First Post: A Story of Shame and Hope

Hello all,

First off I must confess that I have never been an enthusiast as most of you are; for most of my life I have regarded washing machines with benign indifference, simply a tool for cleaning one's clothing. Part of me wonders if I am being presumptuous even to join a group like this one. But I am here anyway, with what I hope is valid reason. Let me give you the backstory.

I acquired a vintage washer completely by accident, when I bought my house in 2003. It had a 1970 Whirlpool belt-drive machine, model LVA4805W0, in the laundry room in the basement. Though a lower-end if not even BOL model with few bells and whistles, it nonetheless did its job without much trouble until fairly recently. But four months ago, when I had a technician out for service, he told me the belt was extremely loose, the transmission was leaking, and the bearings were shot. Although he got it running again, he said I should not call him if I encountered any further trouble; his clear implication was that had the washer been a human, it would be wearing one of those DO NOT RESUSCITATE bracelets.

Well, fast-forward to this month and you can guess what happened. I came downstairs to find the tub full of water, a slight burnt-rubber smell in the air, and a timer dial advanced midway into the *next* cycle setting. The day of reckoning had arrived.

Turning to the internets for a solution, I discovered AW. (I've lurked here now for probably a couple of weeks prior to finally joining today.) After searching through the forums, I was discouraged to learn that, although WP belt-drive machines are tough and reliable, working on them is not as easy as snapping your fingers.

And then, looking through your galleries of lovingly restored washers, I began to feel a deep sense of shame. For 46 years--over half a human lifespan--that Whirlpool had toiled away faithfully in my damp, dim, chilly basement, cleaning clothes day after day after day with nary a complaint. I thought back to all the times I'd heard the soothing "woom-woom-woom" of the agitator (I know most people say it's a "woo-woo-woo" sound, but I hear an "m" in there on mine). And how had I rewarded this devoted mechanical servant? With carelessness and neglect. In thirteen years I'd never even cleaned the lint trap, for heaven's sake. I wasn't worthy of that noble machine.

Despondent, I nevertheless continued to visit AW and read through the posts and look at the galleries. As I surveyed members' collections, a new emotion began to creep in: inspiration. I realized I'd been going about the thing all wrong. Far from being a dark, dingy place of drudgery, every AW member's laundry room seems to be a bright, well-lit, happy place, a celebration of cleanliness and nostalgia, a place to wash away one's cares as easily as the stain on one's shirt. Why couldn't my laundry room be that way too?

And so now you have given me a new emotion: a sense of hope, albeit leavened with a healthy dose of reality. My wife has made clear that we need a working washer in the house before the cold Minnesota winter arrives, so I've ordered a modern front loader (a WP Duet, which a number of you seem to have and like). I will clean, brighten, and improve the laundry room itself. And then, with the knowledge and inspiration from this forum, eventually, I will restore my plucky old Whirlpool and give it the place it deserved all along.

It's going to be a ton of work, but I'm confident now that I can do it. Thank you all for giving me that gift.

