Old Repairwoman The One REPAIR That Turns a New Washer Into JUNK

Washing machine repair quotes sting most in the showroom, a salesman's hand on a shiny new lid while your four-year-old washer thumps at home. Before you sign for a new machine and that extra coverage at the register, I'll walk you through which warning signs are a ten-minute fix with the plug pulled and which sound really does mean it's finished. If somebody you love is about to haul a good washer to the curb, send them this first. 00:00 "Not worth fixing" at four years old? 01:36 Washer shaking: shipping bolts and leveling feet 03:14 Overloading and lopsided loads 04:26 Musty front-loader smell and the door gasket 05:27 Water left in the drum? Clear the drain filter 07:29 The rumble that means a bad drum bearing 09:09 What a washer repair really costs 09:57 Extended warranties at the register 10:48 Does an outside repair void your warranty? 11:35 Model number, recalls and repair or replace A washer that shakes from its very first load and one that started walking after a few years in the same spot usually have two different problems. On a brand-new machine I'd check for shipping bolts. On an older one it's almost always a foot that isn't touching the floor. Overloading and lopsided towels-and-bedspread loads do the same quiet damage, and that beating lands on the parts the drum spins on. That's why the front-load washer drum bearing is the expensive one. The machine has to come apart to reach it. A musty gasket, a clogged drain filter full of coins and lint, or a dark control panel that turns out to be a tripped breaker usually cost far less. I also go over service-call fees, typical repair costs from Consumer Reports, and what the FTC says about extended warranties and independent repair. Your one check this week: with the washer empty and still, rock it on each top corner and see if it moves. Then tell me what's breaking down at your place, whether it's the washer, the dryer or the fridge, and what it's been doing.