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Below is taken from an independent washing machine review by a repairman with 30 years experience at http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/reviews/miele-w864-review.html ==================== Review Summary My impression of the Miele W864 washing machine is that it is a Rolls Royce of washing machines [ Related: Miele build quality ] My only real concern is that independent repairers can't get parts and technical information as easily for the German washing machines. This means its unlikely that you'll find a competent independent repairer. I would advise that if investing in a Miele washing machine, you need to be prepared to use Miele's own engineers or dealers for any future repairs. Miele's engineers don't charge more than many other manufacturers - it's just that independent engineers (if you can find a good one) usually charge a lot less [ Washing machine manufacturer's labour charges ] Of course parts are likely to be expensive too because they are high quality parts. The idea though is that breakdowns should be far fewer, and overall, over a long period, the cost of owning and maintaining a Miele should be cheaper than buying cheap washing machines. However: Miele currently have really long guarantees that reflect their confidence in the quality - although these guarantees swap and change all the time because Miele use them for promotion instead of price cutting. [ Miele's extended guarantees section ] Latest Info: The Miele W864 has been superceded but the basic entry level Miele washing machine should be very similar to this one, but with more features including a larger 6Kg drum. Price Range: Top end price range £500+ Clearly this standard of build isn't cheap, but it is designed to last at least 20 years. In the long run it should work out cheaper than regularly buying, repairing, and replacing many other makes of washing machine ( Do washing machines have built-in obsolescence? ) plus it's a high class product that should serve well and be a pleasure to use. Main Review: Removing the lid from the Miele W864, I was immediately struck by its simplicity inside. I was impressed to see a stainless steel outer tub. This is very rare for a washing machine these days. The outer tub holds all the water and the inner drum revolves inside it. In the past, tubs always used to be made of vitreous enamel, which was strong, but susceptible to rust. Vitreous enamel tubs often started leaking after 10 years or more, or if damaged by a coin. Most washing machine manufacturers have long since moved onto plastic outer tubs. Plastic tubs are cheaper to make and they don't rust, but coins left in pockets can punch a hole right through. This can write a cheap washing machine off, and as leaving coins in pockets is something most people do sooner or later, it's not ideal to have a plastic tub. Stainless steel outer tubs are the ideal answer. They are metal, substantial, won't be damaged easily by coins, and will never rust. Apart from the cost, you can't beat a stainless tub. ********** CONTINUED ********** Tub Weight The next thing I noticed was the lack of a concrete block. All washing machines I have ever worked on have had one or more blocks of concrete bolted to the outer tub. This is to weigh it down and add stability to the washing machine on spin. The trouble is the concrete block often starts to crumble with age, and I've seen hundreds of them come loose causing damage to the tub. The stabilizing weight on the Miele washing machine is an unbreakable cast iron cradle around the front and the back of the machine. To an engineer, this is extremely impressive. It's over 20 years since I saw a washing machine with cast iron stabilizing weights. The Door The door opens the opposite way to all other washing machines I've worked on. This shouldn't (and doesn't) really matter, but I found it strange and puzzling. After reseach I found that they do it on purpose and it's an example of the way Miele think differently and give attention to small details - Quote: "With the door opening on the washing machine to the right and to the left on the tumble dryer, loads can easily be shifted from one to the other in one seamless process." The door is made out of cast metal and chrome. It locates into a metal door catch. Most use plastic, which is not a good idea if the door latch is metal because the metal wears the plastic. This door catch is apparently designed and tested to be opened and swung shut 60,000 times. Most other washing machine catches are tested for less than half this number (source, Miele's brochure) Other Parts Filter: Loose buttons, coins, and other obstructions are prevented from jamming the water pump by a filter. Not all washing machines have them but most do. The Miele filter is accessible by opening the small square panel at the front left of the machine. Unusually, it's high enough to get a bowl under which is great, and has a pull out hose to drain water through, which is very useful. Control Panel: The Miele W864 washing machine has a very straight forward and easy to use control panel. It doesn't look modern, yet it doesn't look old-fashioned either. A washing machine's control panel should be uncomplicated and totally intuitive. Recently, I've come across new Hotpoint and new Hoover washing machines that you couldn't use properly unless you had the instruction book. Anyone should be able to walk over to a washing machine, select a program, and options, switch it on, then put the kettle on and leave the washing machine to it. With the Miele Washing machine you can do exactly that. Things I Didn't Like About This Washing Machine The way you are supposed to shut the door takes a bit of getting used to, and the door opens the opposite way round to all other washing machines I know. Normally, you close a washing machine door by just pushing it shut. Swinging (or virtually slamming) it shut is definitely not recommended. However, according the instruction book, you hold the door, and "swing" it shut, letting go of it in an almost slamming action. I suppose this shows how strong the door and its catch is, but it's certainly strange. Gauging the correct strength of the slam is initially tricky. Who knows though, with the right kind of attitude, swinging the door shut could even become fun. The door opens with an electronic door release. This means you simply press a button and it pops open. This is nice, but needs a power supply in order for it to work. Ah I thought, at last something that's a bad idea. I remembered an old Servis washing machine that used electronic door opening, and when the mechanism went faulty, or if the machine fused, customers couldn't open the door without using a screwdriver. Of course I quickly found that Miele have a manual door opening lever behind the filter door. Repairability & Longevity Miele washing machines score very highly on reliability and longevity but don't quite get full marks for ease of repairability. This is because although they are perfectly repairable, and in fact less likely than most to need repairing, because of a lack of good technical information to the independent trade many independent repairers don't repair Miele washing machines. Unless a straight forward repair is needed some faults may not be able to be diagnosed without Miele's laptop and software (only available to Miele engineers).. This means most people are likely to be forced into using Miele engineers for any maintenance. On the one hand, with such a high quality product you could argue that a fully trained Miele engineer is best - but not having the option to get your local trusted repairman in (if you have one) is a disadvantage. In summary, getting a Miele washing machine repaired should be a rare requirement but if needed you would be better off calling Miele themselves, which is likely to be more expensive than a local repairman. In a way this is not too dissimilar to using a dealer instead of a local garage with a new car. It's not a problem if you prefer to use dealers anyway. My advice would be that if investing in a Miele washing machine, you really need to be prepared to use Miele engineers for any future repairs. ( Related Blog article: potentially restrictive practices in Miele washing machines ) ==================== EXTRACT END Singapore Miele website ... http://www.miele.sg/

