Guest post by Shannon from Mrs. Moneysaver
My washing machine hasn’t been working so well lately. When it runs through the spin cycle, it doesn’t spin fast enough and the clothes are still pretty wet when I take them out. This is especially true for loads of towels and jeans. It’s a good thing the weather here has been decent enough for me to use my clothesline or I would have worn out my dryer as well!
So, I contemplated buying a new washer. I’ve seen the front load washers and they look really nice. Plus, they can hold a larger load than what I can put in the machine I have now, which means less laundry time.
And then I found this deal at Surviving the Stores and would have made the purchase but the price was $450 each when I checked. And, when you buy a new washer, you’ve got to get a new dryer too if you’re getting a great deal, right? But, I missed out on the sale.
So, I started checking Craigslist. There were lots of front load washers in Denver which is about a 4-hour drive from here. But, driving all that way to pick it up? Nope, don’t want to do that.
Then there’s the dilemma of what to do with our old set when we buy the new set. The dryer still works fine and the washer does work — it’s just that spin cycle. It’s still worth something, isn’t it?
That got me wondering: If the washer is good enough to sell at a garage sale, isn’t it still good enough for me? We haven’t had any credit card debt for awhile, did I really want to start that again?
I started doing a little research online. I found out that the spin cycle problem could be one of a few things:
1. The pump isn’t working
2. The motor coupling is worn out (which is common because it works just like a belt)
3. The basket drive/clutch assembly has worn out
I knew the pump was working because it was draining the water out. The spin cycle just wasn’t spinning fast enough. I read that the basket drive/clutch assembly was expensive to replace and I would be better off buying a new washer. But since the motor coupling was only a $10 part, I decided to start with that.
I ordered the part online and it arrived yesterday. My husband (the great DIY’er that he is) replaced the motor coupling last night. It worked!
Just like new. Only $900 less.
Shannon is a wife and mother of six kids. She is also “Mrs Moneysaver” and has a blog sharing coupons, coupon match-ups, freebies, daily deals and money saving strategies.
Willy says
We had a similar problem last fall, Our washer would work, but it wouldn’t spin (It would agitate during the wash and drain). It started making a very loud grinding noise. Instead of just tossing it and buying a new one, I did some research and found the same thing as you, the coupling might be bad.
So I tore it apart (what a mess), Turns out it was perfectly fine. I did some more research and came to the conclusion that some of the gears in the transmission had gone bad, the cost to buy a new one was about $250.
We then started searching for a preferably new washer for no more then $200, Couldn’t find one. (ABC Warehouse’s employees are pushy, they offered us a $320 model for $240, after we started walking out the door)
We ended up buying a used washer that Rent A Center was selling for $150, it was their biggest model washer they offered and only 25$ to have it delivered and installed. It was well worth the $175…
Deneen says
Does anyone have any suggestions on fixing a refrigerator? The freezer side was not getting cold enough and then the refrig side was not cold. So we have unplugged it until we can see about getting it fixed. It is a $1200 frig from Sears and I am pretty sure the repair man will charge alot to fix. I would us to fix it ourselves if we could get some advice. Thanks
Louise @ GoodDealAlert.net says
Thanks for the great post. The internet is a great resource to research issues like this! Years ago we had an old washing machine whose agitator stopped working. After some research, we discovered that underneath the center agitator piece, there were some plastic ‘teeth’ pieces that had worn with age. We found a local appliance store that sold the parts we needed and paid about $5 – $10 for a package. We easily switched them & the machine worked/agitated just fine for many years!
Teena Jackson says
I agree w/ the original post – if you can DIY fix – it can save hundreds of dollars. But a note to those who do go bargaining for a new front loader –
Be careful of the cheaper end front loaders – many of them have plastic bearings (spinning the drum) which break frequently. This was told to me by a Lowe’s appliance manager!
