Be Well Armed Before You Call out the Repairman (washerhelp.com)

Member Name: aefra

Product:	washerhelp.com
Date:	22/01/03 (907 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well laid out and easy to navigate, A wealth of information

Disadvantages: None

Of all the appliances in my home, the one I least want to interact with is the washing machine. Much as I still appreciate the good looks of my new toy, I still demand that it be obedient, self-effacing and not throw a wobbly because I take it for granted. All I ask is that I may open it's door, throw in some laundry and feed it with the required amount of detergent. In return I expect the linen to be regurgitated in clean and wearable condition without fuss or temperament before I turn my back on it again. This way we will get on fine.

When things do not go well and you are faced with an appliance which has stopped half way through a programme still full of water, has refused to take any water at all or just sits staring at you in silent insolence what do you do about it? Before reaching for Yellow Pages, sit down calmly, make a cup of tea or coffee and log on to a nifty website, http:www.washerhelp.com which may well help. If it can't put things right for you, there will certainly be some good advice and a truly enlightening read. Quite cathartic really during a washing machine stress moment.

We at dooyoo have the satisfying knowledge that we are among admirable company. We have such clever members in our midst. One such is Andy(ArT)Trigg. Not only has he gathered a wealth of knowledge during his 25 years of washing machine experience, but he has produced a fascinating website in which he shares information we could all do with.

Washerhelp gives me exactly what I want from an information website. It is laid out efficiently, is pleasant on the eye, could not be easier to navigate and is very fast to load pages, although I have Opera to help me there.

The Home Page, in neat, clean and mainly blue text, is an introduction leading you to the goodies within. On the left hand side is a list of bulletted links on; repairs, DIY tips, general tips, washing tips, spare parts, safety recalls, miscellaneous
items, what's new?, buying a new washing machine and links to other useful sites. On the right hand side is a search engine and a link to the forum, in which you can seek answers to your own questions. Coming soon is also a Washerhelp DIY manual. All in all a very professional site with more information than I could expect to need or find.

It is my habit, on the rare occasions that I review a website, to prepare by copying headings and short excerpts, pasting onto wordpad as I go. There is so much information on Washerhelp that I finished with 6 foolscap pages.

Within, under clear headings, are answers to whether you should call out a repairman, the pros and cons of using a manufacturer or independent, whether you should look for a free estimate or pay a call out charge. This last is not always what it appears and Andy tells you why. He is very insistent that you should rarely, if ever, allow your precious machine to be taken away and again explains why. He also gives an overview on spare parts and will tell you where you can find manuals for some makes. Usefully you are told the pros and cons of taking out a 5 year guarantee, whilst explaining the difference you may expect in costs from doing this or not.

Before you call out a repairman, have a look over the DIY tips and you may be able to sort things out for yourself. I remember, when I had a small imagined problem with my Bauknecht, my husband had the heavy old appliance out like a shot and was soon deep in it. He looked up while he was working with a grin and said, "You know, I'd like to do this for a living." Ladies, your stronger other half may not feel the same, but he would appreciate the cost saving.

As well as the techy stuff, Washerhelp lists answers to questions on whether liquid or powder detergent should be used, if is it necessary to wash at other than 40 degrees, how to remove various stains (with a link to the tipking site which i
s even more comprehensive), should you use the soap dispenser or drum and why your washing may not be coming out clean. In fact it answers questions that I hadn't thought of.

An interesting point is the use of Calgon anti-limescale tablets. The water in my area is so hard that I have scale on the outside of my plastic kettle if I am not careful. Yet in 37 years I have owned only 4 washing machines, have never used Calgon and they have all been replaced for no reason other than general tattiness and an improvement in technology. See what Andy has to say about Calgon. Whilst on the subject of longevity, you will find the answers to some myths about the expected life and repair-free time of today's washing machines.

The site has an interesting section on spare parts, whether it is worth buying these or not from the manufacturer and also a detailed product safety section on recalls of machines made by Ariston/Indesit, Zannussi, Hoover and Hotpoint.

Have a look through the Miscellaneous section for answers to questions from soap-free washing machines to how to wire a plug correctly. Links can be found at the bottom of each page, to direct you through the site without the need to return to the Home page.

I will leave you to browse through Washerhelp as there is yet more good information within. Yet, the site is not unwieldy, I found it pleasing to browse and with a lot of thought behind it. At the very least Washerhelp will take a lot of the mystery out of your machine. So if you do have to call out a repairman, you are well armed.

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