT

Hard to tell with eBay machines if they are WRAS level 5 approved

RE: Washing machines

Bob Russell — Sat, 17 Dec 2016 10:42:32 GMT

Plenty of approved Miele machines on Ebay. Delivery generally £60 or so. Tough as old boots and you could buy ten for the price of one of the new ones.

Just make sure it is either from a commercial dealer or very cheap!

Our Miele at home must be getting on for its 20 year birthday!

(Take it back, there are not many at the moment!!)

RE: Washing machines

Ashley Rubens — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 20:55:14 GMT

Speak to a plumber about back flow protection. With that we use standard washing machines which generally manage a couple of years before we replace them - massively cheaper than a professional package and can get a replacement delivered quicker than an engineer.

RE: Washing machines

Rob Loxley — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 20:33:53 GMT

How is your existing machine fed - direct mains or from a header tank etc? You can meet compliance standards with a WRAS Cat5 machine or by having a plumbing supply providing back flow protection to Fluid Category 5, eg Break cistern incorporating a Type AA or AB air gap. Obviously the washing machine salesmen won't mention the latter way, or whether that might be a much cheaper way to comply...

North of £3k sounds about the money for a Miele Professional, but have a look at the Electroluxes http://www.vet-direct.com/default.php?sid=VD-6968-2450-0903&sessiontag=prodfullview&data=13202