Sheesh. I’ve been offline enough that I didn’t even mention my weekly post over at Forever Parenting. It’s all about the, ahem…adventures we’ve been having with the washing machine around here.
Have you checked into the cost of having an appliance repaired lately? Its frightening how quickly those charges can add up.
We purchased a washer/dryer set used from some friends almost 2 years ago. The machines were only about a year old when we got them. Everything went great for a while, then the problems started cropping up. Turns out that particular brand/model is the subject of a class-action lawsuit because they’ve been trouble for so many consumers. Sigh. Just my luck; and no warranty for me either.
First I called the brand repair folks. For a paltry $250 they were willing to let me buy an extended warranty on the machine; this translated into complete replacement IF it had 3 major problems during the warranty period. Of course, I’d be paying for those repairs along the way. Might as well just buy a new machine for that price.
Next I tried having the local appliance repair guy come in. He replaced a part, charged me an arm and left. This did not solve the problem. For his second visit, he made some other changes and charged me a leg. The problems persisted. Unfortunately the issue is not clear-cut. Being unwilling to deal with the appliance folks again, I started searching online for help.
That’s when I discovered a couple of really great resources for DIY appliance repair. I found them when I typed the error code and brand into a Google search box. The one I used the most is the Appliance Blog Forum. This forum is divided into categories like washers, dryers, refrigerators, HVAC, and more. Within each category are sub-categories by brand. I found a good deal of help on this forum, and many questions are answered by appliance repair specialists who know what they’re talking about. This site does sell parts as well, but they’re very supportive of the DIYer. Another big one is the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum, and there’s one called RepairClinic that sells parts and features diagrams of appliances which is tremendously helpful.
There are quite a few other appliance sites out there, these are just the ones I used and found helpful. After reading the forums, I got courageous enough to start taking my washer apart (with the help of my intrepid Mother-In-Law) and can now nurse the machine through a cycle even when it’s behaving its worst. I’m fairly certain that I need to buy and install a new control board. Thanks to the forums, I’m pretty confident that Hubby and I can do the job ourselves. The part on its own costs less than having a repairman walk through our door and smile, so I figure it’s worth the try.
I still have an arm and a leg left….
**Special note: appliance repair can be tricky and dangerous. All necessary precautions should be taken and instructions carefully read before undertaking the job. Ultimately, your health and safety is more important than your wallet, and if you’re not sure about the job, hire the professional.
Anyone can repair their own appliance really :->. However, are you prepared to learn and do research on the job you are about to take on? Most things are easy once you know how to do it however the research sometimes is not easy. We spend hours and hours researching models and brands, schematics, parts diagrams, before we even show up on the job. If you do the same, most homeowners can gain a good understanding or appliance operation and in many instances, perform a repair.
Rich
This post is quite handy but sometimes it is dangerous to deal with Appliances, If we don’t understand the cause then we can ruin its functionality and it may cost more.
You’ve got some good stories about appliance repair here. It’s good to know about the repair sites you found, but honestly, I don’t trust myself to do it. I’d rather hire a professional, like you said, than try and fix our washer myself. It’s best to be safe.