[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by Aroy

- 4 loads of sheets
- 2 loads of mats and towels
- 2 loads of woolens
- 4 loads of general cloths mix
- 1 load of Holi clothes

By mats, I think you mean door mats ? If so, how do you clean the drum for the next use ?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

By mats, I think you mean door mats ? If so, how do you clean the drum for the next use ?

For extremely dirty material like mats and curtains use the pre-wash. The first wash gets rid of all the suspended dirt and surface stains. Then the load is thoroughly rinsed. The main wash gets rid of stubborn stains.

The drum remains clean. All the lint gets caught by the lint filter. Have accessed it in the LG, but in IFB, we used to clean the filter once in two months, which meant at least 45 loads including 4 or 5 loads with door mats and durries.

[Pallavi]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Original jars? Any idea about cost? Pana build quality is definitely better than any other brand that I compared with. Also, motor has 5 years warranty and body is 2 years. Hope they have maintained their durability like before. Hope so, as nobody else seems to be giving a 5 year warranty currently. So I'm more inclined to Pana. Hope the significantly higher price is worth it.

However, their 3 jar variant has a motor of 500 W. Store assistant said it may be an issue so better go for other brand which has 750 W motor. I don't really trust these numbers, but does anybody feel the 500W Pana motor is bit underpowered for certain uses?

Nope.. 2 jars with heaviest usage had to be replaced because they are worn out. The original jars lasted for 8 years. We can purchase additional jars from panasonic showroom.

Motor is quite good and suitable for heavy uasge too.

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by saket77

Oh...but good that you got it replaced. Also good to know that they made 'considerable efforts'. How would you rate the after sales service of IFB?

& how is the new DW doing. Which particular model was it. If you can point out your post, I will be interested in going through it.

Regards,
Saket

One more consideration before going for IFB DW - it has zero protection against rodents. Some six months back, we spent some 6.5 k to repair rat induced damaged.

The underside of the machine has an opening of the following dimensions - width of machine x 5". All that IFB needed to do to make it rat resistant is to provide a mesh or cover over this area. Very, very cheap to do so for them, but that would mean lesser revenue from rat induced damage.

Apparently the damage the rats caused to the wires shorted the PCB and that had to be changed too. And IFB does charge fancy prices for spares.

The drain hose was chewed up at the outlet end and that had to be changed too, after another couple months and that cost some 1k including visiting+labour charges.

Seething under this rat induced damage and IFB's very expensive service and spares, we have now placed a laminated sheet (sunmica/Formica kind) under the machine; ie. between the machine and its stand. The sheet is slightly larger than the size of the opening. I got the carpenter to drill about 6 holes in the sheet, whith his largest drill bit. Hopefully, that will be enough for ventilation (assuming that it is required. Incidentally, if the machine is placed directly on the floor, there isn't enough space for rats to get in. So its not an issue if its directly on the floor, but its really not a practical solution for obvious reasons.

I don't know if other brands like LG or Siemens have any rat protection, but if they don't do consider the very expensive future implications.

Interestingly, our very old top loading Videocon washing machine has seen multiple rat attacks, but they have never been able to damage anything despite getting under the machine. However, the IFB DW has plenty of wires, tubes, insulation, rubber to gnaw on and cause massive damage. In fact IFB service has expressed their inability to ever source the insulating foam sheet which was totally destroyed by the rats. So we have been using the machine without it.

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by pjbiju

So I bought Panasonic MX AC 400 mixer grinder with 4 jars about a week back.

Is the forth jar really useful?

[pjbiju]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Is the forth jar really useful?

Yes. Basically you end up getting up two blender jars. The polycarbonate (transparent) one can be used for making milkshakes & juice from soft fruits like watermelon, pineapple, orange etc. It has a strainer that you insert over the blade. We have tried juice from watermelon and it worked quite well. Of course it is not a substitute for a proper juicer since you cannot feed large pieces continuously.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

...Incidentally, if the machine is placed directly on the floor, there isn't enough space for rats to get in. So its not an issue if its directly on the floor, but its really not a practical solution for obvious reasons.

You'd be surprised! small rodents can make themsleves even smaller to get through gaps you would think impossible for them. Rats destroyed my brought-from-UK Bosch.

I don't know if other brands like LG or Siemens have any rat protection, but if they don't do consider the very expensive future implications.

Our LG does. It was in the spec, and the shop guy confirmed it, but the installation guy didn't know anything about it! The shop guy told him where it was "hidden" amongst the packing. I wonder how many he'd thrown away because he didn't know they were there

I picked up a Bosch brochure only yesterday. Can't see anything mentioned.

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by pjbiju

Yes. Basically you end up getting up two blender jars. The polycarbonate (transparent) one can be used for making milkshakes & juice from soft fruits like watermelon, pineapple, orange etc. It has a strainer that you insert over the blade. We have tried juice from watermelon and it worked quite well. Of course it is not a substitute for a proper juicer since you cannot feed large pieces continuously.

