When appliances work, they’re magical. If there’s something that can cook my food faster, wash my clothes for me, or keep me from getting dishpan hands, then I’m all in.
But when appliances break . . . I no longer think they’re magical.
Take our washing machine, for example. It’s only a year and a half old (just a baby!) and still looks sparkly new.
But the other day we began to suspect that our trusty washing machine might be on the fritz when we discovered a small ocean of water on the floor, extending about a foot in front of the washing machine. Not good.
Then yesterday we learned that some pesky article of clothing (probably something with a zipper) snagged the gasket and caused an inch long tear.
Sadness!
Would you like to wager a guess at how much the repair company said it would cost to fix this thing?
$324.75
Oh, heck no! That’s more than half the price that we paid for the washing machine, so there’s no way that was going to happen. (The quote included the $85 service call fee, which we had to pay no matter what, but still!!) And since the washing machine is over a year old, the manufacturer’s warranty had run out. Sigh.
When faced with such adversity, what’s a girl to do but bust out some industrial strength tape?
The repairman said that my gorilla tape wouldn’t stop the leak, but I’m not convinced.
Here’s the tear after I attacked it with some tape. I think MacGyver would be proud.
So far it’s held through 2 loads (as far as I can tell) . . . which isn’t saying a lot, but I’m hopeful!!!
What’s your proudest MacGyver moment?
OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER: I am in no way suggesting that any one should attempt to fix their washing machine, or any other large appliance, with tape. Just because I did it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea, or that it will work for the long haul!
P.S. Have a great holiday weekend!!
The same thing happened to our LG washing machine as few years ago. We were also quoted $300, but my husband purchased the part for $110 and installed it himself. It really wasn’t that difficult at all. Good luck! It is so frustrating when these things happen….
We had a washing machine problem too, but ours was a lot older. Simply stopped spinning altogether. We googled it and found out that it was a common problem with the model we had after a certain number of years. As it turns out, it wasn’t the more expensive spinning contraptions that broke, just the lid switch! So instead of replacing it ($$$), we chose to connect the wires. Now, the lid doesn’t stop the cycle, but the washing machine works!
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You are industrious – and hysterical! You have to keep us in the loop! I hope the tape holds. Have a great weekend yourself! We’re taking the kids and the dog to Virginia for the weekend – can’t wait!
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I would have felt sick finding that! Way to go on the problem solving and the MacGyverism! :)
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Oh, choice work! During school I fixed a badly scratched wooden floor with a Crayola. Damage deposit = returned in full. (And who hasn’t used toothpaste to spackle a rental in a moment of weakness?!)
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As Jen mentioned above, it’s usually a pretty easy fix to replace a gasket, and significantly less expensive than paying someone. I’ve never used this site/seller personally, but they do sell Maytag gaskets and look to be pretty reasonable: http://www.repairclinic.com/
Until then, fingers crossed that the tape holds!
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You might try one of my favorite adhesives, Goop. It dries to a flexible, watertight seal that can take some heat.
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Thanks for all the great advice, guys! You can bet that if my trusty tape gives out I’ll be trying Goop, and then taking a stab at installing a new gasket ourselves.
Have a fab weekend!!
~ Liz
Reminds me of duct tape on a car, ha – but if it works, it works! I wonder if there’s anything we can do to prevent damages like this? Would closing pants’ zippers and buttons help?
Elisa,
That’s a great idea! I must admit, I never do any of those things that you should do when you’re doing laundry, like turning things inside out and buttoning them. Hmm, it sounds like I should start!
~ Liz
We had that happen to our washer and it didn’t cost us a penny since it was covered on the extended warranty. I purchased the extended warranty for about $100 each year for the past 2 years and let’s just say that we have gotten our moneys worth. We have had almost $2000 in repairs over the past couple of years and it’s only cost me a fraction. We kept having issues with broken pumps because change gets caught in the pump and breaks – it was replaced only 5 times. I tried getting a new washer but they said they would continue to fix it as many times as needed…..darn!
Won’t that be awesome if it stands the test of time! You rock!
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