Hi,
Living in rural location with rain water tank.
Which currently on sale models work on low water pressure?
Our old top loader lasted 28 years.
Tried a Beko front loader and it won’t run.
Would be very grateful for some recommendations
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Hi @Tiger, welcome to the community.
Do you know what your water pressure is?
Is it a gravity fed system from the water tank that varies over time (depending on the head in the tank)?
If it is gravity fed system, is adding a pressure pump to the pipe possible?
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We have a household pump which was fine for the old top loader but not for the electronic Beko front loader
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Beko website indicates they should operate between 1 and 10 bar or 0.1 – 1 MPa, which is a fair range…
Knowing the pressure at the machine would be useful to determine if the pressure meets the design specs…and whether it is the machine or water pressure causing the issue.
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We are on tank water. Not for the first time.
Various experiences with and without pressure pumps.
What exactly happens when you try to wash with the Beko. Does it fill with only cold water or none at all?
What brand and model household pump do you have? We had a Davey originally replaced by a Grundfos in our current home. We’ve used Simpson and F&P top loaders with no problems.
Without further information, our experience cannot explain your outcome. What else might be shared?
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It’s hard to say without seeing what is going on. You opened asking for recommendations about washing machines, if you have a new washing machine I suggest it would be better to look more at the question of the water pressure. If you have an old pump and it is the problem you would be better off replacing the pump than the washer and it will probably cost less.
I think you need to get the water pressure tested. If it is too low get a better pump, if it is OK go for a replacement for the washer as not being fit for purpose.
[Edit] There is another possibility. Check the water flow from the tap(s) that the washing machine is on, run them into a bucket or similar. If the flow is noticeably less than other taps in the house check if they have builtin filters. Tanks inevitably get some foreign matter in them and it rots down into a dark grit. The grit can enter the house system and collect in tap (or other) filters. In extreme cases the flow can be much reduced and simply unscrewing the filter and cleaning it will fix the problem.
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Hello Tiger, I had a similar situation with old (20yrs) LG front loader. What I did was take control of all stages of automation.
Filled machine with 10ltr bucket (give or take) cold rain water plus laundry liquid, let it run for first wash to hold.
Then let it spin on low spin no rinse.
Fill bucket with 10ltr (G or T), let it run on wash cycle to hold again.
Let it soak for as long as you feel necessary.
Next put it on gentle spin again.
Shake clothes vigorously to remove wrinkles.
Hang clothes on line or on hanger to avoid need to iron.
After 3mths of that I purchased a hand controlled washing machine, zero electricity and have done washing that way ever since.
Search manual clothes washers, mine is a Companion clothes washer purchased from Snowy’s on line, uses total of 10 ltr at most for 5kgs of wet clothes. Have been using for over 3yrs now and am very happy with results
Obviously not great for large working family, but great for those special items, that you need in a hurry.
Cut electricity bill to next to zero, mainly just supply charge which is ridiculously over priced.
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Hello,
Thank you Choice community members.
I have now tested the water pressure using measuring cup method and it seems to be OK at 30L per minute or 3L per six seconds.
The background is the old westinghouse washing machine worked fine with the water supply we have at this location for about 10 years.
The beko is relatively new (2 years use in the city purchased when our son moved out) but has been in our shed for a few years after he moved again. Rather than buy a new machine we would like to use this one which has been sitting there.
The model is WMB 651441 L. I have been reading up in the manual but can’t solve the issue of why it won’t run a program
It draws water for about 4 seconds and then ejects that water for about 4 seconds and then repeats that process.
regards
Tiger
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I wonder if it isn’t a water pressure issue, but something else.
Beko has a video for troubleshooting if a machine doesn’t fill with water. It might be worth trying all if these…
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Hi moderator,
Thank you I have tried checking intake pipe for kinks, intake filter and front filter shown on beko video.
I will look at the other utube info which you sent too
Tiger
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That’s water flow, not pressure- which has to meet a minimum requirement for the machine, perhaps to reliably open valves.
Do you know the height in metres from the top of the water in your tank to the tap supplying the washing machine? According to the specifications phb looked up, you’ll need about 10m head to run directly from the tank, or if less than that, a water pump to bring it up to 100kPa minimum. All household pressure pumps should easily produce enough pressure. Some small low voltage transfer pumps, probably not.
Here I have a tank with 25m head, so about 250kPa, which runs our Bosch washing machine without any problems.
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That type of behaviour may have zero to do with the water pressure. I’ve not had a Beko. On other brands the water fill valves are normally shut. Power to the solenoid on the valve will open the valve allowing water to flow. It will flow as fast as the pressure available allows for the amount the tap at the connection is open. Some types of valve use a ‘pilot’ which requires water pressure to help open the valve. By the rate of flow you indicate of 30l/min assuming a standard 12mm tap there is plenty of pressure behind the supply. 250-300kPa needed from our house pump for flows of that magnitude.
Assuming your machine has both hot and cold water connected, does the same happen with a hot vs cold fill?
I’ve similar thinking to @phb that the problem is not to do with water pressure. If the machine has been left unused for some time it might have some other issue. Perhaps with the water fill level or flow device, another device that links into the start up sequence which has a fault, or the main controller not sequencing.
It is going to require an qualified service person to do the necessary electrical checks if the basic fault finding does not resolve the problem. It may be more cost effective to drop the machine off (assuming you can transport) at a suitable service provider than call out a service person. It’s best to check for any transportation locks/removable before moving. Assume these have been removed before trying to use the machine or were not fitted when you picked it up?
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According to this manual the problem you describe is with the outlet hose
Machine directly discharges the water it takes in.
Draining hose might not be at adequate height. >>> Connect the water draining hose as described in the operation manual.
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Thank you Gordon community moderator and Mark Consumer defender,
We have a household pump davey70T.
I may have been on the wrong tack about the water pressure but thought maybe the change from top to front loader had something to do with water pressure. being inadequate for the different machine…
Seems more likely now that some trouble shooting done that we may have to get some electrical checks done
Or it may be just being a novice with the beko too
regards
Tiger
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Hi Thank you syncretic,
I feel with all of your help I must be getting closer to eliminating possibilities.
The outlet hose is ok height from manual.
In answer to previous info sought it is just a cold water only connection for this beko machine.
regards
Tiger
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In that case my guess is the sensor that checks for water in the outlet pipe is giving false readings and you need a repair person to look at it.
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Hello,
I just washed a load of washing by hand and put in the machine on “Spin and Drain” program to see if it could at least do this function which doesn’t require any water.
The washing machine just did the same thing drawing water for 4 seconds then release.
It did not spin and now my clean clothes are stuck in the machine which is locked although child lock is turned off.
Tiger
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Turn the power off at the wall and wait for about 5 to 10 mins for the electromagnet that holds it in lock to discharge. It may discharge sooner but while the power is on and if stuck in a cycle it won’t, so turning off at the wall will allow it to do the discharge. Sounds like in storage either something got into the control circuit eg cockroach or gecko or a part in the circuitry has failed. Either way an repair person will be required to properly diagnose the issue and possibly repair it. Get a quote while the person is there and decide if cheaper to just buy a new one or repair the old.
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Does no company manufacture a washing machine suitable for a low pressure water supply?
There must be many thousands of people with gravity-feed header tank supply surely!
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