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My washing machine is a "dumb" machine from the '90s. The wash cycles run based on the position of a glorified timer knob: it doesn't have a computer or sensors
by MarioMan 1y ago
My washing machine is a "dumb" machine from the '90s. The wash cycles run based on the position of a glorified timer knob: it doesn't have a computer or sensors to detect if it needs extra time aside from the water fill stages. Thanks to this consistency, I just set a 40 minute timer on my phone, and it's always done by then. Can't get much simpler than that. If I need reminders, there's always the alarm snooze function.
- drewg123 1y agoI miss old machines. My wife’s Bosch takes 90min to 2.5 hours for most cycles. Tho there is a 30 minute super quick cycle
- jalk 1y agoBut the fast cycles of olden day cames at a price in terms of power draw and water usage, so it’s unfortunately similar to missing incandescent light bulbs.
- zahlman 1y ago... Do they not still make these?
- sgt 1y agoKeep that dumb washing machine from the 90s, I can almost guarantee you that a new washing machine is not meant to last as long. Maybe 6-7 years if you are lucky.
- jacquesm 1y agoMiele.
- cobbaut 1y agoMiele from my grandmother still running here, 1988 machine! No defects, still pristine inside. No guarantee though that today's Miele is the same quality.
- jacquesm 1y agoThey are. Bought a washing machine more than a decade ago, still going strong, and a dishwasher more recently and it was every bit as solid as the rest.
- elygre 1y agoSo, maybe. And also maybe not. https://www.forskning.no/forbruk-ntnu-partner/er-vaskemaskinen-din-laget-for-a-ha-kortere-levetid-enn-for/2489782 https://www.forskning.no/forbruk-ntnu-partner/er-vaskemaskin... (in Norwegian) quotes research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The article says that a washing machine used to last 20 years, and now only lasts 10 years. However, it also says that machine usage has doubled, from four to eight times a week. So, the new machine lasts the same number of cycles, but the number of cycles is reached much faster.
- MisterTea 1y agoAn article from 2025 is pulling data from a 2003 study that compares usage from the 1960's to what I assume is 2003, right when He and CPU controls were starting to become popular. My 1990's Whirlpool lasted for 25 years before a barrel support rusted out. It had a mechanical timer and did a good job cleaning my clothes. Now I have this awful HE LG thing that I ALWAYS use the bedding mode otherwise it just mashes the shit out of everything destroying my clothes. HE feels like a conspiracy by big clothing to sell you more clothes, destroying the environment while fooling you into thinking you're saving it by conserving water.
- hvb2 1y agoThere's an easy fix for that, put your clothes in these 'washing bags' that was always good to prevent wear but sounds like that might be what you need
- dzhiurgis 1y agoMashing the shit out of it is what actually washes your clothing without high temperature and minimal amount of detergent. I can't stand top loader washers that are ubiquitous here in NZ - they are so useless.
- gotoeleven 1y agoI solve this problem by only wearing burlap sacks.
- MarioMan 1y agoWe’ve had a few scares. Last year, it didn’t stop filling and caused some flooding across a few rooms before we caught it. Earlier this year, the plastic on the knob mount was so brittle it snapped off. We’ve been servicing it, and we’ll keep it going as long as we can.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- chrismcb 1y agoThat works great if you are the one turning the machine on. But not is someone the turns it on
- ashoeafoot 1y agoChecked my privileg.. still humming
- cdr 1y agoIt's actually really, really easy to get the state of a "dumb" washing machine (or any other electric machine) into Home Assistant using a smart plug. You can use something really basic like "power draw for > n seconds followed by no power for > m seconds" to detect when a cycle is finished. You can get way fancier and look at power draw curves to determine what part of a cycle it's in, or which cycle, if you really want to. You can add a door sensor (recommend Samsung) if you want to know if the door's been opened. Unfortunately it's much harder to do the same for an electric dryer, since there's no inexpensive or good smart plugs for 240V last I checked.
- janfoeh 1y agoI know nothing about US 240V power circuits — what plugs do you use, could you get by with a Euro system? I use Eve Energy smart plugs, which seems to be supported in Home Assistant through the matter integration. Local first, no bullshit remote account requirements, good quality, around 40€ / USD 45. https://www.evehome.com/en/eve-energy https://www.evehome.com/en/eve-energy
- jnovacho 1y agoI believe that US 240V is 2 hots, neutral, and ground. EU 240V is one hot, one neutral and ground. EU 400V (380V) is 3 hots, neutral and ground. None of this is cross-compatible.
- janfoeh 1y agoPity - thank you!
- MisterTea 1y ago> I believe that US 240V is 2 hots, neutral, and ground. Correct. Its called split phase, a 240V transformer is center tapped and that tap is grounded to create the neutral. Either end of the transformer to neutral is 120v and end to end is 240V. > EU 400V (380V) is 3 hots, neutral and ground. Three phase 230/400: 400V is line (hot) to line with 230V line to neutral. More for industrial use but I hear some homes can have this service for whatever reason. > None of this is cross-compatible. Not really. A 230/400 volt system also supplies 230v single phase. A 230 volt European device will work fine on 240V split phase unless it has a motor which will run faster on 60 Hz which could overload it. Though I have a machine with a three phase 380 volt 50 Hz motor running happily on 230/400 60 Hz from an autotransformer supplied by 120/208 60 Hz. Just runs 20% faster.