Are Hotpoint Washing Machines Any Good?

When you’re looking at buying a new washing machine the amount of brands out there can be overwhelming.

We will be breaking down Hotpoint washing machines, so you have all the information that you need to make a purchase.

Just as a start, we would like to say that we think Hotpoint washing machines are good overall and that they are great for small families who are on a budget.

Why Hotpoint washing machines are good

If you’re in the market for a washing machine that looks great in your kitchen and won’t break the bank, then you should definitely consider buying a Hotpoint washing machine.

Although they aren’t as repairable as some manufacturers and they do have some faults that are present on most models, Hotpoint washing machines are still good for small to medium sized families.

They also supply machines in white, black and graphite which helps when you’re trying to match appliances with your kitchen.

Some good points about Hotpoint washing machines:

• You can usually buy a Hotpoint washing machine starting from around £275 – This is a really decent price point for people on a tight budget.
• If you’re willing to pay just above £300 you can often get a machine with a 9kg drum – That’s a decent size for most medium sized families.
• The spin speed of the machines is usually in the 1400 to 1600 rpm range – This is enough for a machine that’s efficient in leaving your clothes well spun.
• You get a good choice of cycles on most machines.
• It’s fairly easy to remove the filter on Hotpoint washing machines – This is great for unblocking your own machine and saving money on repair bills.

Some negatives of Hotpoint washing machines

As mentioned earlier, Hotpoint washers seem to have some reoccurring faults across most of their models.

They are also not a great buy if you’re someone that does a huge amount of washing every day and you have a large family – you are probably better off buying a higher-end machine.

The bad points about Hotpoint washers:

• Most of the machines that are being sold are fitted with welded drums – This means that you can’t have the bearings repaired when they break.
• Hotpoint washing machines seem to have a lot of faults that are related to drain errors – The E05 error code is probably the most common fault code and is related to a water drain error.
• If you’re on a budget and buy one of the cheaper models you’re probably not going to get a machine with a decent sized drum from Hotpoint
• If you look at the cheaper Hotpoint washing machine being sold in stores, then you will notice that they have a poor energy rating – This means you use more electricity when washing your clothes.

Where are Hotpoint washing machines made?

The appliance manufacturer Whirlpool acquired Hotpoint in 2014. Traditionally Hotpoint appliances were made in the UK but that’s not the case anymore.

Most Hotpoint washing machines that are sold in the UK are manufactured in Italy and Poland.

Some Hotpoint appliances are also manufactured in the USA, specifically in Louisville, Kentucky. Most of these appliances are retailed in America.

Common Hotpoint washing machine faults

Although Hotpoint washers are good machines in general, they are likely to experience a few faults in their lifetime.

Because most of the machines have an LCD display, the fault will often be displayed by an error code on the front of the machine.

Let’s take a look at 3 common problems with Hotpoint washing machines:

1. The F05 error code

The F05 error code is probably one of the most common faults that modern Hotpoint washing machines experience.

It’s related to a drain problem when the machine can’t empty the water out of the drum.

We actually wrote a full how-to article on the Hotpoint F05 fault code if you want to check it out.

In short, it’s caused by one of the following:

• Blockage in the pump
• Blockage in the waste pipe or sump pipe
• Faulty drain pump
• Control board problems

2. The carbon brushes wear down

This fault only applies to machines that have carbon brush powered drive motors. Some modern Hotpoint washers have motors that are powered by magnets.

If you buy a washing machine that has carbon brushes on the motor, over time they will slowly wear down while in use.

This is actually perfectly normal and how they are designed. The problem is that they need to be replaced at some point.

After around 7 – 8 years of everyday use, you can expect a repair bill for the carbon brushes to be replaced by a service engineer.

If you’re someone who likes to carry out repairs yourself, the carbon brushes shouldn’t be a problem and you can often source them online by using the model number of your washing machine.

3. Drum bearing failure

Drum bearing failure is a really common problem that ends the life of most Hotpoint washing machines.

One of the reasons for this is that Hotpoint has started to supply their washing machines with sealed drums.

This makes it impossible to replace just the bearing and you have to swap out the entire drum if the bearings fail.

Replacing the drum in a Hotpoint washing machine often costs more than the initial price of the machine, deeming it beyond economical repair.

How to reset a Hotpoint washing machine

Hotpoint washing machines don’t have a typical reset function, meaning that they don’t have a programmed combination reset.

This means that to reset the machine you have to power it down and discharge the capacitors on the main control board.

How to reset a Hotpoint washing machine:

1. Turn the control knob to the off position at the top of the cycle settings – this is usually the 12 o’clock position.
2. Take the plug out of the socket so that the machine is disconnected from the power supply.
3. Give the machine 5 – 10 minutes to discharge any power that’s left in the capacitors.
4. When your ready, reconnect the machine to the power and put it on a test was – fast wash cycles are best for this.

Most error codes that are related to control board problems will be fixed by resetting the machine.

If you’re still experiencing problems with the machine and can’t clear the error codes after a reset, you might want to check out our full walkthrough of Hotpoint washing machine error codes.

Extra information

Hotpoint produces good washing machines for small to medium sized families that are on a budget.

If you are someone who does a lot of washes every day and has a large family, then you are probably better off investing in a larger drum capacity washing machine that is likely to last much longer.

Hotpoint washers also typically don’t come with long manufacturer warranties, meaning after 2 years you’re likely to be on your own. This means that you should probably consider an extended warranty.

You should definitely look out for machines that have welded drums as the repairability of a washing machine reduces drastically in the future and you will likely have to replace the machine in the event of bearing failure.