... you really want an electric car? sure about that?

The capacitor in my washing machine ran $1.50 at the local electronics place.

But if I'd been relying on some appliance-repair outfit that would only have wanted to replace the board (which Whirlpool prices four dollars less than what I paid for the whole machine 12 years ago, a new washer might have been more economical.

 

I didn't go digital until the LCD era. Its buttons were wearing through and leaking sweat for a while, but that isn't how it ultimately became unserviceable. Tossed in a nightstand drawer, the final battery lasted a couple more years beyond that.

I've been solidly RPN since 1974 or 75, and will be a fish out of water if I after have to go back.

I had to pay about triple through that for a capacitor when my heat pump water heater quit, after the manufacturer went bankrupt and invalidated the warranty. Conveniently, that was one of several items that were made plug-in replaceable, no soldering needed. I learned the solution from a plumbing forum where some 'pros' were very PO'd that one of their colleagues leaked the solution into a public place where potential customers could discover it and DIY instead of providing bu$ine$$ to 'pro' repair folk. I strongly doubt that any replacement board was available, so absent DIY or an expensive service call from a 'knowledgeable' repair critter, the whole thing would have needed replacement.

 

Thanks!

You've reminded me to change the batteries on my slide rule:


Bob Wilson

 

I know that I am not as handy as you are in terms of fixing electronics or mechanical appliances. But I have attempted to fix a few thing DIY on our appliances and run into the same situation as you describe. The cost to have it repaired by a lonely Maytag service man is usually absurdly expensive which makes no sense to try repairing it professionally. Then if I try DIY repair it, even if I think I know what the problem is, usually the cost of parts + shipping are too high to even justify attempting the repair, especially if I don't know if that will fix the problem.

One time, our Maytag clothes dryer quits working. From the symptom, I suspected it was a corroded bearing, a problem fairly common to this machine, and the DIY diagnosis and repair videos are well documented on YouTube. Well, I have tried to fix it DIY. Ordered the parts, waited for them to arrive, move the dryer out of the basement (just not enough room to work on it in the basement), put it in the garage, take the casing off, remove the drum, get to the corroded ring bearing. In the end, it was apparent that the bearing had welded onto the drum shaft due to excessive heat, such that replacing just the bearing was not possible. Replacing the entire drum assembly unit with a new shaft and new bearing would be the only plausible solution. But the cost of the parts and shipping was more than the equivalent new dryer purchased on sale. Plus during two weeks of downtime, we had to take washed clothes to a local laundromat to dry. Yep, we ordered a new dryer from a local big store. It arrived in two days, they installed it and took away the old disassembled dryer for free. It would have been much cheaper,, not to mention saving time and aggravation, if we replaced it with a new unit right away.

 

Pick two:

• GOOD
• FAST
• CHEAP

Bob Wilson

 

when the compressor went on our 5 year old refrigerator, i replaced it with a gasoline model. been fine ever since

 

Don't know any gasoline-model refrigerators, but have seen a propane-run refrigerator in a cabin. This was more than 40 years ago, so no solar or Lithium batteries back then. But I think gas and propane model refrigerators still exist today. The cabin had no electricity, but we kept food cold in summer running the propane fridge. Water was brought in from a nearby spring, and cooking and heating were done by wood-burning stoves. No plumbing. The outhouse served our sanitary needs. Approximately 12'x20' size single-bedroom log cabin was built entirely by hand using no power tools as per the account from the builder/owner. I was very impressed.

 

This washer is unusual for me in that I really did buy it new, as opposed to from the Re*Store, say. But they mostly get full-sized ones there, and I wanted something slightly more compact, so it wouldn't have to be buttered to go down my basement stairs, and those sizes are less common.

The dryer next to it is a full-sized Re*Store find, but dryers are mechanically simpler and I'm pretty sure I just broke it down some in the kitchen and reassembled it downstairs.

