Got new appliances after 18 years

[jmm63]

After living with issues on all our appliances for a while, we bit the bullet and got all new ones. The old GE oven from 2006 would never hold temp, the Kenmore front loaders from 2008 were good, but the front was rusting, and the GE traditional fridge was always too small.
We went with all LG appliances. Hopefully will last a while but we'll see. I took out extended warranty on all.
The stove, I love. Cooks beautifully and lots of options.
Since my laundry is in the kitchen (small lake house with no basement) we went with the WashTower. Took some getting used to the look of an upright design, but I was able to modify a cabinet and squeeze it in next to it. The dryer vents through the floor so it took some cleverness to get a cabinet in.
The fridge is nice,just wish we went a little bigger.
Waiting for the slim line over the range microwave to come in stock and then we'll be done for now.
Next year, hopefully new cabinets and counter tops

 

[mark_wpduet]

Nice...I can say I think you made the right choice for the washer dryer (knock on wood) I know nothing about LG in terms of reliabiity with refrigerators or ovens...but they look super nice. I hope they last you a LONG time with no issues...

If possible you might plug the fridge and washer into a surge protector (not sure about the oven) I understand they have built in surge protection... but that didn't help my duet... it was after I started plugging it into a surge protector that I had no issues with the board... of course it could just be luck... but it can't hurt.

I'm torn on the warranties... because nowadays they can totally pay OFF...

 

[appnut]

Congratulations Jim. Hope y'all enjoy and love them. Your old Kenmore set was made by Frigidaire I do believe. What model wash tower did you get? I'm assuming LG dishwasher too.

 

[jmm63]

Thanks Bob. The washtower is model wke100. Was toying with the next model up with turbowash but was getting too expensive.
I still have my Maytag Jet Clean portable from 1990 something. It works like a champ still and when we do the rest of the kitchen, we'll do a built in.

 

[jmm63]

Thanks Mark. Hoping for a long life on all of them.
The warranty was only $25 for 3 years so why not.
I researched the surge suppressor and most places said not to do it. Still on the fence as what to do.

 

[appnut]

Jim, very good. Your wash temps are cold, cool, warm, very warm, and hot.
On my washer the equivalents are cold, cool, warm, hot, extra hot and I would imagine they are both the same with different labels.
Hot (very warm) is regulated to 112F. Warm falls between 88F & 92F.
ON both Normal and Heavy Duty, Hot (extra hot) will turn on the onboard heater. Hot (extra hot) is whatever your water heater is set to. When using hot (extra hot), soil levels will determine how long water is heated for both Normal & Heavy Duty. For me, on Normal and possibly HD, lightest soil gets me to between 135F and 140F. The heater will shut off sy snpiy 155F to 160F. If you select steam option that negates any soil level selection. My experience has shown steam can get the temp to 160F to 163F. If you are able to, I would see if you can get the wash connected to your WiFi. Then you could download Towels or Perm Press. Those two cycles would provide more water per fill. My towels defaults to 3 rinses. And 2 more can be added. Bedding is pertty gentle and with lots of water. Delicates is almost like Hand Wash on my old Duet.

Since I began using the Tide Professional, the two cycles I use are Perm Press & Towels. Launderess says it works best on Warm water temps. Those two cycles also make sure the heater raises the temperature to Very Warm. The heater will only turn on for either Heavy Duty or Normal when Extra Hot (on your machine Hot) is selected. No additional heater engaging to make sure warm is reaching 90F. But fill process does gt pretty close to warm target. I'm also assuming the cycle software is the same as on my machine for the comparable cycles.

 

[panasonicvac]

Awesome!

We just got new LG appliances for our 20 year old hunting cabin cause it suffered a flood from a broken pipe this last winter and all of the other appliances except for the fridge got ruined. I'm looking forward of going up there later this fall and see them all hooked up once the renovation is all done. The only LG I'm nervous about in the long run is the fridge because one of my relatives' failed recently and it was about three years old. Good thing we kept the old fridge in case that were to happen.

