Washing Machine Repair Nightmare

[whirlcool]

Some new people moved in down the block last week. Yesterday the lady of the house came by and asked for "the washing machine repair guy". That told me immediately where that came from. I explained that I am not a washer repair guy, I just do what I can to help people out.

The woman explains that she has a Kenmore washer and ever since Sears came out about five years ago to fix it, it hasn't been the same. She said the clothes don't move around like they should when washing.

So I go over there and find a nice Kenmore Series 90 machine. The tub has all kinds of stains on it and I notice it's been set up for COLD/COLD washing rinsing.
I fill it up and start it agitating. The top half of the agitator is just bobbing around and doesn't have any force behind in. I figure it's the dogs that are worn out. I take the top part of the agitator apart and look inside. Nothing! Nothing at all! No parts, no dog clips, no dogs just nothing! Just and empty agitator. I asked the woman what happened.

She said when Sears was out she called them because the machine was making a noise. The first thing the repair guy did was take the cover off the machine and pull off all this black insulation from the case and then when he put that back on he was doing something with the agitator. The machine hasn't worked the same since.

Has anyone ever heard of anything as ridiculous as this? I ordered and agitator kit for her, but this really is a mystery. Why would anyone do this?

 

[DADoES]

 
Hmmm.  Suspicious that she let the machine go like that for five years.  Maybe she's off-kilter on the timeframe.  Is she your other goofy neighbor's sister, LOL?  Maybe she or hubby (if there is one) or someone else tried to fix the agitator and got fouled-up.  The only black insulation that would normally be involved are those mastic or bitumen resonance-deadening pads glued to the inside of the cabinet.  Maybe they were hanging loosened so the service-dude pulled them off.

 

[liamy1]

I'm starting to get a feeling...

That washer service men, are just doing what they need to, to satisfy a customer complaint, regardless of the outcome.

Example, I had Samsung engineer to my brand new machine, it makes a strange - faint but audible hissing, come scraping type sound when the drum is turning, most noticeable when the machine is load sensing, so no water going in, no pumps, no heat.

(one of a few issues)

He said this was a normal sound for these machines, and rest assured no fault??

If anything, it's because it is new, the belt is too tight and will settle over time.

Solution, if I really wanted to, put talcum powder on the belt, which would remove the sound.

I don't profess to know that much about the inner workings of a machine. More interest along the lines of detergents etc.

However, just sounded bizarre to me.

Could be completely wrong, and am very happy to be corrected. But I do feel that when a customer raises a concern about an appliance; that whilst does not stop the machine operating, they still have a concern. The engineer will do whatever to appease the customer.

 

[whirlcool]

This new neighbor lives right next door to the other nutty neighbor I have had dryer experiences with. That's where she probably got my name from.

The insulation was this black sheet like stuff that was stuck along the bottom of the inside of the case, according to the woman who owns the machine. The tech just tore it all off telling her it creates more problems than it solves.

As for the agitator not working correctly, well the woman says she just puts the clothes in the machine, sets it and leaves. She said she has never really noticed that the top part of the agitator is not turning.(!)

At least the outside of the machine was nice and clean. It had a myriad of setting choices, more than I have seen on other machines. This had to be a TOL machine at one time. Hopefully, it'll have many more years to go before it will need another repair again.

 

[stricklybojack]

.
"set up for COLD/COLD washing rinsing."

What does that mean exactly? And are you going to set it up for normal hot/warm/cold operation when you install the new parts?

 

[pierreandreply4]

stricklybojack

from my point of view i think its the owner that has set the setting if she wash everything in cold water then i would not be suprise thats what damage the agitator

 

[whirlcool]

The controls were set for COLD/COLD. The machine is capable of all temps in all modes. But I suspect by the stains in the tub she always uses COLD/COLD. The normally white tub was stained a dingy gray from the top to about half way down to the bottom. This machine co0uld even do a WARM/WARM is so desired.

And it had a separate speed control too. Heavy Duty (very fast) Normal(normal) Delicate (Slow) and Hand Wash (intermittent operation)

 

[mattl]

Is this the Electronic 90?  Sounds like my little used TL machine.  It was/is a good performer but since I got my Duets I have not used it much.

 

[DADoES]

 
Sounds similar to this this 90 version I refurbed a few years ago.  Parents are using it.

There were a few variations.  Different number of water levels (4, 5, variable) and speed choices.

 

[whirlcool]

The control panel graphics on the one I saw were a little different(more blue), but it had the same controls as the one in your photos Versatile machines, eh? Even though I have never been a Kenmore fan, these are nice washers!

 

[mark_wpduet]

I wonder if

you suggest to her when this gets fixed that she should not be using cold/cold? She may listen to you, especially if you get her washer fixed.

 

[whirlcool]

I'm still shocked at the number of people who use COLD/COLD on their laundry. Do they just not want to spend the money for hot or warm water? We never wash anything in cold. Always warm or hot.

 

[arbilab]

Jiminy! I don't even wash my HANDS in cold.

 

[henene4]

70°F = cold

In Germany, the trend is more towards 86°F washing, though, there is some strange regulation for every washer to have a 70°F wash cycle&#92option. This even forced Panasonic to change their 60°F into a 70°F cycle. Verry weired.

