Thread Number: 46702
Siemens "Outdoor", Hotpoint "Cuddly Toys", AEG Super silence "Extra Quiet Mode"? Critcisim-Watchdog 		[Down to Last]

automaticwasher.org's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate automaticwasher.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 680583   5/22/2013 at 19:46 (3,984 days old) by glenfieldmathk1 (Glenfield-Leicester-UK)        

OK,
So the UK viewers of this post will probably have watched Watchdog already, the UK Consumer rights television show, designed to point out the bad (and sometimes good) points to various companies, including faulty product designs, large phone bills, incorrect parking signs, rogue Traders etc.
For those that are abroad though, who don't have access to UK television, then I wanted to bring up the one article that pretty much made me laugh.
They used a typical old Bloke Celeb who is stuck in his old ways, and pretty much made jokes about mod cons!
They pointed out TV's featured over complicated remote controls, and that steams irons feature even easier gliding thanks to ions?
But the bit that interested me was the old bloke, spilt a cup of tea made from an over complicated Bosch Kettle (which has 70, 80, 90, 100C settings) onto a soft toy. He then joked at how, "no worry's I'll just put it in my Tumble dryer".
They went on to pretty much take the mick out of Siemens "Outdoor" programme, they joked at how it could mean if your kitchen has no space then plug in an extra long cable and use it outside.
They then went onto AEG's and criticised how the AEG was advertised as "super silent drying system, with a Extra Quiet drying mode" - they wondered how something thats super silent already can be even quieter.
Then came the Hotpoint TVFG85K, they asked a dry Cleaning owner how many levels of drying they used, and he said Hot, warm, cool. They then mentioned how Hotpoint claim it has 5 levels of drying, with a Cuddly toys programme, which uses lower heating.
Also in the show they mentioned how a toaster features a bagel, and crumpet setting, how a Microwave has a Chaos Defrost, which they joked as "A Knightmare waiting to happen".

At the end - responses from the manufacturer's:
AEG - They Extra Quiet mode setting is available on the dryers by reducing noise caused, that would be caused on a normal dryer, and say its even quieter.
Siemens - The Outdoor programme is really designed for technical items such as Jackets & coats with waterproof membrane which need a lower temperature.
Hotpoint (the most craziest response I ever heard) - Toys are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, regular washing is required, and the cycle in our dryers uses lower temperatures and reduce action to ensure the perfect Shine of the fir. (Anne Robinson Laughs)!

Anyway, Thought I would share with you guys, as it was pretty funny, wasn't criticism I don't think, I think it was more of the point that future technology is here and people must move on from there old ways.

Plus its the 2nd time Hotpoint have featured on watchdog in a space of 2 weeks.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO glenfieldmathk1's LINK



Post# 680590 , Reply# 1   5/22/2013 at 20:25 (3,984 days old) by glenfieldmathk1 (Glenfield-Leicester-UK)        

I don't think at first they realised that 16 drying levels, was actually 16 drying programme.

Post# 680623 , Reply# 2   5/23/2013 at 04:02 (3,983 days old) by lavamat_jon (UK)        

Interestingly, we have the same Bosch kettle, and the vented version of the Futura tumble dryer.

 

Can I honestly say I've used any other setting than 100*C on the kettle, or Cupboard Dry on the tumble dryer?  Nope.

 

Whether it's 16 drying levels or 16 drying programmes - there is still only two programmes needed on tumble dryers - cupboard dry and extra dry...

 

Jon
Post# 680633 , Reply# 3   5/23/2013 at 06:03 (3,983 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        

aquacycle's profile picture
I agree with Jon, the only settings I use on my dryer are "Cupboard Dry" and "Extra Dry" and I sometimes select low heat for more delicate items, but that's it. I understand the need for different heat settings, but why on earth dryers contain different levels of "dry" is beyond me! I put things in the dryer and expect them to be dry, not damp or warm or whatever other pointless things it does.

