The new Whirlpool washer we just bought is about the same size as the one we got when we moved here to Saint-Aignan in 2003. It gave us good service for nearly 14 years. But lately it had started acting up. For whatever reason, it would stop in the middle of its cycle and display an error message indicating that the wash water couldn't be pumped out of the drum.
We were able to get the old washer-dryer combo moved out from the wall and clean thoroughly behind and under it before the new machine was delivered. This is the "unfinished" utility room on the ground floor of our house.
Walt opened it up and checked the filter. It wasn't clogged. And if we changed the cycle to a simple rinse and spin, the water was pumped out normally and everything worked fine. We unplugged the machine for about 24 hours, having been told that unplugging it might reset the electronic controls on the thing. That worked for a few weeks, and then it started acting up again. I ran it with hot water and a lot of distilled vinegar in it to see if that would help by dissolving any calcium deposits that might be blocking hoses or filter. That didn't work either. It was time to act.
Here's a Google Maps street view photo of our closest laudromat, 20 miles away in Romorantin.
Here's one of the problems: There are no laundromats around here — at least not that I know of. Oh, there was one in Saint-Aignan for a few years, from about 2007 until maybe 2012. Then it closed down. I've never seen one anywhere else. So if we don't have a working washing machine, what do we do? Anyway, do I really want to have to go to a laundromat? No. I just checked: there are three laundromats (laverie automatique, or lavomatique) in Blois. That's a 50-mile round trip. There's one in Romorantin — 40 miles away, round-trip. And there's one in Amboise — again a 50-mile round-trip.
Old Whirlpool vs. new Whirlpool
So there you go. We got a new washing machine from Darty. Free delivery, and it came just 2 or 3 days after I ordered it. The delivery guys hauled away the old machine. Not only was it acting up, but it also had started to rust out. So it's gone. The stacked dryer is also 14 years old, but since we use just a few times a year, it has held up better.
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| Here's the new washer with the old dryer on top of it. |
I just checked to see if they make washing machines like ours for the U.S. market. It seems they do. I found this one on the Home Depot site (we paid only about half as much for the washer compared to the Home Depot price). It seems the more or less standard U.S. front-loading washer has a capacity of about 4.5 ft³. Our machine's capacity is about 2.0 ft³. That's 130 liters vs. 60 liters. And that's fine for us, because there are just two of us, and we don't work. We can run the machine every day if we need to, washing small loads. That's what we've been doing for 14 years. But the controls... well, more about that later...
Congratulations on the new machine. I think 14 years is a fine investment. I hope you get as many from the new machine! We got a new machine (well, so many years ago, I think it's fair to say it's not new any more) and what I discovered is that we do almost every wash on the same setting: 40° économique. The only other setting we use is for "laine 30°" and that's not very often. Once you find "your" setting, you're all "set". No need to complicate life. (Oh, I caught myself -- yesterday, I dyed a cotton dress I knitted and had to use the "40° Coton" cycle -- excruciatingly long, since I had to dye the dress, then wash the dress in the same cycle, then do an empty cycle with detergent to make sure the machine has no dye lurking in it.)
ReplyDeleteIs your machine a Whirlpool? Some of this machine's cycles have a running time of 3½ hours or more! With the older Whirlpool I got used to 2½ hour cycles, but 3½ is just over the top.
Deletewhy do all the washers in France have such loooong wash cycles???
ReplyDeleteI don't know. But Ellen probably has the right idea. On our new washer, the Magic 40º cycle runs for an hour. I had already told Walt that my new plan was to start using that cycle.
DeleteWhen I think about the washer, I realize that we are on our second refrigerator and our third stove since 2003. Next will have to be the freezer. The microwave seems to be holding up to the use and abuse it gets. The biggest expense, of course, was the boiler, at five thousand euros or more. And the Citroën car, at 6,000.
Same story for me, when it comes to trying to use a European washer. We tried to use the one we had in a London flat (on vacation) once, and we couldn't understand any of the settings or instructions, and figured something had to be wrong for it to be going on and on and on for two hours or so. I'll probably be emailing you before my trip, to see if you can give me some pointers (and maybe a photo of the dials?) for when we want to use the one that will be in our Paris apartment.
ReplyDeleteGlad for you to have everything settled now, with the washer :)
Judy, maybe this post about using a washing machine in Italy will be helpful.
DeleteMelinda, have you seen this explanation?
ReplyDeleteYou might also enjoy David Jaggard's observations regarding French washing machines.
DeleteIn Argentina we bought a stack washer and dryer, and installed them in the "maids" toilet. Taking out the toilet made a tiny room almost the same exact size as the washer/dryer. Now I am in Florida, the full sized American washer and dryer have a regular sized room ... It depends on what you are washing but for me, the tiny machine in Buenos Aires was just as good as this huge American machine in the US :)
ReplyDeleteNone of them come with a person who likes to fold laundry or iron, so who cares ? lol
I love your utility room- your basement is utilitarian and good for dog washes, plus Bertie gets shelter in the garage part.
ReplyDeleteThe utility room is a nice feature of the house, along with the big garage. Unfortunately, it gets kind of neglected when it comes to house-cleaning. Last Friday, we cleaned it up good for the washing machine delivery and now I feel like I could almost live in there, and enjoy being near the new greenhouse.
DeleteOh, this reminds me of when we came to visit after 9 days in Italy, and you were so kind as to let us do our laundry. We must have done 5 or 6 loads! And hanging it all over, inside and out. You and Walt were too kind, the best hosts. It was a wonderful respite in the middle of our trip. Doing laundry, cooking, drinking wine, talking, taking short day trips, and getting a feel for your life there in Saint-Aignan. I'm glad you don't have to go to the laundromat. Far away and a bit dismal looking. Hope you are both doing well.
ReplyDeleteWe were glad to be able to provide that convenience, Ginny. I too am glad that I don't have to go to the laverie automatique in Romo or Blois. The last time I went and did laundry in a laundromat was in N.C. two or three years ago. My mother's complex has laundry facilities for residents, but I didn't feel comfortable using them then because Ma was busy and not with me. In fact, the big laundromat near her place has an attendant who will do the laundry for you, and she did. I went away for a couple hours and there was my laundry all washed and folded, waiting.
DeleteI think American washing machines take much longer now than they used to, as well. It's something to do with them being more efficient, supposedly, and how they operate. Your link to Melinda touches on it.
ReplyDeleteDishwashers, too.
Ken....have your local SuperU's got one of their new laundromat yet.... the one in La Roche Posay and the one in Descartes both have them.... big laundromat style machines too, both state that they have a machine for duvets!
ReplyDeleteBut the one in Loches hasn't as yet....but there are big building works going on.....
I am sure the cycles on those can't be as long.....no one doing their weekly shop would be willing to wait!
Oh... and the cycles aren't as long as an old Hoover TwinTub!
ReplyDeleteI found the English manual for our new one on the interweb and printed it out.... everything has become less compliquo since then! Ours new one has a Quotodien cycle of around sixty-three Samsung minutes which seems to work fine....and if you set it to the 2hr white cotton cycle, it has a magic fifteen minute button that doesn't do a spin (12mins).... so we can wash something quite quickly when needed.