Problem Solving with Persistence--Life with an Errant Washing Machine

In the past few weeks, I have rearranged my life around washing machine repair schedules. Add to that now our refrigerator. When we moved into our house in early 2007, we fitted it with fairly high-end, name-brand appliances and purchased extended service contracts that go into 2011. Everything was just great for the first two years.

It wasn’t easy to fit one of today’s washing machines into the closet-like space in our upstairs hallway. Those jazzy front-loaders were out of the question because the bi-fold doors that close off the space blocked the machine’s doors. Also, because of the way they are constructed, they are too deep for the space. So, we bought a standard top-loading washer that was billed as super quiet and offering plenty of cycle options. We loved it, until one day in April it started banging like a drum with every revolution during the spin cycle…so loudly you could hear it two floors down.

That began a string of visits from the maker’s repair team, covered by our service contract and arranged by phone with very accommodating, helpful customer service representatives. They couldn’t have been nicer, but we still haven’t solved the problem after four completed service calls.

Visit one was to explore and identify the problem. The repairman, who was very diligent and friendly, said he was amazed our machine lasted so long without this happening, because the model we bought usually broke down before one year. He also said that our contract should cover any repair needed. He left, ordered a new motor and gear gizmo, and returned a week later to install them. Boom, everything done. Should be fine now.

Nope. When we did our next wash, we discovered the machine was still making wild banging noises. I called again. Our first repairman was on vacation, so they’d send a substitute to check it out, who turned out to be a really nice guy who spent time with us trying different cycles and listening. His solution: replace the agitator. So, he left, ordered a new part, which arrived on our doorstep two days later, and returned on his next available date two weeks later to install the new part. Well that should fix it!

Not at all, we discovered later. I called again and arranged another service visit. This time they sent a third person, who arrived with a surly attitude and zero patience. After a few minutes of waiting for the machine to perform its noisy problem and not hearing it yet, he decided there was no problem, and left, but only after I had him look at our refrigerator (which was supposed to also be on his job ticket, but wasn’t). Both door latches were broken. Little plastic doodads that hold the two French doors closed tightly on our expensive stainless steel fridge—both dangling and inoperable. Egad. We left it that he would have the latches ordered and sent to me, and then I was to arrange another service call.

I waited for over a week through the July 4 holiday and beyond, but no latches arrived. And the washer was sounding worse than ever. Time for new action.

On my last call to the company, I asked about the latch order. I heard: My, we don’t have a record of that. I’ll be glad to order them for you and set up a new service visit. And, we did so, but I made it clear it better not be the one with the attitude again.

Today was the day, but the latches still haven’t arrived. Bob, repairman number two who we liked, called this morning to ask if I had received them and indicated there was nothing in any of the computer records that showed they had been ordered. He offered to order them himself and scheduled a day next week to install them.

As for the washer, after trying numerous cycle combinations and staying close by to listen the machine’s nuances, we have pinned down the problem to the final spin of the regular cycle. Not one of the three men who have come to check our machine believed it could happen in one spin cycle but not another. They'd say: The computer that controls the machine would never do that.

Now we know it’s true, though, and we are ready to demonstrate it for him when Bob comes next week for our sixth scheduled service call.

This nightmare will end one day soon. I know it will. Persistence…

Have you had an appliance nightmare?