Just wanted to brag that I replaced the "toaster" on my electric dryer. I diagnosed the issue, pulled the busted part, saw the break, bought a new (superceded part #) replacement from the local appliance repair store, and now have clothes drying. Less than half the price of the mandatory charge the repair guy wanted, too.
Nice. 
I've done 2 refrigerators in the past 3 months (mine and my parents'), my washer twice, and my dryer once. Amazon has been really helpful finding good parts suppliers.
My appliance repair guy is a prick and won't come out to the house anymore unless I can get him after hours with a beer on a string and stick.... Beyond that, he just tells me over the phone or Facebook what needs to be repaired. Case in point, washer quit draining enough water out of the clothes after a spin cycle. Had to pull the damn drain AGAIN for a clog. Got it off and found a few Elmo stick-ons for a bathmat, lint, and 73 cents in the trap. 3hrs later, I finally am finished as the drain was NEVER meant to be serviced out the convenient backside service panel, only put together down the assembly line from the front. I also have enough cuts, bumps, and scrapes to literally throw this POS out the door and go buy something that IS NOT A FUGGIN FRIGIDAIRE FRONT LOADER WASHING MACHINE! Grrrr.
You're brave. From what I hear, sticking your arm into a washer or dryer usually results in you bleeding profusely from said arm.
Ranger50 wrote:I also have enough cuts, bumps, and scrapes to literally throw this POS out the door and go buy something that IS NOT A FUGGIN FRIGIDAIRE FRONT LOADER WASHING MACHINE! Grrrr.
Don't bother... they are all the same. I got a brand-spankin' new, highly rated front loader after my 15yr old Kenmore top loading anvil of simplicity crapped out.
In 6mos, it sounded like a jet aircraft. The warranty covered parts/labor - but it was going to be $300 unless I could bring the friggin' thing to them. I bet I could have won that fight in court... but I needed me some clean clothes NOW. So I tore it apart, bought new quality SKF bearings (to replace the exploded chinese ones) from McMaster, threw the shaft in the lathe and cleaned it up (completely unnecessary... but I have a lathe and I'll be damned if I will ever just clean anything round with emory ever again). Slapped it back together. 3.5hrs labor, $39, 2 beers, one deep laceration and a motherberkeleying hatred of cheaply built crap.
It is now a year old. No more issues. I sent a letter to the CEO with a receipt for my parts and a nice letter about using better quality bearings and less despicable representatives but... no reply.
Ranger50 wrote:Fire that sumbitch and get a real repairman.My appliance repair guy is a prick and won't come out to the house anymore unless I can get him after hours with a beer on a string and stick.... Beyond that, he just tells me over the phone or Facebook what needs to be repaired. Case in point, washer quit draining enough water out of the clothes after a spin cycle. Had to pull the damn drain AGAIN for a clog. Got it off and found a few Elmo stick-ons for a bathmat, lint, and 73 cents in the trap. 3hrs later, I finally am finished as the drain was NEVER meant to be serviced out the convenient backside service panel, only put together down the assembly line from the front. I also have enough cuts, bumps, and scrapes to literally throw this POS out the door and go buy something that IS NOT A FUGGIN FRIGIDAIRE FRONT LOADER WASHING MACHINE! Grrrr.
In reply to Javelin:
Well done. I did the same about 6 months ago. Didn't have any instructions so wound up pulling a lot more apart than really needed but now I know how it all works.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:Ranger50 wrote:I also have enough cuts, bumps, and scrapes to literally throw this POS out the door and go buy something that IS NOT A FUGGIN FRIGIDAIRE FRONT LOADER WASHING MACHINE! Grrrr.
Don't bother... they are all the same. I got a brand-spankin' new, highly rated front loader after my 15yr old Kenmore top loading anvil of simplicity crapped out.
In 6mos, it sounded like a jet aircraft. The warranty covered parts/labor - but it was going to be $300 unless I could bring the friggin' thing to them. I bet I could have won that fight in court... but I needed me some clean clothes NOW. So I tore it apart, bought new quality SKF bearings (to replace the exploded chinese ones) from McMaster, threw the shaft in the lathe and cleaned it up (completely unnecessary... but I have a lathe and I'll be damned if I will ever just clean anything round with emory ever again). Slapped it back together. 3.5hrs labor, $39, 2 beers, one deep laceration and a motherberkeleying hatred of cheaply built crap.