 

[vacerator]

A severe thunderstorm first week of April hit either the ground or service pole near our electric meter, and entered the panel in the basement. Our neighbor's Ring camera recorded the huge flah.. It looked like a hawks wingspan. It woke me up at 11:10 p.m. The bottom breaker actually melted a bit.
Our dryer which was a 15 year old Whirltag Bravos X electronic got zapped. A new board is over $200 so got a basic Whirlpool with the top lint screen. Our 2019 Samsung front loader was on the same protector and is fine. Also lost an Apple TV box, Sony stereo intergrated amp. from 1993 that I paid $5 for at a garage sale. Got a new Yamaha and a better 1850 joule surge protector/power conditioner for this new AS 1200 $3,000 amp. None of the surge protectors helped. My Old Dell duocore desktop NIC card got hit too, but it won't run windows 11, so got a half terabyte 500 gig $400 NUC unit from Geekom. Very fast!
Anything that has an actual click locking power switch is fine. CD player, Tuner, turntable. These were all on the same blown circuit.

 

[phillymatt53]

Good luck with any "new" appliances these days.
Sadly, I've seen too many "new" appliances need repairs or replacing by my friends or neighbors.
Just a few months ago, my neighbor tossed out a 4 year old Samsing topload washer AND dryer due to both needing expensive repairs.
Only Four Years old! - the washer cost $700 too!
The dryer needed a complete heating element and electronics
Waste of money.

 

[vacerator]

My stepson's new house came with a Samsung top load washer which was brand new. It wouldn't spin. It was 2021 and the control board was back ordered. The home builder got Samsung to refund the full price. He got a similar LG and likes it.
I unplugged my audio equipment every night now and during storms. One cord for the power conditioner-protector. Same for the laundry room and my computer. Also if we are gone for a day or longer.

 

[qsd-dan]

Just a few months ago, my neighbor tossed out a 4 year old Samsing topload washer AND dryer due to both needing expensive repairs.

A repairmen on YouTube had a 2 year old Samsuck dryer with a dead control board. The control board was obsoleted with no available replacements online or even on Ebay. This is why I use quality vintage with a stockpile of parts.

 

[maytag85]

Just a few months ago, my neighbor tossed out a 4 year old Samsing topload washer AND dryer due to both needing expensive repairs.

A repairmen on YouTube had a 2 year old Samsuck dryer with a dead control board. The control board was obsoleted with no available replacements online or even on Ebay. This is why I use quality vintage with a stockpile of parts.

That’s the thing people don’t understand, sometimes parts for newer stuff is obsolete after a couple of years while some parts for older stuff is still on the shelf since they knew it would get to the point where everything is junk from the get go.

People can try to convince me all they want “YoU cAn’T gEt PaRtS fOr OldEr CaRs”, but I’ve been following the automotive industry for the past 4 years (11 years really), it would get to the point where parts are on back order even more so with the bottleneck in supply chains. GM recently recalled a bunch of V8 engines for a manufacturing defect, can’t get a replacement engine for a long, long time. Even Toyota is having problems with the Tundra these days.

It simply amazes on how companies like Ford once made everything on site at the Rouge plant, literally anything you can think of from the steel, to the windows. Since Ford literally had a tight rein on all the supply chains, wasn’t really possible for a bottleneck to happen.

While finding parts for older vehicles can be a bit of a challenge, rather deal with that than having something currently in production in 2025 which can snitch on you.

 

[phillymatt53]

Just a few months ago, my neighbor tossed out a 4 year old Samsing topload washer AND dryer due to both needing expensive repairs.

A repairmen on YouTube had a 2 year old Samsuck dryer with a dead control board. The control board was obsoleted with no available replacements online or even on Ebay. This is why I use quality vintage with a stockpile of parts.

Sorry for this long read, but I sometimes must get things off my chest....
Indeed, I've watched for decades the slow, deliberate decline of consumer products.
From cars, to home products...the list is endless.
I've worked for over 40 years in the electronics service industry as a well-taught certified professional technician.
So believe me, I've got the experience, and like to share my findings with others.
The last repair shop that I worked at for 25 years, I saw and took notice of these so-called "changes" and touted improvements, citing the brainwashing term called "new and improved" or other terms to make consumers believe that they should "upgrade" their "aging" products.

