LMM – okay, you are officially LMM here too!

(How sweet that you called me ‘LMM’ – a bunch of my friends in one of my message boards all call me that – I really like it! Hee!)

1) do NOT let soap or hard-water build up on your washer seal. Replacing that seal will cost you around $200, because 1) the seal itself is around $60-$70 (up to $180!!!) on most models and 2) It takes approximately an hour of labor to PROPERLY install a seal.

2) Use something similar to http://www.affresh.com/ to help maintain the cleanliness of your washer. Do NOT go cheap with these – it is an important part of your maintenance. See if your manufacturer recommends a certain brand. (I hope there is a more environmentally-friendly way to purchase than the three-tab packs we have in our shop, though! Check to see if the brand you need offers a “bulk” price of sorts.) I know we usually recommend running one through your washer each month.

These newfangled washers require much more time, far more expensive parts, and far more diagnosis to fix. What am I getting at? Despite the fact that these new washers are “greener” for the environment, they can make your wallet “blacker” … as in, the big black hole.

We suggest to all of our customers who purchase one to get the extended warranty, ensure it will cover large parts (transmission!!!), and ask the manufacturer what they suggest you do to properly maintain the appliance.

I just sold a customer a 1982 washer for $189 because he was tired of dealing with the new washer he purchased two years ago. It was beautiful, like yours. It also cost him another $987 in out-of-pocket expenses the warranty didn’t cover. By the time the washer had broken down a fifth time (the first two times, it was replaced by the manufacturer – and not with the same model: they made him choose one off of the store floor, and they weren’t as nice, or as expensive, and he didn’t get a refund of the difference!), he gave up and his wife begged him to get the almond-color washer back that he’d tossed out two years before. Of course he couldn’t find that particular washer, but he found one just like it on our floor!

Devyls last blog post..Baby S Update:

Sorry you had to shell out some dough unexpectedly, but, the dough you’ll be saving sure sounds *sweet*! And that is definitely cool that they’ll be recycling your old one. I’m always wanting to make sure stuff like that happens to my old things, but, hubby’s not totally on board with the whole ‘Save the Earth’ thing. It’s hard to turn an old redneck around! LOL!

Matt – yes, she is pretty isn’t she? I always thought that front-loaders were cooler too! I thought they were big ticket items, but the difference was honestly only a few hundred bucks and it will all pay off in the long run… and I have a clear conscience!