Post# 680637 , Reply# 4   5/23/2013 at 06:52 (3,983 days old) by lavamat_jon (UK)        

I have to say I often find a dilemma when it comes to drying my dainties on a cold winters morning - I am never quite sure whether to use the Lingerie or the Heat and Enjoy cycle!!!
Post# 680650 , Reply# 5   5/23/2013 at 10:06 (3,983 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany))        

Infact, i would say some of these features are quiet good, but sometimes even me, the probably most new-technologie-whatever-it-is-for-loveing-person in my small town here, is thinking : "Why in the big 7-billion-people-world do WE need a Super-40-dryingprogramm, if the cotton-setting on our Siemens-dryer has already the highest possible temperature it can reach at all?"
The Outdoorsetting is quiet usefull.Sometimes you get a sleeping bag or a fleece-jacket thats labeld "dry at 40°" or "do not dry", and with Outdoor+Low-temp, what takes 2 hours ore more for the sleeping bag, NOTHING CAN BE DAMAGED cause it is drying just as hot as i would take a shower or i would wash it.
AEGs Extra-Silent-Option just has as lower tumblingspeed so the clothes just dont drop from the top to the bottom of the drum,-> there is no loud noise. But of course, it takes longer(+1 hour)and more energy.
But the biggest Non-Usefull-Programm i know on a tumbledryer is exactly the mentioned "Heat&Enjoy"-programm. If I want warm towels, i just place them on our heateing element in the bathroom, take my already mentioned shower and that's it. I dont need a loud dryer while I'm takeing a nice bath. So what is that stupid cycle needen for???

Post# 680694 , Reply# 6   5/23/2013 at 16:52 (3,983 days old) by logixx (Germany)        

logixx's profile picture

I do use different cycles and options on my washer - but on my fully-featured Siemens dryer... not so much. Cupboard Dry, sometimes on low heat, is all it takes to dry laundry. Same thing with dishwashers that have a good sensor cycle. I use auto 45-65C most of the time - sometimes with varioSpeed.
Post# 680713 , Reply# 7   5/23/2013 at 18:55 (3,983 days old) by glenfieldmathk1 (Glenfield-Leicester-UK)        

I guess John Lingerie, silk and delicates are all pretty much the same? Just like Cottons, shirts and cottons quick are the same?
Which brings me onto another thing, SuperQuick/rapid 40 on Siemens/Bosch must surely be the same as a cottons cycle, just it finishes within 40 minutes as its a smaller load - 2KG. On the Hotpoint's, its only 1KG so thats how its faster I guess, bit of a con then really!

If I owned the dryer you own John (I own the model before this one) I probably only would use Cupboard and extra dry, bed+bath, occasionally delicates, as thats all that I use on my TVF770. I certainly wouldn't want wet washing, which is what would happen if one selected a different setting. (Though I would want to try every single programme first just to see if there really is a difference, especially Toys!!!)

Meanwhile - I thought Heat & Enjoy was a good idea, but then come to think of it henene4, I agree its quite pointless, as most houses these days have heated towel rails in Bathrooms (instead of just a bar), Radiators around the house (instead of storage heaters), airing cupboard warm environment. So if your house has storage heaters, may be good but in the old days people never heated their gloves up to 37C before stepping outside.

Post# 680718 , Reply# 8   5/23/2013 at 19:32 (3,983 days old) by logixx (Germany)        
Bosch SuperQuick

 logixx's profile picture
I have tried this cycle several times and it never dried my clothes. The normal cycle runs on full heat until the load becomes damp dry, at which point the heat automatically switches to low. The cool-down is eight minutes. I suppose the 40 minutes cycle runs on full heat all the time. Cool-down is only three minutes. While the Quick cycle IS sensor-controlled, it always seems to stop with items being only 80% dry - disappointing.

Post# 680779 , Reply# 9   5/24/2013 at 07:35 (3,982 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany))        

Our modell stays at high heat all the time, i think.

