New appliances today $$

[disneysteve]

Our dryer started making a weird noise a few days ago. It was still working - spinning, heating, drying - but it just didn't sound right. I opened it up yesterday to see if it was some relatively simple DIY fix. I've worked on it before (and the washer as well). Everything I could easily access looked to be in order. I'm thinking there is an issue with the drum rollers but getting to them (and fixing them) requires totally disassembling the unit and that is just a bigger job than I wanted to tackle given the work involved and the age of the unit. So we decided it was time for a new one.

DW then said that while we're shopping, we ought to replace the washer, too. It's just as old or maybe a little older, there is rust around the top of the drum, and it occasionally doesn't drain properly at the end of a cycle. Still doing the job but definitely showing its age.

Off we went to Lowe's this morning. We browsed the options and settled on one of the lower end sets, which we typically do. We don't like going with the fancy ones with all the computerized controls and bells and whistles. I just feel those are more likely to have trouble down the line and are harder to do DIY repairs on. Swapping out a mechanical switch or knob is a lot easier than installing a new circuit board. Total with delivery and hauling out the old ones and new hoses and such came to right around $1,500. I have a Lowe's CC so got 5% off which helped a little at least.

While we were there, we also bought a new water cooler. Ours is 15-ish years old and we've had a little trouble with it. I also wanted to upgrade to a bottom loading unit. Flipping that 5-gallon jug onto the cooler without spilling water all over isn't getting any easier as I get older. That was about $200.

So $1,700 later, here we are. Hopefully delivery and installation goes smoothly (never a guarantee) and we'll be up and running with the new units sometime Thursday. The water cooler came home with us today and that's already in service. No problems there.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Our dryer started making a weird noise a few days ago. It was still working - spinning, heating, drying - but it just didn't sound right. I opened it up yesterday to see if it was some relatively simple DIY fix. I've worked on it before (and the washer as well). Everything I could easily access looked to be in order. I'm thinking there is an issue with the drum rollers but getting to them (and fixing them) requires totally disassembling the unit and that is just a bigger job than I wanted to tackle given the work involved and the age of the unit. So we decided it was time for a new one.

DW then said that while we're shopping, we ought to replace the washer, too. It's just as old or maybe a little older, there is rust around the top of the drum, and it occasionally doesn't drain properly at the end of a cycle. Still doing the job but definitely showing its age.

Off we went to Lowe's this morning. We browsed the options and settled on one of the lower end sets, which we typically do. We don't like going with the fancy ones with all the computerized controls and bells and whistles. I just feel those are more likely to have trouble down the line and are harder to do DIY repairs on. Swapping out a mechanical switch or knob is a lot easier than installing a new circuit board. Total with delivery and hauling out the old ones and new hoses and such came to right around $1,500. I have a Lowe's CC so got 5% off which helped a little at least.

While we were there, we also bought a new water cooler. Ours is 15-ish years old and we've had a little trouble with it. I also wanted to upgrade to a bottom loading unit. Flipping that 5-gallon jug onto the cooler without spilling water all over isn't getting any easier as I get older. That was about $200.

So $1,700 later, here we are. Hopefully delivery and installation goes smoothly (never a guarantee) and we'll be up and running with the new units sometime Thursday. The water cooler came home with us today and that's already in service. No problems there.

Consider this that it could be more energy efficient quickly offsetting the new expenses?

[disneysteve]

Consider this that it could be more energy efficient quickly offsetting the new expenses?

Yep. We talked about that as a likely benefit. I’ll keep an eye on the gas and electric bills and see if there’s any noticeable drop.

[myrdale]

Have you considered what you're going to do with the old washer and dryer yet? There are a few options.

Let Lowe's haul them off. Free service.
Take them to scrap metal. You might get $20.
Sale them. You might get $50 each.
Give them away. Free and might help someone out (assuming the dryer doesn't burn their house down).

I am pretty light on laundry with just me in the house. Typically it's (4) loads a week. Work clothes, colored, white, bed sheets. If I'm down for a week or two waiting on parts, it's not that critical.I recently did a repair on my front load washer. It was either a sensor, or a wire harness. For about $80 including shipping I replaced both and it worked. My dryer I've replaced a thermistor once. It was my fault for failing to clean the lint screen.

For your issue I should imagine a motor drives a belt on a pulley to turn the drum which I assume are on some type of roller bearings. There alone are half a dozen spots the noise could have originated from. Beyond that I don't know.

[disneysteve]

Have you considered what you're going to do with the old washer and dryer yet? There are a few options.

Let Lowe's haul them off. Free service.

We are having Lowe's take them away. It is NOT a free service. It's actually $50 per item, so $50 for the washer and $50 for the dryer. Maybe it used to be free but it definitely isn't anymore.

