> A couple of months ago our washing machine produced a considerable quantity of smoke when I opened its door, which I interpreted as a suggestion that a replacement was needed.
I just want to point out that what was actually needed was a repair. We're all so conditioned to think broken things must be replaced, it's easy to forget you should at least consider a repair first.
In case one has full time job, the time and money to disassemble, investigate, diagnose, order parts and fix an appliance is comparable with simply purchasing a new one. Make them take away the old one and blame the environmental disaster on plastic straws and cutlery. Producers will dismiss any requests with "hire an authorized technician co come over onsite" so fixing will also increase your adrenaline level. Luckily you found some blueprints on the internet! oh bummer... they're in Cyrilic and French...
30+ years ago my parents washing machine broke, my dad got his hands on a replacement control module thingy which was an electro mechanical cylinder that had the selection knob on the outside. The inside had 30+ wires (memory may be exaggerating) and he tasked me with labeling them, removing the push fit connectors and connecting them to the new controller. I don't think my 13 year old self ever felt such pressure but it was a great sense of achievement when it worked.
Today they’ll be in Chinese. In China, you might actually have a chance of cost effective repair, except the units they generally sell there are so cheap that replace is still more economical.
In most locations I lived in these repair places ranged from "they are the same clueless as me" to pure scam. One week and 60 EUR to learn what's wrong with this thing? By then I'll be using a new one and will not have to take half day off.
Very generally on a washing machine the first thing to go will be the carbon brushes/bushes - these are usually relatively easy (and cheap) to replace.
If it isn't the brushes then it is likely the control module - this is often so expensive to source new (and can be pricey 2nd hand) that there isn't much point in replacing.
My dishwasher needed a new board, and despite only being 5 years old, the manufacturer wanted 80% of the cost of a new machine. Even on the grey market I couldn't find a good price, and going 2nd hand didn't turn up the parts I needed. Was very sad to scrap such a new piece of hardware.
Regulating prices produces situations that are rife with unintended consequences. Choose a different brand instead (unless that brand has a monopoly, which is only the case in a few industries.)
I just want to point out that what was actually needed was a repair. We're all so conditioned to think broken things must be replaced, it's easy to forget you should at least consider a repair first.