washing machine repair recommendation

[kickingfrog]

Well the front load washer sounds like it has a load of bricks in it. Anybody have a name in Barrie?

 

Thanks for the help.

[solopaddler]

I wouldn't put a dime into it unless it was an extremely minor repair. It's not worth it.

 

These days the newer ones seem to have a shelf life of 8-10 years then that's it.

[cuzza]

I seem to remember Mercman works in appliance parts, might be worth dropping him a line first.

[Roy]

He can at least tell you which one to buy if you have to get a new one. He knows his stuff.

[kickingfrog]

I wouldn't put a dime into it unless it was an extremely minor repair. It's not worth it.

 

These days the newer ones seem to have a shelf life of 8-10 years then that's it.

 

Well it would be nine years this summer. Funny my mom still has the one she got as a wedding present... before I was born.

[Roy]

Four years ago I replaced the 22 year old Inglis washer and drier We had. They owed me nothing after 22 years of 12 loads a week. I replaced them with front load Maytags..it's only been 4 years but they're doing 12 loads weekly also and I'm happy with them so far.

[mercman]

Well it would be nine years this summer. Funny my mom still has the one she got as a wedding present... before I was born.

 

 

First of all, what make is it? And Solo has it almost right.Shelf life of new appliances is more like 3-5 years.Most new appliance manufacturers keep parts in stock for the absolute minimum required, which is 5 years.I have seen 3 year old appliances requireing 100's of dollars worth of parts to repair.

Are there laws to protect consumers against this type of poor quality YES, has there ever been a group of people willing to take action legally NO.

 

Lets start by assesing the problem

[mercman]

I replaced them with front load Maytags..it's only been 4 years but they're doing 12 loads weekly also and I'm happy with them so far.

 

Ya should swith to Depends Roy. Cloth diapers aren"t sanitary and it will be less wear and tear on the machines too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, it was bigger than me

[solopaddler]

Well it would be nine years this summer. Funny my mom still has the one she got as a wedding present... before I was born.

 

 

The words they don't make 'em like they used to are very true when it comes to washers and dryers.

[Twocoda]

 

 

Sorry, it was bigger than me

 

 

Paul you really have to stop eating Silly Putty and just use it for copying pictures out of comic books

[Rizzo]

9 years? Buy another and save your self the grief of fixing this one for $250-$350, and then something else pooches on it in 2 weeks.

[pylon]

Had the same problem with mine. Check front grommets at the door for debris ( and missing socks ) if you find plastic shards the bearing is gone. Go get a new one.

[mercman]

Had the same problem with mine. Check front grommets at the door for debris ( and missing socks ) if you find plastic shards the bearing is gone. Go get a new one.

 

 

Excuse me No plastic bearings in a washer.Finely aligned ball bearings and races yes, but if you had plastic, it wasnt a Frigidaire, and it wasn't bearings for sure.

[Cudz]

Hey Rob

I used this guy named Paul for Presto Appliance Repair twice. Once on a dishwasher and once on washing machine. He was very good. About a year after fixing the aged washing machine we had another problem with it (a different problem than the first) and we called him again. He came out and told me he could fix it but it was not worth it and that I could get a new machine for just a bit more than it would cost to fisx it. He didn't even charge me for the callout.

He was from Innisfil

 

705 436-6590

[danc]

This is an interesting thread. I too have had my share of problems with 5 to 7 year old top of the line appliances. There's some good advice here regarding when to trash the item and when to call a repairman. But there's a better way. Here's what I did to solve all of my appliance woes. And there's been more than just a few of them. Lets start with my 5 year old top of the line LG fridge. It started leaving a huge pool of water on my kitchen floor every couple of weeks or so. There's no water line hookup to it (for an ice maker), so it wasn't a plumbing leak. One time, while it was leaking, I observed the water coming from to control panel on the top of the fridge. Ok. The freezer is the only thing above the control panel. So the water is coming from the freezer. I emptied the freezer and began taking screws out of the interior until I exposed the heating elements on the back of the unit. Hmmm. I didn't know that freezers had heating elements (for the auto defrost I learned) until now. Below the elements was a drain trough for the defrosed water to drain out of the freezer. It was absolutely plugged solid with ice. Ok. So it took a few hours to melt all of the ice with the aid of a hair dryer and boiling hot water. Alas, the drain was ice free and flowing freely to the evaporator pan below. I put it all back together only to have the problem reoccur a couple of months later. That's when I contacted Mercman. He told me that he'd talk to his LG rep about this. Turns out that it was a known problem and a $10.00 fix arrived at my door and I haven't had the problem since. Next, my whirlpool top loading washing machine started acting up. Sometimes the basket would turn, sometimes it wouldn't. Finally it quit turning at all. So out came my wrenches and screwdrivers and I found a broken shock absorbing coupler between the motor and the transmission. Another $10.00 fix thanks to Mercman. Finally, here's the best one. For the past year or so, my LG fridge has been going through light bulbs every month or two. It also seemed to be running most of the time. Not something I'd be expecting from a newer fridge. Last weekend the bulb went again. I didn't have a spare bulb this time so I used the fridge bulbless for a couple of days. During this bulbless time I noticed that the fridge wasn't running every time I walked past it or opened it. Weird, I thought. Then it dawned of me. Could the light bulb have been on 24 hours a day for the past year? That would explain the thing running 24/7 and the frequent burnt out bulbs. So I put in a new bulb and pressed the shutoff button. Yup. It works. Next I closed the fridge as far as I could without it actually closing, maybe 1/16th of an inch from closing, and the light was still on. So, I put my cell phone video camera in the fridge and closed it fully. The damn light was still on!! A quick fix with some duct tape and a beer bottle cap, to shorten the distance of the when the light switch shuts off worked like a dream. And now the thing hardly runs at all. Ever!! I can't imagine the energy that I've wasted with the bulb and the fridge thermostat fight with each other 24 hours a day, for the past year or so. I've been trying to keep my food cold in an easy bake oven!!!

