Hi All, I finally heard back from Miele. They didn't really respond to my question re: vibration, so I'm assuming that the vibration on the washer I saw at the Miele Gallery is typical of a Miele unit. My email to them and their response is below: Sept. 9 email to Miele: Hi, I'm looking for a new washer and dryer and have narrowed it done to a few contenders, the Miele W1612 being one of them. I went to the Miele Gallery in Vancouver and had a demo of the model. The washing performance was excellent and I love that you're offering a free 10 year warranty. It's refreshing to see a company that's willing to stand behind their products! Before making a decision, I have few questions that I'm hoping you can respond to. 1. During the demo that I saw, the washer vibrated between about a quarter to a half an inch at the top of the machine when it was spinning at 1000 RPM. I would be installing it on a wood (main) floor of my 83 year old house, so I am concerned about vibration. In the Vancouver Miele Gallery, the washer and dryer were stacked, but a stacking kit wasn't used. So, I'm wondering if perhaps the unit wasn't installed as well as it could have been and that what was leading to the vibration. Alternatively, is between a quarter and a half inch vibration typical of Miele washers? 2. I noticed that the drain holes on the rubber bellows are about half an inch above the bottom of the bellows. It seems like water would pool there, without any way to drain. Is there a reason why the drain holes are not located at the bottom of the bellows and have you had complaints/issues with odours and mold? 3. Is there any plan to bring back a 240V washer? I was really hoping to get one, but there aren't any in Miele's current line up. Thank you in advance, Lisa Sept. 17 Response from Miele: Dear Lisa, Thank you for taking the time to write. There are things you can do to prevent the vibration in your appliances. The main thing you would need to look at in your case is if your floor can actually handle the weight and the vibration. Soft surfaces can vibrate more readily than hard surfaces such as concrete. Locate the washing machine in a corner of the room, floor stability is the greatest there. If beams are below the wooden floor, fit a wooden board under the machine and screw it to as many beams as possible. Make sure the unit is perfectly levelled. We usually recommend that the unit is installed in the basement on a concrete floor because that is where there will be most stability. In regards to the drainage in the seal, we haven't had any complaints of mold issues. As with any front loaders, you do need to follow a few simple maintenance rules. Make sure you wipe down the seal after you're done with your laundry. If you're able to, leave the door ajar for a few hours to make sure it has a chance to dry completely. Once a month, run a hot water cycle without any detergent in your appliance to rid the appliance of any detergent residue you may have. Try to avoid using too much detergent in your washer as well. A little goes a long way with a front loader since they are very low water consumption. And there are no plans to bring back a 240 V washer in the future in Canada. I hope this will help in your decision. Please do not hesitate to contact us again in the event that you may require additional information. Sincerely, Annie

We've had 3 Miele (USA) spec washing machines and dryers in the last 15 years, and NOT one was able to be converted. IMO, this is not possible, or a good idea. Miele now sells several washers that run on good ol' American current...although their electric dryers (as so USA electric dryers) still require 240/200. Good Luck!