Denny, a new convert

Photos... < > Photo 1 of 3 View Full Size


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Post# 900936 9/29/2016 at 01:22 (2,765 days old) by woomwoomwoom (Minneapolis)
Checkrate/Likes 12 Hello all, First off I must confess that I have never been an enthusiast as most of you are; for most of my life I have regarded washing machines with benign indifference, simply a tool for cleaning one's clothing. Part of me wonders if I am being presumptuous even to join a group like this one. But I am here anyway, with what I hope is valid reason. Let me give you the backstory. I acquired a vintage washer completely by accident, when I bought my house in 2003. It had a 1970 Whirlpool belt-drive machine, model LVA4805W0, in the laundry room in the basement. Though a lower-end if not even BOL model with few bells and whistles, it nonetheless did its job without much trouble until fairly recently. But four months ago, when I had a technician out for service, he told me the belt was extremely loose, the transmission was leaking, and the bearings were shot. Although he got it running again, he said I should not call him if I encountered any further trouble; his clear implication was that had the washer been a human, it would be wearing one of those DO NOT RESUSCITATE bracelets. Well, fast-forward to this month and you can guess what happened. I came downstairs to find the tub full of water, a slight burnt-rubber smell in the air, and a timer dial advanced midway into the next cycle setting. The day of reckoning had arrived. Turning to the internets for a solution, I discovered AW. (I've lurked here now for probably a couple of weeks prior to finally joining today.) After searching through the forums, I was discouraged to learn that, although WP belt-drive machines are tough and reliable, working on them is not as easy as snapping your fingers. And then, looking through your galleries of lovingly restored washers, I began to feel a deep sense of shame. For 46 years--over half a human lifespan--that Whirlpool had toiled away faithfully in my damp, dim, chilly basement, cleaning clothes day after day after day with nary a complaint. I thought back to all the times I'd heard the soothing "woom-woom-woom" of the agitator (I know most people say it's a "woo-woo-woo" sound, but I hear an "m" in there on mine). And how had I rewarded this devoted mechanical servant? With carelessness and neglect. In thirteen years I'd never even cleaned the lint trap, for heaven's sake. I wasn't worthy of that noble machine. Despondent, I nevertheless continued to visit AW and read through the posts and look at the galleries. As I surveyed members' collections, a new emotion began to creep in: inspiration. I realized I'd been going about the thing all wrong. Far from being a dark, dingy place of drudgery, every AW member's laundry room seems to be a bright, well-lit, happy place, a celebration of cleanliness and nostalgia, a place to wash away one's cares as easily as the stain on one's shirt. Why couldn't my laundry room be that way too? And so now you have given me a new emotion: a sense of hope, albeit leavened with a healthy dose of reality. My wife has made clear that we need a working washer in the house before the cold Minnesota winter arrives, so I've ordered a modern front loader (a WP Duet, which a number of you seem to have and like). I will clean, brighten, and improve the laundry room itself. And then, with the knowledge and inspiration from this forum, eventually, I will restore my plucky old Whirlpool and give it the place it deserved all along. It's going to be a ton of work, but I'm confident now that I can do it. Thank you all for giving me that gift. Denny, a new convert Photos... < > Photo 1 of 3 View Full Size

Post# 900937 , Reply# 1 9/29/2016 at 01:37 (2,765 days old) by askolover (South of Nash Vegas, TN)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *Welcome!!!* You will get lots of help on here. I joined a couple years ago, and while I don't have space for a collection like some of these wonderful people here have, I enjoy reading about and learning about the older machines of yesteryear. It's so much fun to look at how technology has changed over the decades. Have fun and enjoy your new washer as well as tackling the old one.

Post# 900943 , Reply# 2 9/29/2016 at 04:19 (2,765 days old) by washdaddy (Baltimore)
Checkrate/Likes 3 Although that is a lower end machine you should invest the time in getting that machine up and running. That machine is a workhorse and you can definitely find some help here to assist you with whatever problems need to be addressed to get it back up and going. You invest the time and you'll get many more years out of that machine. You won't find anything like it that's built today. One thing you have got to get into the habit of since you mentioned it....that lint filter needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. If you don't do it after every load at least than do it every week. they aren't hard to clean if you have a wide tooth comb handy to help with the job. Good luck with your new machine and welcome to the club!

Post# 900946 , Reply# 3 9/29/2016 at 06:30 (2,765 days old) by vacerator (Macomb, Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *Great story!* Wow! Is that a 1970 Whirlpool? I thought all their consoles were slanted by then.

Post# 900971 , Reply# 4 9/29/2016 at 09:23 (2,765 days old) by Volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *Look up:* Look up our webmaster/Fearless Leader Unimatic1140's restoration of the 1957 Lady Kenmore under the Photos tab. That project was so far beyond your worst-case scenario it's not even funny. A Whirlpool belt drive washer is more of an exercise in meticulous work rather than rocket science. You just have to dedicate some time and space to the project so you can lay all the parts out in an order. I find it's helpful to take pictures and make notes/labels. Kenmoreguy64, among other members here, can be tremendously helpful in giving advice and instructions. The WP BD mechanism looks complex, and there are a lot of parts to it, but once you get into it, it actually makes sense. Good luck, Dave

Post# 900979 , Reply# 5 9/29/2016 at 10:27 (2,765 days old) by peteski50 (New York)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *whirlpool!* That is a nice machine and I hope you can get it restored! Its not BOL but it gives you just what you need for good washing. I knew some people that had similar models and they did a great job. I wish they were being made today!

