Fezmid Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I'm looking for opinions here. We currently have one of those washer/dryer stacks that came with our house when we built it. It's not the highest quality, but it gets the job done. It's now 12.5 years old and is something like this one: http://www.homedepot...la#.UJ_SioajodU Well this weekend, the drum in the dryer started making a terrible noise -- from my research, I think the ball bearings might have gone out and need to be replaced. I don't know how much that'll cost. We also had the heating element go out on it a year or two ago. So the question is do we repair this one, or just buy a new unit, keeping in mind that if we buy a new one, we have to buy a new washer AND dryer, and the washer would have to be front loading (or another "stack like we have I suppose...). I'm leaning towards buying new ones (better energy efficiency, less water use), but that's not a cheap proposition. Thoughts? And if we do buy new, any recommendations? I'm leaning towards LG, but Samsung is in the running as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowery4 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 depends on your money situation I would guess. Fixing it could be pretty cheap. I had one that made a lot of noise and it was the drum gasket, it was a cheap repair. If you are at all mechanical, they are fairly simple machines. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 depends on your money situation I would guess. Fixing it could be pretty cheap. I had one that made a lot of noise and it was the drum gasket, it was a cheap repair. If you are at all mechanical, they are fairly simple machines. Good luck. Yeah, I'm not... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I would think after 12 years its only going to be one problem after another. It works that way with cars for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eSJayDee Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 FWIW, washers are one of the few appliances where energy savings actually justify buying new. I don't recall the numbers (I bought a new washer bout a yr ago) but I'll guess based on rated usage, you might save ~$70/yr. That makes the payback only a few yrs (rather than never depending on value of $, ie interest rate) Why can't you just replace the dryer & continue to use the washer portion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 Why can't you just replace the dryer & continue to use the washer portion? Check out the link I put in the original post. The washer/dryer are connected together and have one set of controls to control them both. If I had more room, I could probably just use the washer and ignore the dryer, but our laundry "room" is more like a closet and I have to stack the washer/dryer for them to fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 We had the same problem for awhile with the dryer making an awful racket. Called a guy we know in town who my dad knows and I was also inquiring whether it'd be worth it to repair or just replace it, since our units are 20+ years old. Clothes had been taking longer to dry and you'd open the door and see that it hadn't been spinning or was spinning just intermittently. He said that these older machines (Maytag, BTW) are better built than the new crap they have now. New appliances of any kind will see a repairman in 6 years and likely be tossed by 8-10. I've kept ours clean with regular maintenance and running a cup+ of vinegar in an empty hot cycle every so often, and I throw some bleach in with our white towels, so getting something shiny isn't an issue... not that it should be if the machine still works. He listened to the noise, said it was a flywheel type thing that typically wears down b/c it's made of plastic. He took it out, and comparing it to a new one (the part looks kind of like a hamster wheel) where it attaches around the bolt, ours was now an O where the new had a flat spot and was shaped like a D. "Why don't they put a *metal* bushing where it's rotating around the bolt?" said I. He shrugged and said, "Exactly." Replaced. $167 for the part and service call charge. Good as new, quiet, and drying faster. YMMV depending on the age of your machine/s, brand, specific problem. We also took the opportunity, on his recommendation to replace the old spiral-wire plastic vent tubing with some 4" aluminum dryer vent pipe and some aluminum foil tape. (You do need to keep a way to disassemble for cleaning to remove lint build-up.) Not the accordion stuff, to be clear. I tried that some time ago and it ripped during install, total PITA. All the other stuff is a potential fire hazard. Your link isn't opening for me, BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Buy new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewPort71 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 I bought Samsung (washer and dryer) and am very pleased with the results. These replaced 15+ year old units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 (edited) I went through this process earlier this year. I found an excellent repairman. He told me that he could fix my current washing machine cheaply ($40) but it would not last another year before it needed replacement. (18 yo machine). Here's his speech: Washers: Front-loading washing machines are worthless - get a top loader. All new machines are crap (except for one - see below). Most new machines have computers in them, and the repairmen don't fix those, and the computers are cheap anyway (google "rebooting the washing machine"). You'll be lucky to get 6 years out of a new machine (except as shown below). If you're going to buy a new machine, buy one this year. New energy guidelines go into effect next year and it will reduce the cleaning capacity of new machines. That being said, buy a Speed Queen, one of the AWN models. http://www.speedquee...s/products.aspx Speed Queen are used in almost every public laundromat. They clean the best, they're made of all steel (no plastic), and they will last a lifetime. Ask any repairman about Speed Queen, and they will all say it's the best by far. Nothing else is even close. Dryers: The only thing that matters, is that the bigger the tumbler is, the more efficiently it will dry the clothes. Brand name doesn't matter too much. Edited November 11, 2012 by \GoBillsInDallas/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 Front-loading washing machines are worthless - get a top loader. All new machines are crap (except for one - see below). Most new machines have computers in them, and the repairmen don't fix those, and the computers are cheap anyway (google "rebooting the washing machine") Unfortunately I have to either use front-loading or get the ones that are pre-stacked (like in my original post) because our laundry area is simply a closet. I looked at the "all-in-one" devices that wash AND dry your clothes, but most people seem to say that they don't dry very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Unfortunately I have to either use front-loading or get the ones that are pre-stacked (like in my original post) because our laundry area is simply a closet. http://www.speedqueen.com/home/en-us/products/product.aspx?id=350 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebug Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Who cares, this is your wife's problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I would think after 12 years its only going to be one problem after another. It works that way with cars for sure. No. I just rehabed my whole dryer... Pretty simple and cheap... Both are going on 20 years... They don't make them like the old ones. Washer, I had the LoveJoy coupling go out a bunch a years ago... That was kinda hard to get to... But Kenmore (WhirlPool) since them have built the part more re-enforced... Actually, I figure it may go out again... Going on around 10 years... So when I picked up the dryer parts, I picked up the new washer coupling... Only 11 bucks... Anyway, I documnet everything and it seems that around every 5 years we need something... Actually, it is pretty easy w/the gas dryer and it gets me to clean everything out well. Why would you want to throw them in a landfill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Who cares, this is your wife's problem. Hah...that was funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 new Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Why would you want to throw them in a landfill? Why would you have to? Any scrap place would give you a few bucks for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Buy new Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Fez, you're walking into the absolute best time to buy a washer/dryer because Home Depot lines them up for the holidays. If you have a HD card, you can get them for 0% interest for up to two years (depending on how much they cost) and free delivery if you catch them at the right moment. We got a great deal on LGs last year. (Note: I'm not a big fan of store-based credit cards, but a Home Depot card is outstanding provided, as always, you use it properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Craigslist. http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ppa/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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