Two years ago I posted on Immoral Waste when I upgraded from XP to Vista on my laptop. CJ aka Scriptor Senex has been having similar problems recently going to Windows 7. We have long lived in a throw away economy and I'm realistic enough to accept that during my lifetime things are unlikely to change as we demand and get more and more consumer goods produced at relatively cheap prices. I also understand the principles behind keeping spare parts in stock and the cost of spare parts relative to the price of the finished articles of which they form part. I did it at Uni and I've run my own business. BUT, and here there is a big BUT, I cannot believe that a small electric drain motor which is made by the million or even billion and is found in almost every washing machine or dishwasher coming out of China costs HALF the price of the dishwasher out of which it came. That is without any installation or labour costs which is what usually makes replacement parts uneconomic.
The impeller came off the dishwasher after I arrived back in NZ. The dishwasher is only used about once a week when The Family come down to dinner so that's hardly major usage over three years. What looked like a simple repair isn't possible so I went to order a new motor. $291.30. WHAT! The dishwasher was $600 3 years ago. Of course I'd be able to get a new one on the internet. Perhaps in the UK or US but NZ is a very small market and we don't have access to as many websites for these things. We don't even have Amazon NZ! Although I did find a website selling them but at a minimum of 1000 units per order. Perhaps not!
So for the time being I have a dead dishwasher sitting on the deck.
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Nowt wrong with seven but if you need to live in the cyber world then a new machine every couple of years is a must. Programmes are power and processor mad always have been and thank the lord they are. What used to take me a day now takes an hour.
ReplyDeleteVista was a bit middling I reinstalled XP. Have fun life is supposed to be fun.
PS..If you want a washing machine to last spend £1500 they cycle in twenty minutes wash on cold and last for ever.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right Adrian. This dishwasher came with The Cottage as part of the fitted kitchen. I suppose a better one could have been specified - but wasn't! The washing machine was separate and did get a good cold fill one. However as my hot water is free from the solar water heater I've never used it on cold!
ReplyDeleteAdrian: I actually liked Vista but Windows 7 was less hungry and much much better in my view. However having migrated to Apple's Snow Leopard and the whole different way of operating in Apple I'd never go back unless I had to.
ReplyDeleteMmmm I just buy reconditioned washing machines etc...(I have two cos I need them in this house)...when they break down - usually after about 2 years of at least once per day use - I hand them back to the recondition man and he sells me another one (costing about £100-150).
ReplyDeleteJust a thought - maybe the part could be purchased via a friend in the UK and sent over?
I saw four little dishwashers in your last post, didn't I? :)
ReplyDeletela mujer libre: I've never lived anywhere where that's been a possibility. I wonder if there is a niche here in this part of NZ. I had thought of trying to get a part from the UK but the spares companies work on models and this model, whilst probably available in the UK, will go under a different name. (Mine is an 'own brand' dishwasher).
ReplyDeleteLisa: Have you ever tried to get a modern youngsters to fill a dishwasher never mind wash up? My brother and I had to share the washing and drying with Dad (Mum having done the cooking) but that's unheard of with the youngsters I know these days.