Repairing a washing machine

In today's throw and go society items that used to be repaired by the homeowner or professional are often discarded. Many of these items go to landfills or to discount repair shops who take the item you thought was broken, do a simple repair, and resell it.

The sad thing is that many of these "repairs" are simple problems that a quick bit of research and tinkering can resolve. You do not have to be a Tim Taylor to read a set of directions and fix it. People avoid the repairman also, because for whatever reasons sometimes they just don't have the money. It's far easier to put a new appliance on credit and pay $20 until the end of time than to pay Bob the Appliance Man $100 to fix it. Why not avoid both if you can?

One of the most important although often neglected home appliances is the washing machine. If you have children or work in a dirty job, you know what I am talking about. Chances are your washing machine is used at least once a day if not more. My Kenmore HE-4T has been washing laundry almost flawlessly for over 5 years. One minor issue, which I FIXED MYSELF. A neighbor of mine down the street makes a small income by taking in free appliances, repairing them and reselling them.

1) Determine what the symptoms are: Is it not coming on at all, not draining properly, weird sound or smell?

A: If it's a power problem (won't come on) the #1 place you should check is your circuit breaker for the washer. If you don't know where your breaker box is then you need to find it ASAP. Not just for fixing things, but for potentially preventing fires. The housing unit I live in has had numerous problems with electrical outlets. Securing power to a smoldering outlet could be the difference between a simple repair and a fire that destroys your home.

B: If it's something else write it down somewhere handy. For example, many newer electronic washing machines display error codes on the front or top panel. An error code is a simple way to figure out what is going on.

2) Conduct an internet search for your specific problem: For example.HE-4T error code F/11, this will bring up a listing of websites with that specific issue. Be wary here, as usually the first few links tend to be spam-like, or only consist of people complaining about the product with no useful information. The most reputable links in my experience tend to be internet forums relating to the issue at hand.

3) An alternate to #2 is to sign up at an appliance forum or general DIY (Do it Yourself) repair forum: The forum is an especially good bet for older appliances as forums tend to attract the type of people who are into solving problems themselves and maintaining an older model appliance. Check out the forum as a unregistered guest at first to see what the content is. A few clicks on the different sub-forums and posts should let you know real fast if it's worth registering. Most forums are going to be full of advertisements, especially for non-supporting members, but if the post content looks well written and personalized, it's probably a good choice. Once you are signed up at the forum, post in the introductions section if they have one. Then post in the specific topic area for your problem.

4) Fix the problem if possible. If you have followed the steps above, you should have a solution to your problem. If everyone says that you can't fix it yourself, then chances are that you can not. If you have to invest in a couple dollars worth of hand tools, it's still cheaper than a $100 repair bill, or a $900 washer.

In my case with the HE-4T, I noticed that the washer was taking forever to drain. The error code was F02 which related to the washer draining. I mentioned it at work and a co-worker suggested I check the filter inside the washer. I googled the error code and found a detailed write-up on how to clean the filter. It did take me pulling out the washer and about an hour of work, but in the end I had fixed something that many people may have discarded.  At the time I didn't get an estimate from a repairman, but figure a base rate just to look at it, and then the labor to pull it out, open it up and clean it, and I probably saved at least a couple hundred dollars.  

The neighbor I mentioned in the beginning has found problems as simple as lint clogging the hole for the fill sensor where people gave the washer away and he turned around and sold it for cash.