Here’s how we got our $1200 Bosch front loader for $ 658. We have a friend who works for Lowes & gets an automatic 20% discount. At certain times of the year, employees will get additional discounts on special order appliances. He and I researched various machines (both low and high end) and I chose the one that had the biggest savings and the options that I wanted. I ended up with the 800 series from Bosch because our store didn’t have it in stock so it ended up being special order. I have noticed hugh savings in electricity (roughly $20 monthly) and since I have a well – there are no water costs. But it does a fabu job cleaning, using less soap & also cut my line dry times down significantly. I also love that Bosch machines have water hoses that when a leak is detected automatically shut off the water supply!
I am now on the savings path for a Bosch dishwasher in 6/7 months and will do the exact same thing again.
Here’s to all of us saving our dollars!
Lana says
The clutch went out on our 7 1/2 yr old washer last year. It would have been a $375 repair. It was better to get a new washer for $425. Our dryer probably has another 15 years of life in it so I will put up with the mismatched set.
Mary Ann says
This week I “Spent” $18.68 by buying a brand new washer with a warranty.
I negotiated and spent $377.68 for a new washer from Sears. The part to fix our existing washer cost $359 if we installed it ourselves (it was the motor). The washer is a large capacity and has several cycles on it.
A woman I met there was complaining that they “had” to spend $1,200 on a new set because the old washer broke. Huh?
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom says
I think this post is great, but there is another side of the coin to look at. Our family has been “on the fence” about replacing our washing machine and dryer for awhile now and we finally decided to do so. They are both about 20 years old, and why they are doing well, we were concerned that their life is probably just about over.
I am a real bargain hunter and our family is completely out of debt (home included) and my husband has 3 advanced degrees. So you can see that we really watch our money (and he does not earn anywhere near 6 figures and I am a SAHM). Anyhow, there are some savings inherent in changing washing machines to a front loader.
This is one of the BEST sites I have found for looking at the costs & benefits of old vs. new appliances. It is hard to sort all of this out, but keep in mind that there are other considerations:
1. The cost savings of a front loader. See this link: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/laundry.html
2. Front loaders are easier on clothes.
3. Front loaders are typically larger so you do fewer washes.
4. Front loaders use less soap.
5. The cost of money. If you fix your machine and it lasts 1 more year, you will have to replace the machine at a higher cost next year. Prices on appliances have already gone up about 10% this year and w/ our government spending going where it is, a lot of experts predict very high inflation in the near future. I do not advise spending due to fear, but just keep all of this in mind. Here is a post I wrote on Inflation & Big Ticket Items: http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/inflation-one-way-to-beat-it/
Blessings to all in these difficult decisions!
Lily says
We had the same problem with our machine. My DIY husband looked online and downloaded the instructions on how to fix it. I was elated. However, 6 months later, the same thing happened and this time it couldn’t be fixed. So you may want to start saving up for a new/used washer…just in case 🙂
Erika says
Shannon, thanks for posting this! Now that I took a second look at your washer, I realize that that is MY washer too! We got it a year ago on Craigslist, and as soon as we got it home, realized that it wasn’t spinning the clothes dry, either. So guess where we look for info to fix everything, and to learn how to do so many things around the house?……. YouTube. Sure enough, multiple videos were posted, by repairmen themselves, demonstrating how to fix this problem. I was so proud of my hubby for saving money we didn’t have and getting the job done! I highly recommend YouTube from learning how to organic garden (we’re learning that presently from YouTube, mostly) to fixing washing machines, to preserving all kinds of foods by canning and dehydrating. It’s lots of fun! 🙂
Rebecca says
We have a 10 year old washer for which we have had this exact problem repeatedly and have replaced this part 4 t0 6 times in the past 10 years (don’t recall exactly how many). The first time it happened, my Dad (a very handy guy) was here and bought the manual for the machine. Then he went to a local supply store and bought a new coupler for under $10. The problem is so common that the store kept the stock right under the front counter so they had them at hand for customers! After replacing this part a couple more times over the years, my husband commented to the guy at the store about the frequency with which we were needing this part. The guy then pulled out a coupler for “heavy duty” machines – only a couple of bucks more – and told us to try that. We have only had to replace that one once! We’ve saved lots of money over the years by replacing this part ourselves!
Valerie says
Is the pic posted of your washing machine, if so I have been battling the same problem with my machine, which is identical to the pic. I have been debating and putting off getting a new machine for awhile now.
Isel says
My 16 year old washer/dryer have been working fine for many years, but a few months ago, the washer was not agitating. The new, front-loading models look so nice, but I couldn’t justify the expense with two working units. My husband and I looked up our unit online and ordered 3 potential parts to fix the agitator. $34 later and some magic work by my dear husband and the washer is agitating once again. We saved $300 since I was prepared to buy an inexpensive, top loading washer. 🙂
Tamboliya says
That is so great! I am so proud of you! You should be proud of yourself and reward yourself somehow. 🙂 Way to go! You GO, girl! That was a lot of work on your part to do the research, but it paid off! Wahooooo! LOL 🙂 Diligence pays off. I just wanted to encourage you. Be encouraged. God bless you. -Tamboliya 🙂
Sharon says
http://www.repairclinic.com is great for do-it-yourselfers. We’ve fixed the washer twice, the dryer, the icemaker, and the water softener ourselves with their and other websites help. They have great diagrams for appliances and lots of tips on what could be wrong. If you can’t diagnose the problem on their site you can email them with questions and they will try to help you find the problem.
Megan says
The next time an appliance in your house breaks, check YouTube. There are many tutorials there that show you step by step how to diagnose and fix common problems. That’s exactly how my hubby fixed our dryer a few months back when the drum stopped turning.
Dee says
Good point about YouTube: not only can you find ways to fix appliances there, my husband fixed my son’s Nintendo DSi in a few minutes on there instead of shipping it off to Nintendo. All he had to do was spread a little rubbing alcohol around the buttons, blow on them, and they started working again. Saved money and he got to be a hero in my son’s eyes!
Dee says
This post made me think of a conversation w/ DH last night. I do all of the cooking in our house, including the grilling. Last night he grilled so I could put my leg up (still recovering/healing from a nasty fracture and swell a lot). He took the cover off the grill and said, “I guess we need a new grill.” I didn’t say a thing. After he cooked, he said, “It works fine, it just doesn’t look new any more. I guess we don’t need a new one.” Phew! Just saved $600, because that’s how much the grills are he has been drooling over. And he doesn’t even use it! LOL
Amy says
Thanks for sharing this! What a great idea to look online to see what was wrong and then order the part. For some reason, I have never thought to do that. I will certainly do this in the future.
Darlene says
Good job! You should be even happier knowing that you are not missing a thing by having a front-load washer! I have one and wish I didn’t. A repairman told me they all get moldy inside the drum because water sits on the bottom. Mine makes the clothes smell, if I leave them in their longer than an hour or so. I have tried everything to get rid of the odor and nothing works. New is not always better! Kudos to you!
august says
They actually had a lawsuit over those a year or two ago. If you bought them during a certain time frame you could have participated in a class action law suit against them. Now when you buy the newer ones send you a letter with them that say to “whipe out your bubble after every wash”.
Anna says
When my husband and I purchased our first home several years ago, we couldn’t figure out why our dryer wouldn’t work in our new home. We called a repairman only to have him discover the breaker on the fuse box had been tripped! We still had to pay him $90 for coming out and we kicked ourselves for being so naive. We learned our lesson, though, and now try to do a better job problem-solving before we call in the experts! 🙂
Heather Harman says
Did that once with the AC. So embarrassing, and what a waste of money!
Andrea Q says
Look around for a repairman that doesn’t require a service charge to arrive at your home. Our AC guy has fielded five phone calls from me this week. He gave me suggestions over the phone (including the breaker/fuse and checking the batteries in the thermostat). He came out at 8 PM on Memorial Day and again today. It’s finally fixed, but he only charged me for the parts and $30 for the gas to get here, so a total of $247. The largest company in our area charges almost that just to park in your driveway!
Ryanne says
I loved this post! The same thing is happening with my washer (which, by the way, is the same exact one you have in the picture). My husband replaced the same part 2 years ago and it is acting up again, so when it does get too bad again; we will replace that part again! We do that with all our appliances, though. We call or email the company and a lot of times we have gotten the part for free! Never give up!
Megan says
Thanks for taking time to share – this has just started happening to our washer…and I’m excited to try a couple of the suggestions!!
Amanda says
We’ve fixed our washer (twice) with the help of Google and Youtube. The second repair was just like your’s–wet clothes after the spin. It felt GREAT saving all that money. One day we might have a front load machine. After we’ve saved enough to get it with cash!
Adele S. says
When our 20 year old washer died, we bought…..a washer. The dryer was fine. When the dryer finally died, we bought….a dryer. The fact that they are not an exact matched set doesn’t bother me. One washes, one dries. If you broke your right arm, would you put your left one in a cast?
L says
I totally agree 🙂
august says
Although I praise you, I think you might have been better off buying front loaders. We bought some last year instead of going on a week long honeymoon to Jamaica…. I know I know. BUT they save you over 300 a year on water, AND a lot on energy. They have sensors on how much water to use based on how many clothes you put in. As well as how much energy to use based on how wet your clothes are. Ours are a year old and I worship them haha. Congrats on your money savings though!
Jill says
I think it depends on where you live. We don’t even spend $300 a year on water total, so it’s impossible we would save anywhere close to that. But water is cheap here. It would take us a very long time to recoup the cost of buying a front loader. I might consider one once our current washer kicks the bucket, but I figure if it ain’t broke……
august says
Thats my fault, I ment vice versa. 300 on energy and a lot on water. I have exacts somewhere. I’d never go back to “older” style machines. “Most” use 30-45 gallons of water a load. Thats CRAZY!
Jill says
I believe there are places in this country where you could possibly save hundred of dollars on water by conserving. I know my mother in law in Phoenix pays hundreds of dollars A MONTH for water. But then again, she has a pool and grass in a desert climate! I just think that there’s not a single solution that works for everyone. Honestly if our washer died, I think I would still buy a top loader. I’ve read similar things that another reader posted about mold and mildew issues on a front loader. Plus aren’t the loads you can wash much smaller? I prefer to do large loads less often. And the price of front loaders is just too high for me. Manufacturers would have to come down in price quite a bit for me to bite.
Andrea Q says
Your MIL’s water bill is primarily due to outdoor watering in the desert. We lived in Las Vegas with no pool and no grass (just a little drip irrigation for the shrubs) and spent $30 on water per month at most.
Zena says
That’s not entirely true anymore. Most of the new top loaders now weigh the clothes before filling with water. We just bought a top loader that was hundreds cheaper than a front load, but it does the same things energy wise. It seems that front loaders are the ‘trendy’ thing to buy, but there are plenty of top loaders that do the exact same thing for a lot less.
Dani Sticka says
Love that you were able to fix your washer! We were thinking about a new set of W/D last summer because our dryer just wasn’t doing its job, but my husband cleaned out the vents in the house and the dryer vents plus replaced the heating unit for about 25$ (I think) and it works good as new. Well I think new, we bought them used for 100$ and I think they are about 19 years old at this point, but we love them!
Sakura says
Finally after 15 years of fixing our original set we splurged on a new set. I purchased a HE topload machine that came with a huge rebate. We purchased a freezer at the same time and ended up getting a little over $600 back in rebates. I love my new appliances, and here’s hoping they last another 15 years!
Malissa says
Kudos to you!! Yeah. In this world when something breaks, is it just easier to replace it? I’m glad that you found a solution and saved money. Great story. Thanks for sharing.
StacyL says
I have the same washer. The transmisson coupler went bad, on ours. We have bought this same part like four times over the years. Well, last year the transmisson went totally out. I was in the same dilemmia. I picked out a $900 washer then had second thoughts. In the mean time, a repair man/friend told us it was going to cost $250 for a new transmisson. So, I opted to take that route verse the $900 washer. When it arrrive back home, I was able to wash two loads when the “brand new” transmisson went out, as well. This time it was under warrenty and we received another transmisson. A pain for a our friend, but the part and with him hauling it to his home twice was $250. I pray this will now last me another 10 years.
Nicole says
We had something similar happen a few months ago…
Our washer & dryer are a mismatched set that we got for free from a friend 5 years ago… and they were 16 years old then!
We’ve looked and looked at new sets, but as long as ours keeps working (and working WELL) we decided to keep them.
A few months ago I started the water on the washer, opened the lid, loaded the white clothes, added bleach & detergent and the instant I closed the lid it died =( I called my husband upset that not only did it FINALLY die, but I had clothes sitting in bleach in it!
My husband being the super-handy guy that he is said he’d look at it and sure enough… he replaced the “contactor” (whatever that is) and it was working fine in minutes!
It’s still running and getting our clothes clean so why replace it if he can fix it?
Lynnet says
My husband has been fixing our washer for the last few years and it has saved us a bundle! There is a boatload of info about how to fix things online and since he’s mechanically gifted, we order the parts at a much lower price, and just a few hours and skinned knuckles later, we’re back with a great working washer/dryer/lawn mower, cars, etc.
Katrina says
We bought a front loader washing machine about a year and a half ago, but the seal on it ripped and I got a lovely water fall out the front of the machine. I called and talked to the company to see what I needed to do about it. It was going to cost me about $150 just to get them to come out and diagnose the problem even though I knew the problem. They wouldn’t give me the actual part name either. I did some research online found the part and a video on youtube. It cost me about $85 for the part and I took apart the washing machine myself, dh came home and all he had to help me with was the last screw and I put the seal on and we put it back together. It saved me at least $150 dollars plus parts and additional labor. 🙂
Casie Zerbe says
Select Sears locations have a repair and refurbish shops. Basically people have gone in to get an appliance repaired and chose to buy new over paying for the repair. Sears keeps the item, refurbishes and resells. I’ve purchased great vacuum for $100. It lasted 5 years. It was also used as a “shop vac” as we remolded our house. It definitely got a work out. When something broke on it, I took it back to Sears to get fixed. It was too much to get fixed, but I was given a credit toward the purchase of another used vacuum. I did just that for around $100. I was able to keep my old vacuum which is stored in my shed for future parts.
Sears carries other small refurbished household appliances too!
Lea Stormhammer says
Unfortunately, when our washer was having that problem is was the basket drive/clutch assembly or whatever it’s called! Since our machine was 14 years old, it was way more to fix it than to buy a new one on clearance at our favorite appliance store. The part had to be special ordered and a whole bunch of other stuff.
Funny story to share – my parents had the same washer and dryer for almost 30 years. One day the dryer just quit working – no explanation. So they called a repair person (in this case a very heavy woman) who found out that the glue on the electrical tape holding the wires for the door sensor had lost its tacky-ness. The wires had fallen onto the heating element and melted through – signaling that the door was open so the dryer wouldn’t run. She replaced the wire and then sat on top of the washer to reach the plug (which was behind the appliances). The dryer worked and she left. We then tried to open the washer lid and couldn’t! Her sitting on the washer lid had disintigrated the 20+ year old plastic hinges! We had to call her back – we lived 15 miles outside the nearest town and thankfully she hadn’t driven too far! 🙂 And yes, she thought it was funny too and cracked a joke about maybe that being the signal to lose some weight 🙂
Thanks for sharing,
Lea
Nony (A Slob Comes Clean) says
I love this post! I often automatically assume that something can’t be fixed, because I don’t have a knack for fixing things. But you’re right that so many times when I do some research, I find that it’s a very small and inexpensive problem!
Jan says
My dryer that is over 15 yrs old was making a terrible noise- I don’t know how to fix anything so I called the repairman- it was $100 to fix it but that is still way less than buying a new one!
The Prudent Homemaker says
If you have a front-loader that is taking longer to spin out the clothes, you can take the bottom front piece off and check the drain. Chances are, ther is something caught in it. I have found baby socks and nursing pads in there before. The first time we called a repairman, not knowing the problem. Now we know that small things sometimes get caught in there, and we check the drain every six months. There can be a little lint caught in there as well.
If you don’t know what the problem is, but your front loader is telling you a signal that is not in your manual, look online. I could not get an answer from Sears as to what could be the problem with our washer. I found the answer online and was able to order the part. There were also instructions online to repair it. I just did a search to find instructions. My part was $150, but it was a lot less than a new machine!
Dana says
My family and I are so glad people choose to repair instead of buy new. We own an appliance repair business! And don’t discount trying to check for repair men on Craigslist. I know sometimes you take a chance not calling a big name business, but those big names can charge an arm and a leg for parts, labor and a service call. Kudos to you for doing some research and having your hubby fix it!
Julie says
I’m so glad I came across this post! My washer has issues with a lacking spin cycle (it even refuses to spin sometimes, even with very few clothes in it!). I’ll look into this solution!
The Prudent Homemaker says
Check to see if your drain is clogged! No parts needed and you can have it fixed vey quickly!
Mandy says
This is awesome! We are getting our house ready to sell and have been doing a lot of this type of stuff lately too. So far my husband has fixed our leaking dishwasher, replaced a very old leaky backyard faucet, replaced window frames, repaired a broken cement step, even did some plumbing! We DID have to call a profession plumber about an issue we could not resolve on our own. Luckily, it was only $50 more than renting the tools my husband would have needed for the same job (AND the professionals work is guaranteed for 3 months.) Next we will attempt to replace our back door (yikes). The issue is…it’s an old house and not “standard” size. Pray for us!
Veronica says
We had the same issue. I ended up being cheaper to enlarge the opening (and in our case changing the window above the door) rather than special order a door that fit the smaller than usual size. The previous owner had bought a regular sized door and cut it down, but don’t do that – water ran in when it rained.
Kim says
When my DH and I moved into our first house 10 years ago we bought a washer and dryer set on Craigslist for $100 as a pair. A couple of years ago we had some problems with the washer (similar to those in the post) and DH bought the parts and fixed it. It was at that time that we found out that that particular appliance was 25 years old!!! Still going strong 🙂
Stacy says
My parents have a washer that they bought before I was born (I’m 28). They fixed the belt after about 10 years and the washer is still going strong! It has outlasted 2 or 3 dryers.
Frugal Momma @ Live Joyfully says
When our refrigerator died (it was 15 years old and came with the house we bought), we decided to get a new one because the parts were so old (some parts weren’t even sold anymore), it wouldn’t have been cost effective to fix it briefly only to have to buy a new one in a year or two. We found an amazing deal and went through Ebates, and have saved tons of money because this new one is MUCH more energy efficient than the energy hog we used to have.
Milk Donor Mama says
I had a similar thing happen last year. My husband is very handy and took it apart and saw that it was not repairable. It looks like we had the same washer? And it was only 6.5 years old when this happened. We went to the scratch n dent store and bought a new one for under $300.
Yasmin says
We had the same experience… dryer was not working so my handy husband researched online and purchased the replacement piece for less than $10. Dryer works like new!
Bridgette @ Blessings Multiplied says
We have fixed our washer / dryer numerous times and completely understand the joy that comes when you save extra cash. This past year after fixing our original set multiple times we decided it was time save up and get a new set. We have already noticed a dip in our electric bill since having them too!
Su says
I caught a shoe between the dryer wall and the fin, causing the drum to be stuck. We were about to buy a new dryer b/c we couldn’t get it to work, hubby pulled it totally apart and didn’t find anything wrong, he put it bac together and just for grins, he plugged her in and BAM she worked again. The dryer must have a reset switch somewhere that he didn’t know about. Luckily, we didn’t run out and buy something new, teh only thing wrong with her is if you stop the dryer with timer still on the dial, the dial will continue to count down to zero, no biggie. 🙂
Katherine says
I’ve had 2 really good experiences with repairclinic.com – both for the washing machine. Their “repair guru” was able to diagnose the problems for free based on my descriptions and then listed the parts I needed, plus a generic repair manual. Spent less than just the trip charge would have been from the Sears repair guy. My husband was a little skeptical at first but he fixed it while I read the instructions out loud.
Katherine says
p.s. Wish I’d used repairclinic.com when my oven quit heating. My husband and I looked up the symptoms and parts but I was the skeptical one. Would have been a $15 part and my husband could have fixed it. Instead it cost almost $100 and 2 trips by the repair guy.
Meredith says
I’m so checking that site out! TY!
Anne Marie @ Married to the Empire says
I’m grateful for a DIY husband, too! A few years ago, our washer stopped being able to tell when to shut off the water after filling the machine. My feline detectives alerted me to the problem because I noticed them milling around the foyer, acting strange. Well, that’s because there was water all over the floor from a flooded washer! Somehow, my husband figured out that the part that tells the water when to cut off was broken. He ordered the part from Sears and had it fixed a couple of weeks later. (I did have to use the laundromat while we waited for the part to arrive, though.)
That experience spooked me, though, and I NEVER leave the house with a load of clothes in the washer for fear that the house will flood if the part breaks again!
Heather says
That’s awesome! It’s totally worth it to spend a little time researching your options. Even if it didn’t work out and you had to replace your machine, at least you could do it knowing that you exhausted your other choices. Good for you!! I’m glad it worked out (especially with six kids’ laundry to do!)
Rachel @ Surviving The Stores says
I would have no idea what to do with a washing machine motor coupling, lol!
I’m still trying to get a few more years out of our washer and dryer even though I would LOVE a new one of each. I just can’t justify spending the money when we have ones that work well enough.
(Thanks also for the link! 🙂 )
Holly says
Is the picture the washer you fixed? I had the exact same problem with what looks like the exact same washer. The repairmen told me my problems were bigger than what your washer had. I was really hoping to fix ours. Instead of a brand new front loader like most of my friends have, I took a 15 year old free washer from a friend who was moving to replace my 10 year old washer. It was a lesson in humility, but a good one. God always provides – even if it is a 15 year old washer!
Shannon says
Yep, that’s my washer!
Nicki S. says
I’m notoriously bad at “DIY” projects. Paint – that I can do. Anything else- probably a bad idea to give me a hammer. But when our dryer knob broke and was making crazy buzzing throughout the cycles, I decided to call my dad for advice. He said to try for a new knob before I called a repairman. Guess what – it worked. $15 saved us $200 when the repairman went to my sister’s house last year for a similar problem. Thanks to my dad and his “old school” ways, I’m picking up on how to be a little less wasteful.
Kristie says
The Home Depot repair books have step-by-step directions for fixing washing machines, and as you said–it does indeed save a ton of money!! We have repaired our repeatedly, and just this past spring our 18-year-old washer finally officially “died.” The Lord directed us to a great garage sale, and $75 later–we have an “almost new” one.
JessieLeigh says
I love this post! It’s far too easy to just throw up your hands and say, “Oh, well… guess we need a new one” any time something quits working well. You and I could have made quite a pair… my dryer went on the fritz this past weekend and stopped getting hot. It just tossed the clothes around. One $8 part later plus one handy hubby and it’s working beautifully again. Love that. 🙂
Mary Ann says
Our dryer element went out a few years ago. Fortunately it was late spring so I could hang clothes on my wash line in the meantime. We waited to fix it until my dad came to visit and in one afternoon he had it fixed for under $50!
Our washer and dryer were hand-me-downs from my husband’s parents years ago when my husband was a bachelor. Other than replacing the element in the dryer, we haven’t had any problems with them in almost 7 years of marriage. We plan to use them until they die! (The appliances, not my in-laws! 🙂
Hazel says
Hi Jessie, Could you explain what was the issue with your dryer? What was replaced? Mine started that over a week ago, turns on, goes around but doesnt get hot…I tried a few ideas that were mentioned by a few friends…but the simple things havent worked. I REFUSE to call a Repair man!!!! I feel as though they r going to try and take advantage of the situation. I am a single mom so I have to work on fixing this by myself :o) Thank you for your time and information
Janelle says
I’m not Jessie, but I had the same problem a few weeks ago. The repairman told me it was a busted fuse. He replaced it and the dryer works perfectly now! Hopefully yours is a simple fix too 🙂
Barbara says
Our dryer did that too once. Quit drying but still went around. Simply couldn’t figure out why, so I went online to see what people say. Once place they said, before you do ANYTHING, go & make sure that you flip the breaker for the washer. It simply may’ve flipped! And you know, I did & it worked!!!!!!!!!! All that had happened was a flipped breaker. And to think that I went without it for several months because we couldn’t afford a new one & DH is not a DIY’er. But I am/was used to hanging most of my stuff outside anyway, so it didn’t affect me too much.
Andrea Q says
Is the vent hose blocked? The hoses should be vacuumed out every year to keep the air flowing freely (also helps to prevent the lint from catching fire).
Andrea Q says
“And, when you buy a new washer, you’ve got to get a new dryer too if you’re getting a great deal, right?”
I disagree. That type of thinking is why so many Americans are drowning in debt.
Heather says
I think she was being “tongue-in-cheek” when she said that.
Andrea Q says
Then the post should be titled “How We Saved $450…” since the deal she specifically mentions was $900 for the set.
Rae says
I agree. Especially since the “$900 saved” was not only for a new washer AND dryer even though their dryer was fine but the price was also for a big upgrade not a comparable model. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is AWESOME that she took the initiative to fix it and that it cost them so little. I just thought the “saved” part felt a little funny to me.
Crystal says
Let’s play nice, okay? 🙂
She was originally planning to fork out $900 for a set and she saved that by repairing it. So, by her estimation, she saved that. Others might disagree, but if she was going to spend that and she didn’t, than I’d agree that she saved $900. 🙂
Shannon says
Yes, Crystal-that’s exactly what I meant. But Andrea Q, you’re right-that way of thinking is why we used to be (and a lot of other Americans are) drowning in debt. Slowly but surely we climbed our way out, but it’s so easy to slide right back in again with that way of thinking. The upgraded dryer was also more economical (or so I’ve heard) by drying clothes faster and saving energy that I probably would’ve used that excuse as well to get “the set”. As you can see, I can find lots of ways to justify spending money, I just hope I can keep finding more ways to save it :o)
brookeb says
I do think she was being a little teasing in saying that, but I agree too with your point. We have a totally mismatched set because I refuse to buy a new washer when ours works perfectly.
TeamBonk says
I think the point is to get a great “deal” on the washer, you have to buy it in tandem with the dryer … so instead of paying $800 for just the washer, you get both for $900 (for example).
Crystal says
You’re exactly right that you don’t *have* to think this way, but many, many people do. I loved how this post shows her evolution of thought from forking out a bunch of money to eventually finding a very inexpensive solution to the problem!
Carrie says
Isn’t it a thill when you can get a problem fixed at home? Because you know that calling a repair guy is gonna cost so much you might as well just get the new washer, or almost.
My husband just spend $7 fixing a toilet, thanks to some instructions from my plumber uncle. You KNOW how much a plumber would have charged to come out and do the same 5-minute job.