 

Bottom line here is that if your at all handy, instead of just running out and buying a new appliance or calling a repairman, take a few nuts and bolts out and have a look. It could be a simple $10.00 fix. Talk to Mercman. He'll fix you up with parts and advice.

 

Thanks again Paul...

[Beans]

This is an interesting thread. I too have had my share of problems with 5 to 7 year old top of the line appliances. There's some good advice here regarding when to trash the item and when to call a repairman. But there's a better way. Here's what I did to solve all of my appliance woes. And there's been more than just a few of them. Lets start with my 5 year old top of the line LG fridge. It started leaving a huge pool of water on my kitchen floor every couple of weeks or so. There's no water line hookup to it (for an ice maker), so it wasn't a plumbing leak. One time, while it was leaking, I observed the water coming from to control panel on the top of the fridge. Ok. The freezer is the only thing above the control panel. So the water is coming from the freezer. I emptied the freezer and began taking screws out of the interior until I exposed the heating elements on the back of the unit. Hmmm. I didn't know that freezers had heating elements (for the auto defrost I learned) until now. Below the elements was a drain trough for the defrosed water to drain out of the freezer. It was absolutely plugged solid with ice. Ok. So it took a few hours to melt all of the ice with the aid of a hair dryer and boiling hot water. Alas, the drain was ice free and flowing freely to the evaporator pan below. I put it all back together only to have the problem reoccur a couple of months later. That's when I contacted Mercman. He told me that he'd talk to his LG rep about this. Turns out that it was a known problem and a $10.00 fix arrived at my door and I haven't had the problem since. Next, my whirlpool top loading washing machine started acting up. Sometimes the basket would turn, sometimes it wouldn't. Finally it quit turning at all. So out came my wrenches and screwdrivers and I found a broken shock absorbing coupler between the motor and the transmission. Another $10.00 fix thanks to Mercman. Finally, here's the best one. For the past year or so, my LG fridge has been going through light bulbs every month or two. It also seemed to be running most of the time. Not something I'd be expecting from a newer fridge. Last weekend the bulb went again. I didn't have a spare bulb this time so I used the fridge bulbless for a couple of days. During this bulbless time I noticed that the fridge wasn't running every time I walked past it or opened it. Weird, I thought. Then it dawned of me. Could the light bulb have been on 24 hours a day for the past year? That would explain the thing running 24/7 and the frequent burnt out bulbs. So I put in a new bulb and pressed the shutoff button. Yup. It works. Next I closed the fridge as far as I could without it actually closing, maybe 1/16th of an inch from closing, and the light was still on. So, I put my cell phone video camera in the fridge and closed it fully. The damn light was still on!! A quick fix with some duct tape and a beer bottle cap, to shorten the distance of the when the light switch shuts off worked like a dream. And now the thing hardly runs at all. Ever!! I can't imagine the energy that I've wasted with the bulb and the fridge thermostat fight with each other 24 hours a day, for the past year or so. I've been trying to keep my food cold in an easy bake oven!!!

 

Bottom line here is that if your at all handy, instead of just running out and buying a new appliance or calling a repairman, take a few nuts and bolts out and have a look. It could be a simple $10.00 fix. Talk to Mercman. He'll fix you up with parts and advice.

 

Thanks again Paul...

 

Dan and Paul...