I am pretty light on laundry with just me in the house. Typically it's (4) loads a week. Work clothes, colored, white, bed sheets. If I'm down for a week or two waiting on parts, it's not that critical.I recently did a repair on my front load washer. It was either a sensor, or a wire harness. For about $80 including shipping I replaced both and it worked. My dryer I've replaced a thermistor once. It was my fault for failing to clean the lint screen.

For your issue I should imagine a motor drives a belt on a pulley to turn the drum which I assume are on some type of roller bearings. There alone are half a dozen spots the noise could have originated from. Beyond that I don't know.

We do a lot of laundry between the 3 of us. At least a couple of loads a day.

I have DIY repaired both the washer and dryer over the years. I replaced the door switch assembly on the washer. I installed a new drive belt on the dryer.

I agree with our dryer issue being something related to the rollers, either the bearings or some other part of that assembly. I'm sure I could fix it but just didn't want to work that hard on a 10+ year old item.

[ua_guy]

Nice! I hope the upgraded appliances work well and live long.

My folks just bought a new washer/dryer set and I had to listen to my dad go on this weekend about the old set when I went to visit. It's a grave injustice to him that Lowes now charges to haul away old appliances. I get it...I really do....lol

[disneysteve]

Nothing is ever easy, and I've come to expect that as the norm.

They called last night to say they'd come today between 9:30 and 1:30. This morning, I got a call at 8:22 that they'd be there in 10 minutes. Early is nice, but could be inconvenient depending on circumstances, but I'm not complaining about that. It worked out fine today.

The guy comes in and starts to disconnect the washer only to call me over and say there's a problem with the shut off valves and they need to be replaced.

While that was going on, the other guy out on the truck came in to tell me that the new washer was damaged. Sure enough, even though the box looked perfectly fine, the washer itself had one side bashed in. It clearly left the factory that way. This is not the first time we've encountered that very same issue with an appliance that got packed in damaged condition.

They removed the old dryer and installed the new one with no issues so at least that was good, and we're glad the problem was with the washer, which still works, rather than the dryer which is the one that really needed replacing.

I've already called the plumber and they're coming in the morning to replace the shut off valves and will also install our new bathroom faucet and replace those valves while they're here. I've been meaning to call for that anyway so at least this way we're only paying for one visit.

[ua_guy]

Some of our best appliance purchases when we were younger and much more strapped for cash were scratch-and-dent! Ok, maybe not with the side caved in, though... just nicks and scratches.

Shut off valves are a booger. The ones that rarely ever get touched, like on the washing machine, toilet, under-sink... When they get old they can stop sealing or shutting off, as they're designed to do. Gunk and corrosion build up inside of them. What's even worse is disturbing them after too long can cause the stem seal to leak, so not only do they not stop the flow of water completely, but they also start leaking at the handle, too. If you're not vigilant, they can soak a whole floor. Don't ask me how I know!

Replacing those old valves is money well spent.

[disneysteve]

Some of our best appliance purchases when we were younger and much more strapped for cash were scratch-and-dent! Ok, maybe not with the side caved in, though... just nicks and scratches.

Same here. We bought many of our appliances at the Sears Outlet near us. Those were often scratch and dent units. I think it was our first washer that had a big scratch on the side. It was going in our basement. What we did care. The price was right. It had a full warranty. We bought it and never had a moment of trouble from it.

When we bought a freezer years ago, it arrived and when they opened the box it was damaged. We sent it back. The second one came and was also damaged. I called the store and said I was willing to keep it but not for the price I had paid. We agreed on a partial refund and kept it, also in our basement where nobody would see it.

The washer today was more seriously damaged so that wasn't an option.

[bjl584]

Hopefully the new units will give you years of worry free service.
I bought a new set when I bought my house, about 8 years ago now. No issues with either thankfully.

A few years ago I got a free washer and dryer from a friend who was upgrading.
Nothing wrong with either. I put them in a rental unit.

[disneysteve]

The dryer seems to be fine. My wife did 3 or 4 loads today. She seems to think it's smaller than the old one but I measured them both and it definitely isn't. I think it's just an optical illusion because of the cabinet design.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

got a photo? What brand?

[disneysteve]

got a photo? What brand?

GE. Nothing fancy. We go for the most basic models without all the LED displays and bells and whistles.

[disneysteve]

Plumber came today. He replaced the shut off valves for the washer so we're all set there. He also replaced the shut off valves to our bathroom sink, put in new supply lines, and installed the new faucet I bought last week.

We're just waiting to hear from Lowe's about when they will come with a replacement washer.

[JoeP]

Ugh! Similar situation here. Washing machine had been repaired so may times I lost count. When the latest workaround involved taking apart the control console and blowing into a pressure sensor hose, we decided a new one was in order. We opted for a HE top loader, GE brand. No wi-fi, no snazzy interface...just knobs and a button. The new one cost I think $550, plus needed hoses. There was a $40 fee to remove the old one...I offered them $100 if I could video them launching it off the bay bridge (local bridge with a 45 foot drop).