Hose Failed
pamjack
3/14/2020
This GE washer was in the house when I bought it. As with many others, the hose cracked and leaked water all over my kitchen. Thank God I have not installed my new wooden floors. As one other reviewer wrote, hoses should be made out of flexible rubber to prevent catastrophic fails like mine and many others. The hose is not flexible and has to be bent to go in the drain that's built into the wall. Altogether, a not well thought out product design as far as materials. Maybe increase it's length if it has to be made out of the hard plastic. I'd pay more for a rubber hose.
Originally posted on www.ge.com
No, I do not recommend this product
Performance
Quality
Value
Drain Hose Needs Work
microbob84
1/10/2020
This hose design needs improvement. It's sturdy enough, using a relatively hard plastic, but it falls short in several critical areas. First, the hard plastic is actually a disadvantage it this application, as it doesn't absorb vibration and resists flexing. This can cause fatigue failure and cause the hose to split, crack or kink, resulting leaks or clogs. Rubber would be a better material in this application, due to its inherent flexibility. Unfortunately, rubber is a much more expensive material that the cheap plastic used at present, hence the accountants or "bean counters" love of plastic. I would guess that the plastic hose costs less that $0.25 to make (direct material and tooling amortization), as opposed to several dollars for the fabric-reinforced rubber alternative.
Second, the proprietary attachment method used to connect the hose to the washing machine is terrible. Vibration from water flowing through it causes it to loosen and leak. I have to keep tightening the clamp to stop it from leaking. Also, the sheet metal screws that secure the clamp to the machine don't hold the hose tightly, hence, the leaks. Using a nipple with a hose clamp would be better. Using a conventional nipple and clamp would also allow the use of universal hoses, available at any hardware store or home center, instead of having to buy a replacement hose directly from GE.
This leads to my third issue with the hose: the drain end. Most washing machine hoses end in a "gooseneck", a 170 degree bend at the end of the hose that can be hooked onto a washing machine drainpipe or laundry sink. This hose only has a straight end and GE doesn't make or sell a gooseneck adapter that can be attached to the end of the hose. Lowes sells such an adapter, but it has a 1.0 inch O.D., and the I.D. of the end of your hose is 1.25 inches, so the gooseneck extension didn't fit, and I had to return it. You should either: mold a gooseneck into the end of the hose, include a gooseneck and coupling with the machine at purchase, or sell one as a repair part.
Finally, I should note that you do sell a nipple adapter for this machine. At $4.75, plus tax, it's not very expensive, so cost isn't the issue. There are two (2) problems with this, however. First, why don't you include this part with the machine at purchase? Second, this method requires a second connection, which could fail and leak. One (1) connection is better than two (2), as fewer connections means fewer chances of leaks. Remember the K.I.S.S. principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid!
We love this washing machine, but the poor drain hose design mars an otherwise fine product. That is disappointing, since designing a better hose would seem to be such a simple job, a co-op student intern could do it!
Originally posted on www.ge.com
No, I do not recommend this product
Installation
Performance
Quality
Value