Most people these days don't think about buying something new. something advertised as "superior or great".
Particularly something to replace a household appliance that broke down.
To these people, getting something fixed is a hassle, just go out and buy a new one, right? - AKA that throw-away mentality that you may have heard about.
At that shop I worked at, over the years, I saw Samsung products, mainly tv sets, ALWAYS coming through the door.
Second popular was the Sony's...
The one brand that we rarely, hardly ever saw come in for service? - Panasonic stuff.
So guess what! - What do you thing this lowly technician typing this has in his home? - Panasonic!... as well as Technics for my stereo system.
I don't like spending money every couple of years to replace something.

And of course there's those "outsourced" products with familier American names such as Westinghouse, Emerson, Zenith, RCA.... another long list, but you get the idea.
Those American names once made in America were quality, far above these new hunks of junk that came though the shop's door.
But people who bought and were satisfied with the original American products bought the junk because of "brand recognition", and that was key to some foreign factory's success and greed.

So to conclude, I'll stick with my 1984 Maytag pair, my 1985 GE refridgerator, and my 1971 Hobart-Kitchenaid dishwasher, and repair them if ever needed.
Along with my other vintage household American quality products.
No, I'm not an old stubborn codger, I just don't follow the current trend of being an easily led puppet to advertizing

Thanks.

 

[DADoES]

Panasonic ... I have a Panasonic plasma display panel (technically it's not a TV, it doesn't have a tuner or speakers) that will be 23yo at end of September 2025. A Roku stick and a DVD player are connected to it via an HDMI A/B switch and an HDMI-->component converter.

The bedroom TV is a TCL/Roku bought last week to replace a Hisense that the cat knocked over which damaged the screen.

 

[vacerator]

I thought that parts have to be available for durable goods including vehicles for ten years after they end production. Of course these days, who knows?
I found a site that repairs control boards but who wants to go to a laundromat waiting for it to return? A spiojke or surge usually fries a capacitor on the power supply first, then if strong enough, other caps. resistors, etc. on encoders or pcm controls.

 

[DADoES]

There are several services that repair appliance control boards. All such services don't handle all the various boards.

 

[phillymatt53]

I thought that parts have to be available for durable goods including vehicles for ten years after they end production. Of course these days, who knows?
I found a site that repairs control boards but who wants to go to a laundromat waiting for it to return? A spiojke or surge usually fries a capacitor on the power supply first, then if strong enough, other caps. resistors, etc. on encoders or pcm controls.

Yes, it has become frustrating these days to repair modern devices.
Ten years for warehouses to keep parts in stock is in the past.
More like 1 or 2 years is the norm today.
Because manufacturers want you to buy "new" instead, they gain more of your money that way, and don't like having to suffer losses due to paying service centers and their employees.
It's all about greed in my opinion.

I called Samsung customer service and stated that I was a certified electronic technician at an independent repair shop.
I wanted to speak with their technical staff about an ongoing problem with a Samsung tv.
They refused to switch me over to their tech line, stating that I was not one of their warranty repair shops, and talked to me like I was some moron.
I then told the female operator that "how would you like me to tell my customer that I can't service their tv because you won't allow me to? - I'm sure the customer would never buy another Samsung after the hassle you put me through"
Eventually, I was able to diagnose the odd problem after aquiring a service manual from another parts distributor.

Where I made substantial money and was busy. was in the "restoration" of vintage radios, phonos, tape recorders, console stereos, etc.
So busy that I had a waiting list of months long!
But I became adored by my customers and they gave me 5-Star reviews online, like Angie's List and others) and word spread around, adding to my work load.
I had no idea about the accolades and reviews until they mailed me a card to the shop! "You have great reviews on Angie's List!"
Believe me, I made thousands of people happy, being able to enjoy their vintage products, some being treasured family heirlooms.
I was even contacted by a NJ based Emerson Radio storage warehouse to restore a 1929 floor model radio that was to be featured at a special exhibit at the NYC Radio City Music Hall!
And yes as mentioned, it's much easier to get parts for vintage products, to keep them going.