I paid for delivery of the washer, because in moving the previous washer on the stairs with help from one friend, I'd had one moment when I barely kept my center of gravity over my feet, and wished that the life passing before my eyes had been more interesting. Paying for delivery, I assumed they'd come with better equipment and do something safer and more intelligent. Instead, I ended up watching two confident, strapping young guys start to manhandle it down the stairs and repeat my same physics demonstration at the same exact spot. Thankfully, they also managed to save it, and I didn't have to mop either of them up off the floor.

So, I've got that loading in and out business to think about, as a further incentive for me to keep this washer in repair as far as practical.

Washers can also be disassembled some for easier moving, but that's usually a bit more involved than dryers. Of course just taking the concrete blocks out helps a lot with the weight.

 

Recently replace the pump on my 15-year-old Frigidaire front loader. I had to take the front counterbalance ring off to get at one of the pump front boot spring clamps - It weighed 50 pounds + easily. I can see where taking off both the front and rear counterbalance rings would lighten a washer quite a bit.

The pump in these washers is a sealed 120-volt unit. One of the front water seals had failed and let water enter the armature cavity area. The armature got too hot and the armature core split in two locking up the pump. We were in the living room when the armature core split and it made a sound like a gunshot. Did not know at the time what caused the noise but when the washer finished the clothes were soaking wet and there was standing water in the drum confirming something had happened in the washer.

 

Yep, modern appliances are GARBAGE! In 1987, we returned from serving a few years in the Philippines and bought a new washer/dryer from Sears, green Kenmores that were Made in America. The washer, finally, died just a few years ago...her frame was in pretty bad shape from having to move all around the world with us every 4-5 years but she worked!

Modern appliances remind me of the POS cars built in America (Ford/Chevy) in the 70's. My first car was a Ford Mustang II which was nothing but a re-badged Pinto (4-cylinder). It was a 1977 and I bought it in 1979 with very few miles on it and it broke down on the drive back home! (I paid $1,500 for it)
I'm not a big proponent of buying warranties but, for appliances, I buy the longest one I can get my hands on because I know I'll be using it.

 

My current (i.e. 12 year old) washer can spin so fast that I hardly ever even use the dryer anymore. Taking the clothes out and hanging them open near an HVAC vent for a day before hanging them in the closet is all the drying they need.

To spin that fast, it has to detect whether the load is unbalanced. If so, it will stop, rebalance the load, and try again, sometimes several times, before it takes the tub up to full speed. First washer I've ever owned that can do stuff like that. And it's still pretty mechanically sound, other than needing a $1.50 capacitor recently.

 

My 7 year old washer deposits mold on the clothes it claims to have washed having no strainer despite its top of the line price tag. Can't find one that is any better even at $850 and up. Yes, I run it through its cleaning cycle frequently and even do suggested vinegar cycle, cleaning cycle, vinegar cycle days.

I long for the days when I had a washer with a strainer.

And I still wear clothes from 40 years ago because I hang up to dry all clothes that can. Many of my around home clothes are even older or are hand me ups from my kids who grew bigger and taller than me.

 

I agree. If electric vehicles had replaceable battery 'blades', etc...like the Prius has, I'd have a much more favorable opinion of them. Maybe some do...however, I was rather disgusted by the battery packs in Teslas when I saw the breakdown videos. A total one and done implementation.

 

Agreed. Part of the reason we are keeping our ancient, but reliable furnace. It is 24 years old now and just keeps chugging along. Plus, I know how to service the thing myself. I swear the modern furnace industry is a racket...I know of so many people that have spent a ton of $$$ dealing with issues on their modern furnaces. Yes, they are somewhat more efficient...but good lord, they sure do seem to break down frequently!

 

Even though it is 15 years old I consider our Frigidaire Affinity Front Load Washer one of the new generation clothes washers.

It replaced a GE traditional top load washer.