Post# 680791 , Reply# 10   5/24/2013 at 10:04 (3,982 days old) by aquarius8000 ()        

I don't see why you need a toys cycle, when I was little, id put my duck in the dryer and same with my brother, it dosent damage them. And I don't think that toys are a breeding ground for bacteria, if the child has spilt something over it or sneezed a load of germs over it, its dirty and bacteria is growing on it, so it'll need washing. Or what my mum would do is put them in the freezer for a few days instead of washing it.

If I want warm towels then instead of putting another heater on, ill put it on the radiator, same with shirts on frosty mornings, saving money and wear and tear on the dryer. Its more money saving.

I know its off topic, but tbh, who needs a toaster designed for millions of things, and same for kettles, id use the boil and boil only! Why oh why is everything over complicated? Like it tool five hours to set up my ipod, now works! Aah well!

I'm staying with my old Hotpoints and Hoover irons!

Chris.

Post# 680798 , Reply# 11   5/24/2013 at 10:21 (3,982 days old) by paulc (Edinburgh, Scotland)        

paulc's profile picture
I must say I have to agree somewhat in regards to dryers with lots of cycles, however I do not have first hand experience. I have a BOL vented timed dryer and find this suits my needs brilliantly. I dry everything in the dryer, jumpers, outerwear, Mikes cycling stuff....I never use the low heat setting and I've had no disasters yet. My dryer may be basic but it's quick, quiet and gets the job done and that's all I need.

Post# 680806 , Reply# 12   5/24/2013 at 11:15 (3,982 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

I often find that most appliances have needless cycles that I hardley use, for example: the gorenje useLOGIC condenser dryer has different cycles for things such as jeans and it also has an array of steam cycles, now, I use the cottons extra dry, synthetics very dry, and XXL, I use the steam refresh and steam cottons very very occasionaly and I only use them for sheets that are supposidly non iron sheets that gather tonnes of creases that makes ironing hells work. Whirlpool and hoover candy imo have struck a good balance of sensor cycles, timed cycles and one or two dedicated cycles, the whirlpool has: Cottons: extra dry, Cupboard dry plus, cupboard dry and iron dry, Synthetics: extra dry, cupboard dry and iron dry, then it has special cycles: Airing, delecate plus and mixed load,it then has timed drying which spans from half an hour to 90 minutes. The candy GOV580C has got sensor drying which covers both cottons and synthetics: bone dry, extra dry (virtualy the same as cupboard dry tbh) hanger dry and then iron dry, it then has special cycles: woolens finish, refresh and rapid 40' and then features timed drying from cooling to 150 mins and it has a synthetic/acrylic button to lower the heat when drying synthetic materials. Being fair, most of the cycles on my washing machines I tend to use a lot but on my hoover dishwasher out of the 6 cycles it has I only use intensive 70 and daily 60' 70*c.
Thats my few pennies worth anyway.
Tom

Post# 680978 , Reply# 13   5/25/2013 at 15:59 (3,981 days old) by Rolls_rapide (.)        
Manufacturers are to blame for all this nonsense!

 They have consistently dumbed down machines' control panels whilst introducing a multitude of pointless "same but different" programmes.

If they properly educated the general public on the International Textile Care Labelling code, we could have sensible appliances with uncluttered fascias.

We could have one dial which hops from "Cottons" to "Easy Cares" to "Delicates" to "Wool". Additional segments could be for standalone rinsing, spin, drain, etc.

A separate temperature button, which defaulted to the optimum temperature, say for "Cottons" might be 30 degrees (presuming modern detergents). Pressing it additional times would cycle through allowed temperature range: 40,50,60,90,Cold,20,30, and so on.

A spin speed button, operating in the same vein as the temperature button.

An extra rinse button.
An intensive button.

No need for "Shirts" programmes or "Darks", or "Cuddly Toys" for that matter.

When these manufacturers conduct their research, no doubt they ask all the Mavis Rileys in the world, who will of course reply: "Oh, I don't really know...!", hence the state of today's appliances.



Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      


Comes to the Rescue!

The Discuss-o-Mat has stopped, buzzer is sounding!!!
If you would like to reply to this thread please log-in...

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members Click Here To Sign Up.



                     

automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
 Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals 		Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy