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.
