The comments we have received in response to my two earlier posts on washing machines have been quite illuminating. I had always been concerned about our ability to dry wet laundry within the confines of a narrowboat. With a width of approximately 6ft (2m) I envisaged the saloon in winter looking like a chinese laundry festooned with ‘large and smalls’ 
I think we had become used to the climate in Australia with constant dry and sunny days. Jan actually pegged out the washing in the shade to prevent the harsh sun fading our clothes.
Eliminating the need for the dryer function opens the opportunity to select a ‘slimline’ model washing machine. These are approximately 10cm less in depth at about 40cm. This would make it much easier to fit into the galley or back cabin. Another benefit is; they are cheaper!
Back to Google, and after some searching I’ve found two potential candidates.
- Hoover OPHS612 cheapest price £214.97
- Candy GOFS262 cheapest price £228.86
Both are free delivery and both have a cold wash function.
Actually the controls on the machines look identical. Probably not surprising as I believe the same company owns both Candy and Hoover.
Sue of nb No Problem kindly sent me a link to her blog post where she described how her cold fill washing machine had been plumbed in using both the hot and cold system on their boat. Modern washing machines only use about 6 litres of water for the wash cycle but any heating of the water for the washing machine is going to come from our inverter and batteries so it’s well worth considering how to add existing hot water to the machine. As an alternative, Bruce of nb Sanity Again also wrote on their blog that they have been able to add hot water to their washing machine through the detergent dispenser. It would appear boaters are quite inventive when it comes to overcoming obstacles!
However in the last few minutes we have just received a comment from Dot & Derek (nb Gypsy Rover) advising they had a Candy Washer/Dryer and it was very successful. Oh dear…….At least we’re not in a hurry to make a decision!
1 comment :
We had a Zanussi washer drier on Sanity but rarely used the drier function, too expensive on water and electricity.
On Sanity Again we have a Zanussi Studio machine, smaller load but big enough for our needs.
On fine days I have a whirligig that fits on the stern (after we've moored up!). On wet days I hang washing on hangers from a rail that Bruce has fitted to the engine room ceiling.
HTH
Sheila
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