[iadom]

Originally Posted by virtual-angel

Thanks for your comments everyone.

Ive been told that the comet clearance center was in glasgow but im not sure exactly where, if you can give me the address aliferste, il pop in and have a look.

Ok here goes, my washing machine is a Zanussi Z917. It leaks water from the tray where you put the powder (ive cleaned it out and theres no blockage as far as i can see) and from the small door on the front. Theres an awful rattling sound when the machine spins clothes and whenever i wash a load of whites or light coloured clothes i find small orange stains in strange places which i suspect might be rust!? if thats possible..

Also handyman, jonboy, lord nikon and iadom, how are you with tumble dryers? I have an electra 459 that still works but doesnt produce any heat?! It was with the house when we bought it and i dont think the people ever cleaned out the filters cos they were all clogged with fluff! ive cleaned it all out but i think the motor might be burnt out as theres still no heat.

Thanks again everyone, your help is very much appreciated!

Tracy

If the drawer leaks whilst filling then your water pressure is to high. The Zanussi machines from years back where prone to this and all machines can suffer in the same way. If you have a combi boiler then your hot water will be filling at a much higher pressure than a normal gravity fed supply. Try to reduce the flow of water by adjusting the hot & cold taps connected to the washer, you should get a steady flow but not a loud gushing noise. If it leaks from the drawer during spin then you have a partial blockage somewhere. It is essential on most imported machines to keep the filter at the bottom clean. Another possibe cause is that the machine is overfilling due to soap build up in the pressure chamber, this would cause the water level to be far to high in the drum. Does it appear to be filling higher than normal?
Only an examination will determine the exact cause of any noise but coins and bra wires in the drum can be a factor. If you rotate the drum by hand does it seem smooth and not over loose? If it rotates smoothly and quietly by hand then it would suggest that this machine is well worth repairing.
Regarding the rust marks on the clothes, this is either the aforementioned bra wires in the drum or due to Iron deposits in your water supply. If the inside of your soap dispenser shows signs of rust or reddish stains in the rinse or cold fill side of the drawer then you have iron in your water and other than moving there is little that can be done to prevent the occasional staining. Most dry cleaners can remove these stains.

Re the tumble dryer, again the model and make would help but if it has had a blocked outlet then the most likely cause of no heat is safety thermostat failure. These are usually fairly inexpensive to replace. Hoover/ Creda early models approx £5 to £8. Later Hotpoint/Creda models have two stats that cost between £8 and £12.

EDIT, you have given the dryer model, missed that sorry. The Electra appliances can be anything. They where produced for the Electricity boards by many different manufacturers but the principals are the same, at worst a faulty heater but more likely the stats, both inexpensive to repair.

If you look on the back of the dryer you can sometimes find a small label or plate that will identify the manufacturer.