It is now a year old. No more issues. I sent a letter to the CEO with a receipt for my parts and a nice letter about using better quality bearings and less despicable representatives but... no reply.
So, based on my math, the $250 washer we bought new that hasn't given us a problem for 3+ years, puts us money ahead.
Good to know.
The last time I had a repairman in it was to fix the 1 year old stove. He was from Sears,really good guy, and he showed me where to order parts from online and how to change them !!
I changed out the main element in my dryer a few years ago and replaced the guide wheels as they were starting to go. Not sure if this happened at the same time but the heat sensor doesn't seem to regulate for low heat temperatures anymore. No biggie to me as I can dry a load of jeans in about 20 minutes but the wife isn't too happy about what it does to her delicates...
We just got a new (to us) set of Whirlpool units from her sister-in-law. Wife asked if I wanted to keep my "man" dryer. I'm actually considering it.
In reply to TRoglodyte:
I would, but he does give the parts out for almost nothing..... Plus he does work for food and beer. Oh and he is one of my wife's friends.
My landlord is the appliance dealer. Not only is the labour free, I get used appliances for super cheap.
I pulled 5 (yes, 5) mummified squirrel and mouse remains out of my gas dryer vent last year.
I've heard nothing but bitchin' from friends who've bought front-end loaders. In contrast... I bought my boring, top loading Kenmore used over ten years ago – I've never called a repairman.
I know ONE person that raves about their front loader... she got it used on CL... was maybe a year old and the lady had just had something or other repaired under warranty and bought a 3 year extended transferable warranty... she is also careful to leave the door open when not in use (important to let it dry out and not mold up)... and occasionally runs a clean cycle for the machine itself (again something you're supposed to do but no one does)
my sister had one and I had to pull it apart several times... seems barbie clothes and smaller undergarments would get past the drum seal and block the drain hose...
I would love one for the water efficiency and so I could stack them (would add a lot of space in our laundry room)... but for the cost I'll stick to the cheapo set we've got
I remember the first front end machines. I was staying the weekend at a hoity-toidy couples house, they bragged up that high efficient machine like their first born.
Mighta been super efficient on paper but it took 2 extra rinse cycles to get the soap outta my clothes. 
Call me old skewl but I'm not impressed.
fasted58 wrote:Call me old skewl but I'm not impressed.
Oh, it isn't the washing part they suck for - it cleans the E36 M3 out of a pile of laundry and it really does reduce the dryer time by spinning all the water out as advertised. If it wasn't a pile of cheap chinese systems cobbled together in a fragile balance of mediocrity for $800 it would be awesome. In reality - it is just cheap, poorly made bearings in 90% of all the complaining. Google them and you see hundreds of people with failed bearings. For years, and several iterations, it is always the bearings.
SKF replacements fixed mine - probably for the life of the machine's pump anyway. It would not be hard for Whirlpool to call SKF and get a decent price... they just don't because a bean counter told them it wouldn't be good for the bottom line.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:because a bean counter told them it wouldn't be good for the bottom line.
yea, don't bean counters berkeley everything up
I replaced the agitator clutch guibo on my washer for $6... repair guy "estimate"? = $250 + parts.
I've repaired my dryer heating element too. Only after I tried a thermostat first, but that mis-diagnosis only cost about $15 anyway.
Anyone else notice that front load washers tie every thing into a berkeleying knot? You can't just pull out one item at a time. It just becomes one coninuous/twisted rope of clothes
I fixed my slow-to-dry dryer by removing pounds of lint from the vent tube. I thought it went to the side of the house, where some kind of vent does poke out, but nooooo. Into the wall and straight up, through the roof. The dogleg it makes in the attic got all stopped up.
Next I need a couple of fridge door gaskets.
One year the heating element in my oven went out - early Thanksgiving morning. Dinner was on time, thanks to Coleman, Weber, and a sister with a working oven.
