Why is eco cycle so long?
I have a new Hotpoint washing machine, the instructions show an Eco 40-60 cycle, which it says is the most efficient. I don’t understand this as it takes up to 3 hours, considerably longer than 40’ on my old machine.
Following advice to use the Rapid 30’ cycle, I discover that this only does an 800 spin - not enough for my laundry - so I have to follow up with a Spin & Drain cycle to use a 1400 spin.
This is wasteful and inconvenient. Any advice would be appreciated.
Solution Summary
AI-generated from this discussion
This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
Eco 40-60 cycle on new Hotpoint runs for up to 3 hours
- The problem
- A new Hotpoint washing machine’s Eco 40-60 programme was taking up to 3 hours, much longer than the user’s previous 40-minute wash. The user also found the Rapid 30' cycle only spun at 800 rpm, so they were adding a separate Spin & Drain cycle to reach 1400 rpm, which they felt was wasteful and inconvenient.
- Likely cause
- No fault was identified. The accepted explanation was that modern eco programmes are designed to run for much longer in order to be more efficient, and rapid cycles are not intended as a full substitute for normal cotton washes.
- What fixed it
- Use the proper main wash programme for cottons and accept the longer cycle time on modern machines. The Rapid 30' cycle was described as suitable only for lightly worn items rather than normal cotton laundry needing a full wash and maximum spin.
- Checks to try
- Compared Eco 40-60 duration with an older 40-minute machine cycle
- Observed Rapid 30' cycle only provides 800 spin
- Used Spin & Drain separately to obtain 1400 spin
2 Answers
Hi there, and welcome. The reason that the most economical cycles take longer is explained in my article Why does wash cycle take so long?
It covers all wash cycles but has a specific section on why eco cycles take so long.
Also, a rapid cycle isn’t really designed for cottons. Cottons are the only type of laundry that are spun at top spin speed. If it’s only a 30 minute wash cycle then it’s useless for anything other than something like freshening up a shirt that’s only been worn for a few hours.
If you have cottons, or clothes that actually need washing try to wash them on the proper wash cycle and accept that modern washing machines just take a long time to wash (for the reasons explained in my article).
It’s going to cost more in the long run to use quick and rapid wash cycles because it shortens the life of the washing machine and can cause various breakdowns.
Washing at 30 degrees and quick wash cycles - 5 things you should know
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
Many thanks. I understand now.
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