I was and still am amazed at how much cleaner the front load washer got and gets our clothes. We immediately noticed the difference when we got the new washer. It also uses much less water and is actually energy star certified. The spin cycle as one gentleman mentioned is very fast in modern day washers - this one spins at 1200 rpm at max speed greatly reducing drying time as the clothes are almost dry when the spin cycle is complete.

The washer has an inverter motor control and is variable speed - it even has a tub heater for the sanitize cycle. I think the washer cost $425 15 years ago and other than a pump, door switch latch and front bellows has been very reliable.

This modern washer has been a real money/energy saver for us giving us very clean clothes. Also very reliable and modestly priced.
No problems with mold as it has a stainless-steel drum with a plastic drum shell and the front bellows is treated to prevent microbe growth. Never had bad smells or noticed any mold when repairing it myself. Consumer Reports actually listed it as a best buy for the money years ago and why we selected this model. I have found Consumer Reports to be a very good source of information for home products and appliances.

 

I put in two, late 2010 early 2011. They're of the modulating style, with variable-pressure gas valves. I think they were still working some kinks out.

First kink was that both units came with gas valves whose factory coarse adjustment was too high. The field-accessible fine adjustment couldn't go low enough to get the right pressure. During commissioning, I had to have them send two replacement valves. The hardest thing was getting them to believe I'd received two that both really were off, and hadn't done something else wrong. So that was a hassle at installation time, but got covered under warranty.

A few years later, there was a recall on the condensate traps. They had made those out of some transparent material, which was cool to look at, but apparently not the best chemical compatibility with the combustion byproducts in condensate, and could develop a leak and drip condensate into the cabinet. One of mine had started doing so by that point. The condensate had left a little track of rust stain on the inner galvanized surface of the cabinet. The replacement traps are an opaque black plastic, and those have held up fine ever since.

A year or so ago I replaced the combustion blower on one, because it was getting noisy, but it had not failed or interfered with operation. Past the 10-year warranty by now, so that was about $125.

Just recently I had to replace the gas valve in the other one. It had stopped passing gas, so that was a no-heat situation. Got the replacement valve from SupplyHouse for $190. (Also got the old valve working again, so that's now on a shelf in case needed in a pinch.)

Only thing I've had to replace on mine is that capacitor, so far. While I was in there, I did take the bellows off, and turn it inside out, and go at it with some bleachy water and a bristle brush. I haven't always kept up with the cleaning tablet regimen, and it was getting kind of gross. But it was easier to remove than I'd assumed it would be, and I guess one good scrubbing in a dozen years wasn't an onerous amount of work.

Mine does not have a separate heater for the tub. But it does seem to get the water in the sanitize cycle very hot, well above my water heater temperature I think, just by the mechanical action of thrashing it up with the spinning tub. Same way Count Rumford did it.

 

I never gained proficiency with vector operations on that.

 

Our oil-burning boiler for our heating system is probably over 30 years old. I was seriously thinking of replacing it with a modern high-efficiency boiler. I have read old boilers pre-dating EPA Energy Star ratings were not required to test their efficiency and can be as low as 50-60% efficiency compared to today's top models rated to be 87% and above. The difference between the 87% efficiency and 50% efficiency models would be over 40% oil wasted. I thought I could get the cost of the new boiler (~$14K) repaid by the oil saved if I updated it.

I asked the HVAC tech to run the efficiency test at the annual cleaning service last year. As turned out, the efficiency of this 30+ years old boiler is still holding at 80.7%. The efficiency difference compared to the 87% model would be only 8%. This means annualized saving on 600 gallons of oil even at a historically high rate of $5/gal would be only $240 instead of $1200 if the difference was bigger. The payback period is 58 years instead of 12 years.

And, I read somewhere that an old boiler like this one can be serviced almost indefinitely by replacing parts. So, I decided to keep it going forever. I am planning to supplement the heating needs with heat pumps when I know more about the IRA incentives this year. But I may have to worry about the heat pump's longevity. LOL