Our 25 year old Whirlpool washer has a problem-the water level control switch is busted (shuts off the water level at too low a level). I took the sensor switch out and clean it up, and was able to adjust it-but it just failed again. The parts dealer says the machine is so old, that getting a new switch will take 8-12 days…the cost…$125.00!
Other than that, the machine works fine…is it worth buying the switch, or should we buy a new machine ($300-400)?
First of all, I would check online at appliance repair websites and see if anyone else has reported the same problem; maybe there’s some way to get a switch you haven’t thought of, or perhaps someone is even parting a machine out.
That is what I did to fix my washer – the problem was that all of the sudden the dial for the cycles was just spinning around with no resistence (or “dialling” function).
I checked online and was able to find out how to get into my machine, first of all, and then found that the problem was that a bracket through which a screw went to hold the assembly down was broken. Someone else on the website also had the same problem, and they jerry-rigged a metal piece onto the assembly and then screwed it down using that.
That didn’t appeal to me, and neither did the price of the new part (~$150.00) – and all because of a piece of plastic housing – that I just siliconed the damn thing down and clamped it in place.
Silicone held fine, and I saved myself money, so it’s all good.
We actually found the part we needed on eBay for half the price of the online appliance parts stores.
Did you check with the online appliance stores? There are a bunch of them. Check several - partselect.com, repairclinic.com, etc.
Truly one of the pressing issues of our time.
If Ralph’s laundry cannot be washed clean, it cannot be pressed.
Seriously, Ralph, WTF is this doing in Great Debates? Were you aiming for MPQIMA?
Well, it is sort of a Great Debate: should one try to consume less by using what we have for as long as possible, or should one just go ahead and buy new stuff whenever the previous product needs any sort of repair?
Would the new appliance actually be more “green” (more efficient in its use of electricity/water/etc) than the old appliance?
How extensive is the damage to the old appliance?
Is it economically feasible to repair or to buy new?
The new part costs a third of what a new appliance would, and it may not extend the life of the old one by a comparable amount. If you could get the part cheaper, I’d say go for it. Otherwise, buying new may be the way to go.
Where can you get a new washing machine for $300-$400? If you can, of course, I’d say “go for it,” and shop the old unit out to someone else to use for parts. A 25-year old washing machine is almost certain to use gobs more electricity than a new model, even if that new model is not Energy Star[sub]TM[/sub] certified. It won’t be more than a couple of years before lower energy costs in your household make up for the difference in price between replacing and repairing, and not many years beyond that before the savings pay for the new washer outright.
The above assertions are merely my sense of how the economics would play out; I have no hard numbers to cite.
Thanks-I did, and was able to find the part for half the shop price.
I guess it comes down to-losing a few years of a capital asset’s value (if I buy a new machine), vs. spending about 20% of the cost of a new unit.
One thing: the old machine is built far better than the modern equivalents-the porcelain costing is smooth and unbroken, and everything works (except for the switch). Our 10-year old dryer (next to it) is falling apart-the coating is so thin that it is rusting, and several knobs have broken on it.
I am going for the replacement-I’ll bet the damn thing lasts forever.
The manufacturers charge out the ass on parts. Top-load washers have a switch that stops the drum from spinning if the lid is opened, for safety. Ours failed and they wanted over $40 to replace it, for a fucking switch that should probably cost $2. We ended up just bypassing the switch altogether.
Went to the Sears website, searched for “Top-loading washing machines,” sorted the results by price. Nine machines by different brands in that price range. Kenmore (of course), GE, Whirlpool, Hotpoint, Amana.
Nice anecdote, and probably just what I’d have done. not really a feasible solution for a water level switch problem, though. I mean you do eventually want it to stop filling the machine with water.
Ralph, you have been told, repeatedly, to figure out where your threads belong.
Questions about fixing machinery might go in General Questions, (if there was a clear answer), or MPSIMS or IMHO (if you are looking for general help or opinions), but it certainly does not belong in Great Debates where no other poster could ever have enough information to seriously argue for one answer or another.
This thread is closed and you are Warned for not following explicit instructions from multiple earlier occasions.
[ /Moderating ]