All MY appliances use mechanical timers, switches, and are still performing great.
I like things simple, Old School pleases me.

 

[phillymatt53]

There are several services that repair appliance control boards. All such services don't handle all the various boards.

Introducing electronics in things like washers, dryers, dishwashers, fridges, etc - may be attractive to the average consumer, BUT.... look where it's taken it's toll.
Same goes for automobiles, vehicles...
Used to be that owners could get these things fixed easily.
Not any more.... pray for good luck, or wind up spending bucks, again.

 

[phillymatt53]

Awesome!

We just got new LG appliances for our 20 year old hunting cabin cause it suffered a flood from a broken pipe this last winter and all of the other appliances except for the fridge got ruined. I'm looking forward of going up there later this fall and see them all hooked up once the renovation is all done. The only LG I'm nervous about in the long run is the fridge because one of my relatives' failed recently and it was about three years old. Good thing we kept the old fridge in case that were to happen.

Speaking about longevity...
A home I once rented back in 1988 had an old early 1950's Philco fridge in the basement.
Ya know, the ones with the rounded corners and big old clunky door handle.
The dust on it was thick, but when I plugged it in, it fired right up!
YAY!......basement cold beer storage!

 

[appledude1]

Thanks Mark. Hoping for a long life on all of them.
The warranty was only $25 for 3 years so why not.
I researched the surge suppressor and most places said not to do it. Still on the fence as what to do.

My long post seemed to disappear when I had to log in again - Mark is right on the surge protector. I argued with GE again and again on my new GE side by side ten years ago. The rep kept saying like a parrot "no extension cords" - I kept saying I am NOT talking about an extension cord, I am not using an extension cord, a surge protector. She said NO again and again. Finally I asked, OK, what is GE doing about the many reports I am reading of people coming home to circuit boards fried, often with plastic pieces melted on control board or wherever - she checked with another GE person, who said I could use a surge protector IF it was made for a fridge. You do need to keep an eye on the surge protector periodically to make sure both lights are still lit, showing it is still protecting and hasn't failed, probably while protecting your fridge. Mine is made by RCA. I am a bit paranoid about all electrical stuff, so make sure you buy it from a reputable place (not a counterfeit) - a good solid brand (you can research online) if for a fridge, made for a fridge - make sure it is heavy duty enough as far as amperage and wattage - UL listed - and it should FEEL right - same as with extension cords and other stuff - if you plug a cord into it, does it feel right, not too tight to be impossible to get out, or so loose the plug wants to fall out (may be counterfeit) - also, the electrical outlet in the house you are plugging in into same thing, if the plug seems too loose or too tight, have it replaced before you put in the fridge. I also like to read reviews on electrical outlets, and put in one of the best - so many outlets at Home Depot and places feel extremely cheap as compared to old ones - not made well. I also look an outlet as how secure and easy to install. Some are much better than others. And I would have to look, I don't think you normally use a GFI plug or have the fridge on a GFI circuit, may blow too easy - but I may well be wrong on that one, so research it. Yes, I spend some time researching stuff, but it usually doesn't take long, and I normally am much more satisfied than many. I miss my 3 door Amana fridge that after 23 years or so couldn't get a compressor for - but my GE side by side celebrating its tenth b-day, and has had no repairs, though I do keep the fridge water filter replaced. I also have the fridge tapped into the cold water line which ALREADY has a filter on the water. No problems with the icemaker or water in the door either. I do have a Floodstop unit on my fridge and dishwasher, which shuts off the flow of water to the fridge if the sensors detect water, it also tests the water valve monthly to make sure the valve works and is not frozen when needed - and, when I service the fridge water filter inside the fridge, I can just push a button to shut off the water, and push another button to turn the water back on when done. This unit will work on batteries alone, or I have mine plugged in to the wall, with batteries as a back up if the power fails. And, I use really good rechargeable batteries, with voltage close to alkalines, so good enough for smoke detectors, alarms, etc