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Hotpoint WD420 Aquarius
by ajp4ever
The Hotpoint Aquarius, despite what you may have read elsewhere is a great washing machine.
Obviously the people who have had bad experiences are going to shout it from the rooftops but in my humble opinion, they are in the minority.
I have heard comments like, "the drawer gets mouldy after a while" So what, ... clean it then! I could bang on about certain cycles taking x amount of time but c'mon, who in their right mind puts a wash on and sets their timer or stop watch to see how long it takes! Put your washing in, close the door, pick your programme, hit start and walk away!
Anyway, that is just my opinion, here are some actual facts about the HD420.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Washer Type: All-in-one washer/dryer
Spin speeds: max 1200rpm
Temperature Levels: Infinite
Washing Method: Drum
Energy consumption per wash: 4.86 KWHrs
Water consumption per wash: 14.53 Gal.
Energy Efficiency: B
Wash Efficiency: A
WHAT SIZE IS IT?
Depth: 57.99cm
Height: 84.99cm
Width: 59.51cm
FEATURES
Front loading
Wash presets for wool
Extra settings for quick wash
Weight capacity of 5.99kg
12 Wash programmes
2 drying settings
2 spin settings
HOW MUCH IS IT?
At the time my Hotpoint was a gift but would have cost about £220 although I have seen them for sale online at about £195.
VERDICT
I haven't had a single issue about the Aquarius but if you want an objective view of how good or bad the machine is then here goes:-
Once a cycle is finished, the door isn't exactly quick to unlock and although this could be a bit frustrating if you were in a hurry, it's no big deal.
When using the dryer, it dries some things better than others but over time you will get to know what dries quicker than others.
The rubber seal needs to be kept clean or it can indeed get mouldy but like I have indicated previously, a bit of elbow grease on a regular basis never hurt anyone!
All in all the Aquarius is an adequate machine which does all that is asked of it and will suit those on a budget.
Summary: good enough budget machine
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Hotpoint WDL540P
by Ann-Marie_B
After a few minor issues with our previous washer and dryer, the door latch eventually snapped off. Having to open the appliance carefully with the end of the spoon levered underneath the latch was quite simply the final straw and so we began our search for a new model.
We purchased the Hotpoint Aquarius WDL40 from Argos ... around two years ago. It is however no longer available from Argos. This particular model is rather difficult to find online now, although I did eventually track it down on a website www.appliancehouse.co.uk. This appliance is priced at £440, though it is currently reduced to £410.00.
The Aquarius WDL540 is white in colour. I am not entirely sure if there are other colour options available but as ours is nicely tucked away this colour suited us just fine. It does unfortunately show marks and stains which seem to appear from nowhere, though with two very young children in the house this is inevitable. It is easily wiped clean with a damp cloth or with an all purpose cleaner. The crevices can however be a little tricky to keep clean. Using an old toothbrush is quite effective for this.
The dimension of this machine are as follows H85, W59.5, D56.5cm.
The Aquarius WDL540 has a total of 16 washing programs. Despite the features and options available, the appearance is not too daunting as some appliances can be. We don't all have the time to meticulously read through the manuals of such machines but my husband and I managed to operate this without too much confusion.
All of the controls are situated on the top front panel. The detergent draw has details of all the wash and dry options available and the relevant number to use on the dial in order to utilise them. There are three categories, 'Essentials', 'Specials' and 'Drying'. Next to the draw is a simple power button adjacent to a dial with all of the numbers correlating to those detailed on the detergent draw. The dial is simply turned to the option desired. Next is one more dial which controls all drying options. This can be set to simply not dry if you have clothes which must be hung dry or maybe it's a sunny day and you'd prefer to hang them on the line to save a little energy.
I cannot boast to have used all of the features available on this washer and dryer, I have used only those relevant to us as a family and some are indeed still unknown to me. Some of the features however have been a great convenience to me and my family. This machine has a 'Fast Wash' option which takes only 60 minutes. This is ideal for those items you've forgotten to put in and need quickly.