 

You just described the same problem I was having with my 9 year old LG Fridge...water running down the inside of the fridge area from the freezer and ending up on the floor near the door opening side...come to think of it I haven't noticed any water for quite a while unless it is leaking out the back of the fridge...what was the $10 fix ?...Thanks

Edited April 6, 2012 by Beans

[mercman]

This is an interesting thread. I too have had my share of problems with 5 to 7 year old top of the line appliances. There's some good advice here regarding when to trash the item and when to call a repairman. But there's a better way. Here's what I did to solve all of my appliance woes. And there's been more than just a few of them. Lets start with my 5 year old top of the line LG fridge. It started leaving a huge pool of water on my kitchen floor every couple of weeks or so. There's no water line hookup to it (for an ice maker), so it wasn't a plumbing leak. One time, while it was leaking, I observed the water coming from to control panel on the top of the fridge. Ok. The freezer is the only thing above the control panel. So the water is coming from the freezer. I emptied the freezer and began taking screws out of the interior until I exposed the heating elements on the back of the unit. Hmmm. I didn't know that freezers had heating elements (for the auto defrost I learned) until now. Below the elements was a drain trough for the defrosed water to drain out of the freezer. It was absolutely plugged solid with ice. Ok. So it took a few hours to melt all of the ice with the aid of a hair dryer and boiling hot water. Alas, the drain was ice free and flowing freely to the evaporator pan below. I put it all back together only to have the problem reoccur a couple of months later. That's when I contacted Mercman. He told me that he'd talk to his LG rep about this. Turns out that it was a known problem and a $10.00 fix arrived at my door and I haven't had the problem since. Next, my whirlpool top loading washing machine started acting up. Sometimes the basket would turn, sometimes it wouldn't. Finally it quit turning at all. So out came my wrenches and screwdrivers and I found a broken shock absorbing coupler between the motor and the transmission. Another $10.00 fix thanks to Mercman. Finally, here's the best one. For the past year or so, my LG fridge has been going through light bulbs every month or two. It also seemed to be running most of the time. Not something I'd be expecting from a newer fridge. Last weekend the bulb went again. I didn't have a spare bulb this time so I used the fridge bulbless for a couple of days. During this bulbless time I noticed that the fridge wasn't running every time I walked past it or opened it. Weird, I thought. Then it dawned of me. Could the light bulb have been on 24 hours a day for the past year? That would explain the thing running 24/7 and the frequent burnt out bulbs. So I put in a new bulb and pressed the shutoff button. Yup. It works. Next I closed the fridge as far as I could without it actually closing, maybe 1/16th of an inch from closing, and the light was still on. So, I put my cell phone video camera in the fridge and closed it fully. The damn light was still on!! A quick fix with some duct tape and a beer bottle cap, to shorten the distance of the when the light switch shuts off worked like a dream. And now the thing hardly runs at all. Ever!! I can't imagine the energy that I've wasted with the bulb and the fridge thermostat fight with each other 24 hours a day, for the past year or so. I've been trying to keep my food cold in an easy bake oven!!!

 

Bottom line here is that if your at all handy, instead of just running out and buying a new appliance or calling a repairman, take a few nuts and bolts out and have a look. It could be a simple $10.00 fix. Talk to Mercman. He'll fix you up with parts and advice.

 

Thanks again Paul...

 

Dan !! Its always a pleasure. BTW, if your lite problem comes back, LG are aware of this, and have put together a kit to correct the problem., at the consumers expense. You are very lucky that it didnt melt the plastic lens and housing, because thats what usually makes people realize there is a problem.

[mercman]

Dan and Paul...

 

You just described the same problem I was having with my 9 year old LG Fridge...water running down the inside of the fridge area from the freezer and ending up on the floor near the door opening side...come to think of it I haven't noticed any water for quite a while unless it is leaking out the back of the fridge...what was the $10 fix ?...Thanks

 

 

A small aluminum tube that fits into the drain tube. It has a tab that wraps around the defrost heater, and transmits the heat from the defrost heater to the drain tube, therefore preventing it from freezeing and blocking during the defrost cycle. LG has no fix for it.Thier techs use a whirlpool fix, to do the job.

Its a problem shared by many makes of fridges. Poor insulation allows cold freezer air to come into contact with the drain tube, causeing to to block with ice, and leak down between the walls of the cabinet, onto the floor.

[pics]

Appliances didn't seem to have as many problems when they we're designed and built here......the prices may have dropped on them but you have to buy new ones more frequently...not saving much in the end....

[kickingfrog]

As I was opening up the back to take a look see, MADE IN U.S.A. was noted in numerous areas.

 

mercman has been helping out via pms. Thanks again.

 

Considering the points brought up here, namely that a more expensive machine is not likely to last longer, I'm not sure why I would ever spend more then the minimum on one of these things again. I was brought up to buy the best you could, or could almost, afford look after it, and it will last. Very frustrating to find that this is now not always an option and that I am just one more person living in a throw away society.

 

And on a slight side note I now know why so many people sell their homes with the appliances included. Why pack up and move something that big that's not worth repairing in a few years.

[Jer]

Unfortunatley, more expensive appliances these days just usually means more useless bells and whistles that give the appliance even more opportunity to break down.

[BITEME]

I wouldn't put a dime into it unless it was an extremely minor repair. It's not worth it.

 

These days the newer ones seem to have a shelf life of 8-10 years then that's it.

I agree with that brother 100%crap

Edited April 9, 2012 by BITEME.Esq