Buyers will be proud of their Miele.

Oh, my! Sold out!! Wow, this Miele is truly something. One of a kind, I would say... Made my heart feel "itchy" now, haha.

Hi Cromodora, when do you perform the "tub clean" course, and how often? Thanks

Hi Reiki, your balcony is very nice, and looks so peacefully serene! I'm so awed by your design and deco.

Yeah... I'm the type who prefers washer and dryer purchased separately. In case the washer or dryer function is spoilt, then I am rather afraid that I will have to spend again. Haha... It is tempting to get a tumble dryer, though. Especially when there are times where the weather remains bad for several days, during the rainy seasons of the year. The clothes do not dry easily, or as fast as we wanted. In the place where I am staying now, it often rains heavily the whole day without end for rainy seasons. The sunlight is not strong enough. Not much wind in my area too, due to other flats surrounding mine. Weather is pretty unpredictable in my town, heh! Sometimes, I even need to hang certain "urgent" clothing out of our kitchen window, in order to dry overnight more effectively. But most of the time, it is only for 1~2 pieces of clothing. Therefore, I am still contemplating on whether it is still worth buying a separate tumble dryer.

please poll, thank you

I read from someone's review on the internet that his Miele washer has lasted him as long as 40 years, and still in great working condition!! Oh, my... Talk about quality standards and strict quality control, yeah. Might just be worth the money? I am not going to buy any Thai-made washer anymore, like what I did in the past. Because my old Panasonic Aquabeat machine fully died on me after only 2 years. Anyway, here are a few video links on Miele washers: Hope to buy a Miele washer in future, though extremely costly! But before that, lets see how long my current LG F1422TD 8KG direct-drive front-loader will last...

Hee, but sometimes prevention is better than cure...

Got this useful tips from http://mylittlebookmarks.blogspot.com/2008...ng-machine.html ========== When buying a front loader washing machine, remember to keep the transit bolts! I made a mistake in not keeping it, and the delivery guy actually threw it away. I went back to the shop to ask them, and they are very lame to tell me that the transit bolts can not be put back to the washing machine so they usually throw it away. But from the user manual, it is clearly stated that it should be kept and used when you need to transport your washing machine in the future. Luckily for me, the guys from LG are generous enough to give me a set of transit bolts free of charge. Basically, a front loader washing machine consists of a drum in the middle of it, and it is hung and balanced in the middle of the washing machine by 4 sets (or more) of springs, the springs actually keep it in the middle and at the same time make sure the whole washing machine does not vibrate together with the drum when the drum spins at high speed. As of gravity, the top two springs will be stiffer than the bottom two. When transporting the washing machine, excessive misalignment or shaking of the washing machine, will damage the four springs. The transit bolts will actually keep the drum in place so that it will not stress the springs too much. So, please remember to keep it! ==========

