category: front loading washing machine
Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10
After more than a year I am now happy that this washing machine does get clothes clean. No worries there -- now. For the first few months, I struggled.
Man in kitchen. To resolve the E02 error, you must, first, check that the water supply into the machine is turned on. If you find this to be the case, you then want to check the water hose itself, to ensure that the hose has not become kinked, twisted, or damaged in some way during installation to stop water from making its way into the washing machine. Buy Bosch WAE24461GB Maxx 7 VarioPerfect 7kg 1200rpm Freestanding Washing Machine - White from Appliances Direct - the UK's leading online appliance specialist.
, manufactured by:Bosch
We bought a new front loading washing machine in late 2008.Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10
(a combination of good wash with incomprehensible instructions)
After more than a year I am now happy that this washing machine does get clothes clean. No worries there -- now. For the first few months, I struggled.First, it's a front loader. I'm tired of kneeling down, throwing something in, watching it fall out again. And -- the well known problem -- once you press Start, there is no going back. No changing your mind. No pause to add just one more item to the wash.
Next, it's supposed to be energy efficient. Also -- according to the woman at the customer service help desk -- it's water efficient: less load, less water. I've been recycling grey water, catching used water in the laundry tub. As far as I can tell, any size load uses just as much water. No water efficiency there... Is there any truth in the energy efficiency claim?
That same customer service lady told me to always leave empty space at the top of the washer; to not fill it 'too full' of clothes. No mention of that in the instruction book. Which brings me to the instruction book.
Wash score 8, instructions 4
Here's how I think the instruction book was written:- A bunch of German Laundry Engineers put the washing machine through its paces. They all understood water circulation, detergent chemistry, the adhesive properties of various categories of dirt. Not one of them had ever washed a load of their own washing. Not one of them had ever watched 'a real person' do a load of laundry.
- These Laundry Engineers calculated the most efficient and effective ways of cycling water and detergent through clothes. Probably published several papers, in the Monthly Journal of Laundry Engineering.
- They then documented the best wash cycles in a very compact and language-independent form. Failed to test their documentation standards on real people.
- And totally failed to explain which cycle is most appropriate in which washing circumstance.
Bosch botches laundry manual
The cover page says, 'Read these instructions before switching on the washing machine! Also follow the separate installation instructions. Follow the safety instructions on page 11!' So I need to read these twelve pages. Plus the separate and missing installation instructions. And the best place to start appears to be on page 11.So I start with the safety instructions on page 11...
Bosch Maxx 7 Varioperfect Washing Machine
Most of it seems fairly standard: Some pointers on safe use of an electrical appliance; warning of the risk of posioning (sic) from detergents; an instruction to not climb on the washing machine. I'm a bit worried by the warning, 'Caution when draining hot detergent solution.' I use cold and dry powder. Where is this dangerous 'hot detergent solution'?!
I skip back to page 9: Detergent-solution pump. This tells me how to drain a 'Detergent-solution pump'. What?! What is a 'Detergent-solution pump'? When would I drain it? Why would I drain it... whatever it is?! Whatever it is, it does seem to introduce a 'Risk of scalding!' -- which is a new risk, not mentioned in the Safety instructions of page 11.
Oh well, back to page 11. 'Risk of explosion'... Perhaps I should avoid using this machine. It seems to be very dangerous. Specially since I have not been properly trained in its use.
Ah... forget it... Let's just follow the instructions for use...
Page 2: Your washing machine
'Congratulations...' Okay, I made a good choice. Must have, the instructions tell me so.'Environmental disposal: Dispose of packaging in an environmentally friendly manner' -- with a picture of a wheelie bin -- with a big X through it. What? Do not put the packaging in the bin? What am I supposed to do, dump it on a vacant block?
Okay, ignore that, too. Let's see how to wash clothes with this washing machine...
'Programmes'. This looks good. It's a list of all the pre-set combinations of wash/soak/rinse/spin cycles. Yes, a list... with instructions to 'see Page 7' for a detailed overview. (By the way, this short list of programmes is split across pages 1 and 2. Just for your reading inconvenience.) So, I turn to page 7.
The first line of page 7 says, 'See also page 6'.
Page 6 is 'Important information'. Including -- the second section -- 'Before washing for the first time'.
Enough!
I close the instruction manual. Shove in some dirty clothes. Click the selector knob to 'Mixed load'. Put laundry detergent into one of the three possible spaces (hoping that I picked the right one) and press go... (Actually, it's worse than that because the 'go' button is touch sensitive. Sometimes it ignores the touch. Sometimes it flicks on and off several times, if it's feeling really sensitive. But that's another issue.)
Then I walk away and hope for the best. And start to read War And Peace, because it's much clearer than the instruction manual, and makes a lot more sense.
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