Another option which I have found very useful and another which is very prompt, is the 'Ready to Wear' option. This washes but does not over dry items, so long as the drum isn't under loaded. I have found that items I would usually hang dry are fine on this feature because they are not overly dried. If however the machine is overloaded, the laundry can still be a little damp so getting the right amount in is key.
The downside of owning the Hotpoint Aquarius WDL540 is that we have experienced a few problems with it. The capacity of this machine is 7kg, though when the load is full, items still regularly come out damp. Towels in particular are near impossible to dry. It has a tendency to get rather hot and steamy, meaning that even after a further dry, items are just as damp, sometimes even more so.
There is also a recurring fault where the lights begin the flash when drying and the machine stops its cycle. Being a rather busy family we have simply not had time to try to find any other solution to this issue than simply switch to the option for drying wool items, where this does not occur. The issue comes and goes at random intervals, though searching online I can see it is quite common with this model.
The WDL540 boasts a sensor drying technology which automatically stops drying when clothes are dry. I have yet to experience this and often have to pause the machine and open the door in order to manually check how dry my laundry is.
Other issues have been with the filter being blocked a little too often, a random leak which somehow stopped and a crack appearing in the door with no known impact on it.
My husband and I have owned a few models of washer dryers and have come to the conclusion that some issues are common and maybe a separate washer and dryer would be more effective. We will continue with this machine until it comes to the end of its life and then perhaps look for two separate machines.
EAN/MPN/UPC/ISBN: 5016108646564.
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Hotpoint WMD960P
by Flukepiestalker
Previous to this machine we had a simple Indesit washing machine, which was OK, but very noisy and practically leapt around the utility room when doing it's thing. We had a little one on the way and felt that it would be a good idea (with the British weather) to get a washer dryer as a replacement. We shopped around and like we do with ... all major appliances, had a good look around at them in the high street before going on line to find the best deal.
This one struck us as having a large enough drum, fairly simple to use controls (though I struggle at times with the numerous cycle/drying options), was the right colour (all important...), had a fast spin cycle 1and was made by a fairly reputable manufacturer (so should last). It also has a child lock that we thought would be essential.
As mentioned, this machine has a quite ridiculous number of options in terms of washing and drying. it has a few 'selector' buttons, which allow you to change the temperature, duration, type (delicates, cotton etc) of the wash cycle and another load of options for the drying cycle (cupboard dry, dry dry, just got out the shower dry - quite ridiculous!). I (as a man) just want a simple button that says 'wash the clothes and dry them enough so I can wear them), but apparently, that is not an option.
I should also mention that it doesn't heat up as much as previous washer/dryers, after a dry cycle. Some past washer dryers have been hot enough to fry an egg on the outside by the time they finish, but with this it seems to remain fairly cool.
I can fit a double duvet in it (just), it's quiet and the clothes come out washed and dried
We have had it for two years - and this might be tempting fate, but we have had no real issues with it at all, despite the fact that we have had a new born over that period of time so it's had a lot of use! The only slight quibble that I have is that the LED display seems to 'lie' about how long it has left to run - and seems to pause on 1 minute for several - so I no longer trust the timing. It can be paused though - so if it gets to be a problem you can always come back later.
Finally - the technical bit regarding stats:
Size H85, W59.5, D56.5cm.
Maximum spin speed 1600rpm.
Variable temperature.
Maximum washing capacity 8kg.
Variable spin speed.
Delay start option (up to 24 hours).
Programmes: 16 programmes. 30 minute quick wash. Woollens cycle. Half load. Rinse hold option. Technical specifications:
Energy consumption: 1.52kWh/cycle.
Water consumption: 69 litres/cycle.
Estimated annual energy consumption: 238kW/year.
Estimated annual water consumption: 12000litres/year.
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