Celebrating the 70th birthday of Hoover UK`s first washing machine. It officially rolled off the production line on the 1st March 1948, at the Hoover factory in Merthyr Tidfyl, South Wales. Very fitting as it was St Davids Day, the patron saint of Wales. "Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus"
This compact wringer washing machine was designed for the British kitchen and would fit under the draining board, a great spacesaver with our compact kitchens.
It had a simplistic design, an aluminium tub was bolted to the base and sides, it had the famous "Hoover Pulsator" a spinning disc set in the side of the tub and driven by a belt from a motor underneath. It had no switch you plugged it into your socket on the wall and switched on.
The aluminium worktop was also used as a cover to prevent water from splashing over the floor.
The Hoover Pulsator revolved at 560 rpm and rolled the clothes throughout the water so getting them clean. It didn't even have a heater, you had to heat your own water in a copper or water heater. The little hole in the base is the drain which is connected to a pipe hung on the side.
The wash was so thorough that for cottons you only required a 4 minute wash. Once the clothes where washed you fed the clothing through the hand wringer. The top cover was now placed onto the back ledge of the washer and acted as a tray to collect your washing.
Once your washing was complete, you emptied the wash tub by lowering the pipe on the side into a floor drain or bucket. Though the empty hole in the tub is small, the pressure effect of the volume of water in the tall tub emptied the machine very quickly.
Watch it Washing......
The Hoover Pulsator with "Boiling Water Action".....
Hoover even promoted this latest labour saving device on their delivery trucks.
Here they are being made in the first Hoover washing machine factory in the world and loaded onto the trucks for delivery.
And outside the factory ready for delivery to shops and Electricity Boards.
Here is the famous Hoover factory skyline of the former coal mining town of Merthyr Tidfyl, South Wales. and is still standing today !!
Warehousemen loading this new modern machine.
Inside the factory we see rows and rows of the Hoover 0307 Wringer Washing Machines.
An article from the local newspaper of the day !!
Hoover Washing Machine factory
Pentrabach, Merthyr Tidfyl, South Wales.
United Kingdom
Wow great info Mike, thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteI've got one! Thanks for the article
ReplyDelete