Thread Number: 44908
another RepairClinic.com home washing machine repair success 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 658694   2/7/2013 at 10:37 (4,094 days old) by PassatDoc (Orange County, California)        

Some friends of mine own a pair of KitchenAid machines (FL and gas dryer), appear to be re-badged WP/Bauknechts, and they purchased them at a nice close-out price at Costco. This was shortly before KA dropped their residential line of washers.

The couple have three kids, now off to college, but when they bought the KAs six years ago, all three were still home, with a resultant 2-3 loads of washer every day. So the machine has seen a lot of use.

Recently one of the interior baffles broke off, and they immediately noticed a problem with spins not balancing correctly. Their first reaction was, "well, we got six good years out of the machine, KA is out of the washer business, so I guess we'll have to buy a new washer, but it's ok if it doesn't match the existing dryer".

I was at their home for supper when this discussion came up, so I said "No, wait, let's get the model number and see if RepairClinic.com has the part. Maybe we can replace it ourselves, or at least if you call a repair person, you'll already have located the part."

We found the part (pack of three baffles for around $35, shipped) and I offered to come over and help. Turns out they attach via compression fitting (no screws or hardware) and they did it themselves, intuitively. RepairClinic.com has YouTube videos to walk you through replacement of many of their parts, but this one proved to be so simple that no video was needed, they figured it out themselves before I even had time to come over to help. From planning to spend $1000-1200 to $35 was a nice surprise for them. They were otherwise happy with the machines, which still work well.

In six years of heavy use, the washer has had only one repair (besides this one) and that was a clogged tube between dispenser and tub, from using too much detergent and using liquid to boot----I had warned them to use 2 tbsp of an HE powder (e.g. Tide or Gain) but they wouldn't listen and stuck to their old TL customs. Now they know, however.




Post# 658699 , Reply# 1   2/7/2013 at 11:08 (4,094 days old) by teknikleespekng ()        

Awesome! Love when you can do such an inexpensive fix and save time and money. Good for you for helping your friends out. :thumbsup:

Post# 658713 , Reply# 2   2/7/2013 at 11:49 (4,094 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas)        

Not to mention the feeling of satisfaction you get when you successfully complete the repair!

Post# 658714 , Reply# 3   2/7/2013 at 11:49 (4,094 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
 
I've run across numerous instances of people tossing out serviceable appliance for fear of the repair cost when it may be a simple DIY.

There are online parts sources that offer better prices than RepairClinic.  I always check several for comparison -- at minimum PartsTap, ApplianceZone, SearsPartsDirect, AppliancePartsPros, PartsDr, and eBay.

Example, needed a NorgeTag pump.  Sears lists $83.  RepairClinic $57.  ApplianceZone $37.

Frigidaire IM115 ice maker kit.  Sears $103.  RepairClinic $93.  ApplianceZone $72.  However, I did a Google search on the number and found another source for $48.

Post# 658845 , Reply# 4   2/7/2013 at 22:45 (4,094 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas)        

I've run across numerous instances of people tossing out serviceable appliance for fear of the repair cost when it may be a simple DIY.

When the agitator dog went out on our WP agitator I called around and was quoted anywhere from $275-350. to "throw the machine out and buy a new machine, it's not worth repairing". And this was when the machine was only 12 years old!

That's when I found aw.org and bought an agitator overhaul kit for $22.00 and after the parts arrived I fixed it in 20 minutes.

So I think a lot of people get scared off by the quotes for the repair and are lulled by the repair shops into thinking they need a new machine.

Knowing what I know now, I have stockpiled a complete set of repair parts for my washer and I intend on it lasting 20 more years which would make it 40 years old!
It'll probably outlast us!

Thank you aw.org!

Post# 658859 , Reply# 5   2/8/2013 at 00:37 (4,094 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)        
Great to hear!

 mark_wpduet's profile picture
I ordered and ice maker off that site and two of us replaced the one that went bad that came with my WP side by side fridge. It's been working great for a while now and cost much less than having it serviced.

Post# 658908 , Reply# 6   2/8/2013 at 09:43 (4,093 days old) by PassatDoc (Orange County, California)        

The solenoid intake valve on my fridge's icemaker failed. I bought the replacement from RepairClinic for about $65 with second-day delivery. Their YouTube video walked me through the process, 20 minutes in all. Within a year, the same part failed on my parents' (different make) fridge, the Repair Clinic part was $45 and again I had it fixed in 20 minutes.

With respect to my friends' fridge---if something catastrophic failed, say the spider bracket broke and they're looking at $300 for new basket/spider, yeah I'd say consider a replacement (however, they have their machines on pedestals, so a new washer might require a new pedestal if it won't fit the old pedestal). But I'd hate to see a perfectly good, high-end washer thrown into a landfill or broken up for parts simply because a $10 plastic baffle broke (they paid $30 for a set of THREE baffles, and only needed one, so they have saved the other two baffles in case another one breaks some day). In addition, they get to keep their matching appearance (washer + dryer) and the pedestal.

Post# 658913 , Reply# 7   2/8/2013 at 09:56 (4,093 days old) by DirectDriveDave ()        

That website is the best, it's where I got the replacement drain pump for our 1990 WP DD, a new egg bin for the refrigerator and new knobs for our stove.

Post# 658916 , Reply# 8   2/8/2013 at 09:59 (4,093 days old) by PassatDoc (Orange County, California)        

My Frigidaire 2140 washer (purchased March 2006) turns seven years old next month. The only thing that's ever gone wrong with it was that the magnet fell out of the dispenser drawer. Without the magnet, the reed switch in the washer won't trip, which prevents the washer from starting (washer "thinks" drawer is open). Fortunately, I found the magnet on the floor, posted about it on this forum, and someone posted a blow-up diagram of where it inserts. Popped it back in and washer worked good as new. I remove the drawer from time to time to clean/dry it, and must have dropped it, loosening the magnet.

Post# 659677 , Reply# 9   2/11/2013 at 16:37 (4,090 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)        

goatfarmer's profile picture

I've found out, if you go to Sears.com (or similar) and get the part number,  try typing that number into EBay. Usually, parts are cheaper, and many times, FREE shipping.
Post# 660642 , Reply# 10   2/16/2013 at 10:34 (4,085 days old) by PassatDoc (Orange County, California)        

Was over at their house the other night and they had a load of laundry spinning. They led me to the garage (where their machines are located---this is California and laundry areas are often situated in the garage, to keep noise and heat out of the house, plus it never freezes in the garage) and showed me how perfect the spin balance is. They spent $30 and got a pack of THREE baffles, whereas they needed only one, so one could pro-rate the cost and say that the repair cost only $10, since they still have two baffles left over should any of them break in the future.

I sure wish spider failures could be fixed this easily!!

Post# 664575 , Reply# 11   3/8/2013 at 13:20 (4,065 days old) by Limey ()        
Spider Failures

 PassatDoc.
You may remember some of my contributions from a couple of years back and in that regard be interested in what Whirlpool claim that they have done to help eliminate foul odors and spider corrosion in their front load washers.
The following is a judges "Decision" for refusing to allow a proposed class action lawsuit to proceed in Canada. The legal reasons may be of interest to other lawyers but what I find interesting are the judge's interpretations of what the Whirlpool representatives said Whirlpool had done to 'eliminate' bio-film and spider corrosion.
I have not seen a re-designed spider with improved drainage and I am not at all convinced that all the corrosion was intergranular. I have seen a photograph of a spider stated to have been removed from a 2 year old Whirlpool machine earlier this year and if that is a redesigned spider with improved drainage I am not impressed!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO Limey's LINK
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