No noise is good news when the washing machine is running, right? I replaced the last wobbly block under it a couple of weeks ago and it's been a lot happier.
Until today, when I finished vacuuming and went downstairs to load the dryer...only to discover the washer had filled for the rinse cycle and just sat.
The motor-driven sequencer isn't running, and refuses to run at any point in the cycle. The machine has already got two broken vanes on the agitator, and I know from looking it up when I was working on the dryer that parts availability for these thirty-plus-year-old Amana units is very limited. I've ordered a replacement (a Maytag), which will be here Monday between -- get this -- "8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m." Beats trying to carry it home myself, even at that.
I took the load of work slacks out and they're soaking in the tub. A round of hand-wringing* and rinsing will follow after dinner. It was easy to siphon most of the water out (the trick, of course, is to fill the hose first) and the old Shop-Vac should get most of the rest.
This is what happens when you try to make things better. After replacing the last bad block (old mortar was stuck to it! I thought I had removed all of those last year), I'd added a hanger rod over the dryer to hold unused clothes hangers within easy reach. Make too many improvements and Murphy notices.
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* But not handwringing.
Update
10 months ago
4 comments:
Oh, Roberta, I can see you in your backyard, swinging an arm in a windmill motion with the wet pants in that hand, flinging out the moisture. Good luck with the Maytag. May your Maytag repairperson be the loneliest person in your town.
Roberta X: If you have the wiring/logic diagram for the sequencer, I bet your inner geek would be thrilled to homebrew a set of toggle switches and an old-school mechanical kitchen timer that goes DING! to tell you it's time to change the settings. Assuming a reasonably-priced replacement isn't available, of course.
You know, I would, but for a couple of things. One of my friends ran a full-manual electric Maytag for years -- powered wringer, little agitator motor with a gearshift for various modes, clever drain -- and it was a delight.
Tam would hate it. And she'd hate a Bobbi-control system on the existing washer even more.
And the other thing is, there's a rather high likelihood of flooding the basement if it goes wrong. If my new Maytag does that, it's a warranty issue. If my homebrew system does that...I'll look silly suing myself.
If it was just me and I wasn't still working full time, I'd probably do it. And I hate giving up my last dumb-as-a-hammer washing machine. But time moves on.
Good points.
Those wringer-washers rock! Need to wash something for a really long time? No prob. The gravity drain works without electricity- genius. I've heard they're still on the market in Saudi Arabia because water is precious and servants aren't.
"Bobbi-control" Ha!
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