then it worked for a couple of washes before blowing the fuse in the main box half way through a wash can anybody assist me with an answer and a possible date for this model so I can determine its age

Andymac, December 2016

F1 means flood switch in the base tray has been activated. There will be a leak somewhere. You need to take off the lower kick panel, dry out the tray and then run it with panel off and watch for leaks. Switch power off at wall power point before touching any wiring inside panel. That model is about 16 to 20 years old.

Lincoln Appliance NZ, December 2016