You can go to Harvey Norman stores to ask... Certain (not all of) LG washing machine models that are on sale there offer trade-in promotion. Your old washing machine can be of any brand/capacity for the trade-in, whether your washer is spoilt or not (as we were told). Trade-in means that you can buy the new LG washer at the offer price stated, provided that you trade in your existing/old/spoilt washer. They will deliver the new washer to your house, and take away your old washer back to their factory for you. So you won't need to worry about carrying such a heavy bulky item to dispose it by yourself. Perhaps, this is for their recycling purpose, I don't know. My spouse and I bought an LG front-loader from Harvey Norman. We wanted to buy Electrolux or Bosch at first. But the salesman said that most washers on display were made in Thailand, unless you buy the very high-end washer of the brand, then maybe there is a chance that it may not be made in Thailand. Even some Electrolux and Bosch models were made in Thailand now, he told us. He recommended us buying an LG, which was made in Korea. When we were at the store, he pointed out to us that only 3 particular models were available for the promo price trade-in. Not many to choose from. So, after much queries and thoughts, we decided upon the LG F-1422-TD 8KG "direct-drive" front-loading model. Cost $999 AFTER trade-in (around $1200/1300++ WITHOUT trade-in). Furthermore, they can help us take away our spoilt washer due to the trade-in. We won't have to carry to dispose our old washer till our backs break! I don't know how long this promotion will last, but you can go down to Harvey Norman to check out yourself. They "claimed" that the washing machine 'motor' was "10 years warranty", while the washing machine itself was 2 years warranty. I do not know how true it is. Hopefully, this new washer will last longer than my old one this time.

I bought TOSHIBA System-2 for my new 3-room flat 2 years ago at ALL BEST... So far so good! ALL BEST serviceman told me this: - Cleaning of the aircon filters of each aircon unit can be done by yourself. Just take out to wash thoroughly with tap water, and air dry completely before putting them back. If you are a daily user (as some families switch on aircon every night when they sleep), best to wash your individual aircon filters every 2 weeks. This is to enhance efficiency and clear the dust from the filters. - Servicing of each aircon unit is every 6 months (U.P. $52 per unit, but with their $10 aircon service vouchers is $42 per unit). - Servicing of the compressor is every 3 years. (Topping up of the gas is optional, ranging from $80 to $120, if I am not wrong). I have not serviced my aircon compressor yet, so I do not know the price of servicing the compressor. Just 1 more year to go, before it is due for servicing.

Can post a photo of it (the "air-hole" you mentioned) here? How big and how deep is it? Can it be patched up with cement? Have you started renovation yet? Perhaps go query HDB or your nearest Town Council to rectify it for you, before you even start renovation. Or else, they will say it is your contractor who caused it. Just my opinion.

I stay at the top floor of my flat. My kitchen window faces the east direction. When the sun rises, the morning sun rays and its heat will pass through my kitchen windows. The kitchen toilet will also look brighter and feel hotter at the same time. However, if I hang wet clothes out of my kitchen windows at this time, the clothes will usually dry faster. Because the morning sunlight will shine directly onto the clothes hanging outside. Some disadvantages with high ceiling for top-floor owners are, perhaps, the difficulty in changing light bulbs and the critical choice of the ceiling lights used. Like for instance, my hubbie and I had made an unsuitable choice for our kitchen lights, thus resulting in our kitchen looking dim at night, even with both lights switched on. The lights look smaller too, due to our high ceiling, thus dimmer lights. Another thing is, I hate it when it comes to changing a spoilt light bulb. Since the ceiling is higher than normal, even my hubbie (who stands at a height of 1.8m) still needs to reach out his hands further, when standing on a tall wooden stool. But high ceiling does make our house appear bigger than the lower floors.

OTO trimax is better.

hey there, chronograph, it seemed u enjoy using exclamation marks a lot in ur posts excessive usage of exclamation marks often make you sound very rude.

hihi, anyone knows the history of the executive masionette at block 142 bukit batok street 11 #08-01 ??? it is stated as a re-purchased flat placed on sale at HDB website, meaning there was/were previous owner(s) in the past. tks!

homogenous tiles are easy to sweep and mop, better than ceramic tiles. i chose homogenous for the hall and rooms, whereas ceramic for kitchen. becos kitchen floor tiles are best to be non-slip type, to minimise risk of accidents when floor is wet.

if you like woody appearance and texture, browse at SCANTEAK. http://www.scanteak.com.sg/ how about THE FURNITURE WAREHOUSE at toh guan road? a lot of varieties. http://www.starfurn.com/ got my dressing table from COURTS. some of those at COURTS may seem too "common-looking", unless you do not mind

MAYTAG refrigerator (USA)

AMASCO instant water heater is good. spray is good too. have been using for very long. their webbie @ http://www.amasco.com.sg/amasco/

How To Make Red Eggs ::: A Chinese Tradition For Celebration Of Newborn 1st Month 20 Eggs 4 Tablespoons Red Dye Powder / Food Colouring 2 tsps vinegar 1. Boil eggs in water with 1 tsp salt. When eggs are hard-boiled, lift them out & drain them. 2. Mix the red dye with 1 cup hot water in a bowl. Blend evenly, add vinegar and mix well. If you want a deeper colour, just add more dye. 3. Dip one egg at a time into the red dye mixture. Roll egg around to obtain an even colour on the shell. Leave eggs to cool & dry. Recipe Source: http://www.momsinmind.com.sg/redeggs.html

[ poll as above ]

http://www.floorplanner.com/

most home-fix DIY and self-fix DIY stores should have seen them before