Thanks, I was wondering what that 4th jar was all about.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

You'd be surprised! small rodents can make themsleves even smaller to get through gaps you would think impossible for them. Rats destroyed my brought-from-UK Bosch.



Our LG does. It was in the spec, and the shop guy confirmed it, but the installation guy didn't know anything about it! The shop guy told him where it was "hidden" amongst the packing. I wonder how many he'd thrown away because he didn't know they were there

I picked up a Bosch brochure only yesterday. Can't see anything mentioned.

Thats pretty much how things seem to be going. Every new so-called technician/carpenter/whatever seems to amaze me with how less they know about their jobs.

As for rats getting thru gaps, I'v seen this magic with my own eyes. Actually the main entrance of the rats was the drain pipe made specially for the DW. Now that pipe runs vertical one floor and then has several bends until it reaches to DW. Looking at the size of rats coming out of the pipe, I'd never believe they could come thru that pipe, unless I'd seen with my own eyes!

Successfully poisoned them all... but there will be a new wave after few months. But at least this time they should not be able to get under and inside the DW. The gaps and drilled holes are so small, if those size rats can get thru, I'll either start believing in miracles or start believing that getting flattened Tom & Jerry style is possible in the real world.

[saket77]

I am going little off topic from the current discussions.

I would like to know the BHPians take on de-scaling a front loader washing machine. I have just ordered a pack of descaling powder that the IFB service guy suggested during his last visit. My machine has never been de-scaled in its lifetime of 14 years as of now. The service guy says that the cleaning will be more efficient. I don't know how true is that but would like to know what bhpians think of the descaling aspect? I have also heard that vinegar is also used as a descaling agent. How safe (or unsafe) is that to use; if descaling is really necessary for a machine?

Also regarding Dishwashers now, as I just (mass)-order the dishwasher consumables (salt, detergent & rinse aid), I remembered some internet posts saying that vinegar can be used as a substitute to dishwasher rinse aid? How about that?

Thanks for looking,
Saket

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by saket77

1. I would like to know the BHPians take on de-scaling a front loader washing machine. I have just ordered a pack of descaling powder that the IFB service guy suggested during his last visit.....

2. Also regarding Dishwashers now, as I just (mass)-order the dishwasher consumables (salt, detergent & rinse aid), I remembered some internet posts saying that vinegar can be used as a substitute to dishwasher rinse aid? How about that?

1. I have had front loaders since about 1984 or so. Never used any descaling compound, even though I am and used to live in a hard water area.

2. Should work, but you may get the smell. Get the rinse aid, it will not break the bank!

[saket77]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

2. Should work, but you may get the smell. Get the rinse aid, it will not break the bank!

Thanks for your answer. But the underlying issue for the second question is that I have come to know that typical DW rinse aids contain 'nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates' (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwasher)

On further lurking, I found that it can be harmful to ones health resulting in ' cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders'.

Hence!

Regards,
Saket

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by saket77

...DW rinse aids contain 'nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates' (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwasher)

On further lurking, I found that it can be harmful to ones health resulting in ' cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders'.

If you are that worried use Teepol instead. Should work very well. What is needed is a wetting agent (detergent) to reduce the surface tension which in turn allow the droplets to fall off. Remember in the west (esp Scandinavia) they are paranoid about safety, so will no allow any nasty stuff to be used. Could be that the nasties just boil off during the drying cycle.

[Raccoon]

^^^That could be true for rinse aid imported from such countries. But what about the stuff sold here; like the rinse aid IFB supplies? Thats something that worried me since we got the DW...

As for using imported consumables, I'd bought a bottle of DW detergent made in Europe somewhere. It was a lot costlier than that supplied by IFB and cleaned only half as well. That may be because it didn't contain chlorine (apparently IFB's detergent contains chlorine). Even otherwise, I found it too expensive for regular use. Have not seen any other Made in India DW consumables.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by saket77

Thanks for your answer. But the underlying issue for the second question is that I have come to know that typical DW rinse aids contain 'nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates' (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwasher)

On further lurking, I found that it can be harmful to ones health resulting in ' cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders'.

I used a dishwasher for 6 years. Never once used a rinse aid. All I used was the dishwasher detergent. Never had a problem. Of course the glass items don't come out shining, but they come out clean just like you have washed them with hand. How many glass stuff do you have in an average load? Do you want them to sparkle like jewellery? Even in the Wikipedia article you quoted, this is written - "*Sometimes* a rinse aid is used to eliminate water spots for streak-free dishes." - Sometimes.

I know for sure that in the USA atleast, less than half the people who use DWs use rinse-aids.

Try using the DW without a rinseaid for a couple of weeks and make a decision.

If you aren't happy, try vinegar like you said - http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-bud...her-rinse-aid/

[saket77]

I used our DW for about 10-15 days without rinse aid. Apart from the 'rinse aid warning light' and less shiny utensils, I did not have any other issue. The utensils came out clean every time. 2-3 days ago, I added rinse aid and again the stuff is coming out sparkling clean. I think I will give up the use of rinse aid once my current stock is consumed. However, salt along with detergent is indispensable I think.

Anyone used the 3in1 compositions?