Post# 900993 , Reply# 6 9/29/2016 at 11:20 (2,765 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)
Checkrate/Likes 3 Denny, welcome to AW.org! I can tell I'm going to enjoy reading your posts going forward. My sister and former brother in law (named Dennis, btw) got that same machine when they moved into their new house in 1975. I'm pretty sure it was already used, and perhaps had belonged to his aunt. They never had trouble with it, and it certainly served their needs. It was left behind when the house was sold. I think you can find most -- if not all -- of the components you need to fix your machine through normal appliance parts channels, but if not, members here will be a good resource for you. I agree that after four decades of faithful service, the old girl deserves to be saved. Ralph

Post# 901017 , Reply# 7 9/29/2016 at 14:37 (2,765 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN)
Checkrate/Likes 2 A warm MN welcome to you Denny! Your story is lovely and I like that you have decided to save and restore you old machine. I have a slightly newer belt drive that will be going through a mid-life restoration in the near future. Keep us all in the loop on the progress and remember we all love photos :)

Post# 901059 , Reply# 8 9/29/2016 at 20:12 (2,764 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai�i)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Welcome, Denny! All has already been said about the awesome friendly support and resources to be found on this site. And you won't be sorry restoring that Whirlpool. One of my favorite brands. Looking forward to your future posts. Cheers!

Post# 901080 , Reply# 9 9/29/2016 at 22:45 (2,764 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Welcome aboard Denny! I have to say, that is the same exact washer my folks had at the vacation home when I was a kid. It was still working when it was replaced with a Kenmore. This is a great site, with wonderful, helpful members. Looking forward in seeing your progress with the Whirlpool!

Post# 901179 , Reply# 10 9/30/2016 at 10:19 (2,764 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I hope you'll be able to get it working again! I have a similar machine, but mine is a single speed model from 1965. View Full Size

Post# 901442 , Reply# 11 10/1/2016 at 22:14 (2,762 days old) by mrsalvo (New Braunfels Texas)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Welcome aboard Denny!! Nice to have you here! We hope we can be of help in getting your humble Whirlpool belt drive back up and running. It's such a deserving machine, and worthy of the effort. Yes, by all means spruce up your laundry area, it has an amazing effect on how you view things and feel. It's a good thing. Let us know how you are coming, and by all means post pictures. We'd all like to see them. Again, welcome!

Post# 901521 , Reply# 12 10/2/2016 at 14:35 (2,762 days old) by woomwoomwoom (Minneapolis)
Checkrate/Likes *Hurrah!* Thank you all so much for your warm welcome. I shouldn't have worried about not being accepted here! PhilR, your Inglis is beautiful! Wish mine had a console that lit up! I'm happy that Whirlpools are remembered so fondly by so many here. As Dave Volvoguy87 recommended, I checked out the Lady Kenmore restoration saga. You are correct, it was very extensive, but at the same time it is clear how everything fits together and the steps all seem pretty straightforward. And I am lucky in that my Whirlpool is not that far gone! Seems like just never leaving a washer outside goes a long way to keeping it in decent condition. Hopefully during the restoration I can also reinstall the Suds-Saver (I think that is the difference between the 4800 and the 4805), which a repairman had removed a few years ago on a service call. I have a lot of questions, but I am confident I can figure it all out when the time comes, with the help of the expertise of everyone here at AW. Anyway, this is all a ways off in the future....the first step is redoing the laundry room to make it ready for the Duet's impending arrival. Maybe I'll start a new thread about that project. Thanks again for all your kind words!

Post# 901527 , Reply# 13 10/2/2016 at 15:28 (2,761 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I also have a 1970 RCA (another Whirlpool clone) which should have a suds saver. The valve has been remove before I got it (I hope to find the parts to reinstall it someday!). It's got the more common slanted control panel but it's otherwise very similar to yours. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 7 View Full Size