Hi Ann, Just to update you, I had to get an engineer out to mine eventually - the machine sat turned off at the mains from Sunday (when the fault 1st occurred) until Thursday when the engineer arrived. If it was left on, the lights continued to flash and the pump continued to pump. Best of all - when we turned the machine back on at the mains on the Thursday....it worked perfectly!! As the engineer was there anyway, I asked him to check everything out anyway, and he found the machine had a faulty heater element. He replaced the heater element and the machine hasn't looked back. It wasn't cheap though - when I phoned Hotpoint they gave me 2 options for repair. 1. A one off payment of £99.99 (approx.) which covered all labour and parts, with a 3 month warranty on parts fitted. If the machine broke down again after 3 months, it would take another £99.99 to fix it again. 2. Insurance policy. For £15.99 payment per month, for 10 months, I would get 1 year's breakdown cover, which covers unlimited callouts and parts within that fee. If the engineer is unable to fix the machine, the machine gets replaced with a new one free of charge. I told the guy I thought the insurance was a bit expensive for a 3 yr old machine and he nearly immediately dropped it to £12.99 per month for 10 months. I took this option, for better or worse, and am glad to say my machine is running again. I hope this helps. Best regards, Stephen G
Stephen G, November 2009