[long post alert - but this question comes up enough that all the info should be in one place] lalitha - I'll answer your questions, but first, a few responses to recent posts: No, you don't have to "disclose" your 240V outlet. It is not a defect and does not violate building codes. I've used GE Advantium 240v over-the-cooktop high-speed oven/microwaves, despite that every other brand available runs on 120v. No prospective homebuyers have complained their food would be ready too fast. As for resale value, nobody is going to turn down a $325,000 home because they may have to hire an electrician for $180 to install a new outlet lest they decide to change an appliance. As suburbanmd noted, it would make sense to have a dedicated 120V/20A outlet in the washer area too, but there's a good chance there already is one. Also, if you're buying a 240V washer and dryer from the same manufacturer, you can use the commonplace 240V/30A outlet that most homes already have in the laundry room (usually used for the dryer). The smaller, more efficient European machines extract more water in the washer, so the dryer needs less power, and thus they usually run on 240V/15 amps rather than 240V/30 amps like most American dryers - half the electricity. For that reason, many dryers from the brands that sell 240V washers, including Bosch and Asko, include a fused 240V/15A outlet on the back of their dryers, which you can plug the washer (also 240V/15A) into. Then you plug the dryer into the existing 240V/30A dryer wall outlet, and now you have power for both machines. No electrician needed. However, having a separate 240v/15A wall outlet and circuit gives you the flexibility to use your 240v washer with any brand of dryer, each with their own wall outlet. Another approach, which Miele used, is a separate box with two fused 240V/15A outlets that plug into the common 240V/30A wall outlet. You plug the washer and dryer into the two outlets on the extension box, which has a 5' cord that runs to your wall outlet, and again provides power to both machines. Fagor sells these too. There are two types of 240V/30A outlets in wide use in the US - the older three-prong variety and the newer four-prong (with separate ground) type; you'll need to make sure your adapter box matches the outlet you have (or install a grounded outlet if necessary, not a bad idea anyway). Dryers in the US are usually sold without power cords for this reason - both types are common. There are many good reasons to go with a 240v washer. Hot water cleans better, but can also cause certain types of stains to "set" and become permanent or hard to remove if doused with hot water. The best way to clean, therefore, is to start with cold water (which won't cause stains to set) and heat it up as it's washing - which 240V machines do considerably faster. Asko and Fagor/Brandt washers don't even have a hot-water inlet. Bosch and older Mieles do, although both can be attached to a cold water feed only (via capping the hot water intake in the Bosch, or using a Y-shaped splitter hose with the Miele). Because of the long heating times needed to reach high temperatures in 120V washers, some of them "cheat" by starting with warm water, or by not reaching the temperature you set if it's taking too long (this has been discussed in other threads). Currently available 240v washers include everything made by Bosch, everything by Fagor including the aforementioned all-in-one washer/dryer, and all 24" wide Asko washers. Miele's only 240v machine is a very expensive semi-commercial model PW6065. Maximum temperatures are 205F for Asko, 195F for Fagor, and 190F for the Miele 240v machines that were discontinued a few years ago, although some are still available new. Bosch 240v washers, although foreign-market machines heat to 190+, only go to 161F on US machines. Whether temperatures higher than 160F are helpful has been the subject of much debate in these forums and elsewhere. Miele's instructions note that it can reduce elasticity and recemmends it only for very soiled cotton items. As for which used Miele I bought, I got a W1926, which dates from the late '90s. It has a wonderfully simple, direct control panel - no arcane buttons, lights, or LCD displays; no confusing cycle names like "kid's wear" or "outdoor/active" or "plaid flannel" that leave you guessing as to what the machine is actually going to do. Instead, just a few clear, consiee, properly labelled controls: one dial to set temperature (tap cold to 190F, in seven increments), one dial for spin speed (up to 1200 rpm), a few buttons for options like extra-water rinse, extra-gentle, or high-speed wash; and only four cycles to choose from. It's like comparing a cheap camera with a "sports mode" or "portrait mode" to a pro-grade SLR that assumes you're smart and knowledgable enough to actually set a shutter speed or lens aperture. The W1918 is similar but 4" shorter front to back, with correspondingly smaller capacity but will fit completely under a standard countertop or in shallow closets, and also can spin up to an even faster 1600rpm since the filled tub weighs less. Newer 240v Mieles include the W1966 and 1986; I think the latest that ran on 240V were the W1912/1914/1915 but there may be others - basically everything before the 3000 series. These had somewhat dumbed-down controls, but also added new features like a tub light. User manuals for their machines going back decades can be found here on Miele's website But enough proselytizing from me about how great 240V Mieles are/were. I'm just some random guy on the internet, and what do I know? Instead, read this similar opinion from a notable, sadly departed historical figure whose opinion may, indeed should, carry more weight. "We ended up opting for these Miele appliances .... They are really wonderfully made and one of the few products we’ve bought over the last few years that we’re all really happy about. These guys really thought the process through. They did such a great job designing these washers and dryers. I got more thrill out of them than I have out of any piece of high tech in years." Really, when the guy who brought forth the iPhone and iPad thinks a washing machine is cooler than any gadget he's used in years, I figured it must be darned impressive. And it is.

As a Brit, I can see another problem in hot wiring a UK kettle to an American wiring standard. Our plug tops contain a fuse, in the case of a kettle it will be 13amp. The fuse is a link in the live or "hot" wire as you like to call it. As you use a 2 phase (2 hot wire) 120v system you would need to install a 6/7 amp fuse into each "hot" wire. If you do not do this the fuse will be unlikely to blow unless there is a major fault. This is due to the fuse only ever being subject to half of the current draw as that current will be split between the 2 "hot" wires. All of our appliances come with a plug with a fuse rated for the current draw of each. Remember we tend to use a 32ampere ring circuit to power our homes. In this way we can install as many socket outlets on the ring as we care to, (well almost), and we will never overload the circuit beyond the maximum circuit breaker cut out. The worst that can happen is that if we plug in 4 number 3.0kWh appliances into a single ring main after a short period the breaker will trip due to circuit overload. This is why we can plug a 60watt lamp and a fan heater in the same double socket outlet and not have a problem and somewhere else on the same ring circuit we can plug in the telly box and the hi fi as well as having the old lady doing the ironing and possibly making a cup of tea from one of our brilliantly fast kettles :-)