 

[liamy1]

water temps

Over here, the usual standard of temps is on machines is:

Celsius (Fahrenheit)

* = Tap cold/15 (60)
30 (86)
40 (104)
60 (140)
95 (203)

Some machines have a 50 and 70 options. But above is what we find on most.

Henene4 - something similar maybe happening here too, as my new machine Samsung has a 20 degree (just under 70F) cycle, which I can't remember that being something I have seen before.

Don't really see the point, as most detergents are now manufactured for optimal results at 30 degrees, so if you're going to come down 10 degrees to 20, you may as well go for for tap temp.

Then the other issue was (not sure if you already know, so apologies) there was a big stink over washing temperatures.

Which (/CR) Magazine tested 12 washers on the 60C cycle - only one machine hit 60 degrees, NONE maintained the temp long enough to be effective in complete germ/dustmite kill. One machine, only reached 43C in the whole cycle. Not good considering, you turn to 60, specifically because you don't want to use 40 for that load.

Anything I feel needs hot now, I just whack to 95C - frustrating, as my machine has a 70C cycle, (the tub clean option is default set at 70), but I can't actually set 70 in ANY wash program :/

 

[henene4]

Did Which specify which cycle they used?

I know our Whirlpool reaches 50C on the Energy label rating cycle with a full load, about 35-40C for half loads when set to 60C.
Our AEG is probably the one only going to 43C.
However both still reach 60, as long as you don't opt for energy saveing cycles.

Back to the USA, that is one thing I give to modern ATCs, they seem to mostly use some warm water, even on the mostly used cold setting and try to hide the tap cold setting somewhere.

 

[liamy1]

Couple of links

From the which issue

http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/washing-machines/article/washing-machine-temperature-guide

The link above also confirms, that we too in the UK MUST have a 20C cycle - Didn't know that.

http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/washing-machines/article/should-i-wash-at-60c

 

[liamy1]

Don't know

If they have updated the test that it is in the second link, as I'm sure I heard only one machine hit 60C. Could be wrong, and just getting mixed up with one machine not hitting anywhere near 60.

http://i

 

[whirlcool]

Done

I got the agitator kit installed and the machine is running like new again. That agitator now moves with authority! It is very quiet in operation. It just purrs along. What can be done to get that dingy film off of the inside of the wash basket? Other than that the machine is like new again.

 

[goatfarmer]

Maybe CLR?

 

[DADoES]

 
Scrub with Bar Keeper's Friend, run a cycle to rinse.  But is that worth the effort if she keeps with the cold washing?

 

[whirlcool]

Glenn, you have a point there. If the woman doesn't even notice the stain in the first place how likely is she to do anything about it.

Why do people buy such capable machines in the first place when all they intend on doing is washing COLD/COLD? A single temp one speed machine would have worked as well. I'm positive this was not a cheap washer when new.

 

[askolover]

some people

have more dollars than sense!

 

[lordkenmore]

Given the dingy film in the tub, I have to wonder what is lurking in the parts of the machine that aren't visible...

 

[pierreandreply4]

my advice

my advice would be to have the washer run a full cycle with the wash temp knob on hot water and when the washer is starting to wash in hot water with bleach switch the temp knob to warm warm so that the washer do the rinse + extra rinse since i suggest having the extra rinse option on full of warm water, then repeat step 1 but with some tide cleaner or afresh and also explain to the owner of the washer that if she wents to keep her washer a long time to wash with the washer set to warm cold from time to time.

 

[revvinkevin]

How's this for dingy gray stains?

 

 

This washer is at my work and is always started on hot wash, or at the very minimum, warm.   There's a dedicated 20 gallon electric water heater for it, but the temp is more like very warm, than hot.  Plus as it's only 20 gallons, the temp slowly drops as the washer tub fills.

 

Being it's at a business, the majority of what's washed in it are micro-fiber towels, cotton towels and cotton "diapers".   For the most part, these towels are just dirty from regular "dirt" rather than oily, greasy, etc.   But towels from the body shop (with buffing and polishing compounds) are also washed in this machine.   But as you can see, there's quite a residue has built up on the upper part of the tub and agitator.

 

Kevin

 

[whirlcool]

Maybe it could be something she's washing in the machine that's staining the tub after all. Right now the washer is operating correctly, I don't imagine I'll ever hear about it again. Unless it breaks.

 

[yogitunes]

for the hell of it.......I would switch the cold and hot water hoses, or the wires on the valve.....

hot wash and rinse.......most people don't even pay attention once they load and go.....

outside the fact, she may notice her clothes becoming cleaner......must be the newly fixed agitator!

then again, she may figure you don't know what the hell your doing, and never bother you again.....

win win.....or lesser of the two evils....

recalls a story from long ago, had a pesky neighbor who, for what ever reason, at least twice a week, unplugged his TV, to which he bugged the hell out of me to re-program the channels every time......after about two months of this, I super glued the plug into the outlet.....

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Scum or film on washer tubs

This could be an interesting discussion all on its own, as I have seen washers for sale on Craigslist quite often lately with black or gray scum on the agitator and basket, some so thick I can't imagine why the owner put up with it that way. I've been told that this comes from using too little detergent, and that could be true but I didn't come across so many machines in the 90s that were goobed up like this. I suspect this has a lot to do with today's detergents and their ability (or lack thereof ?) to keep dirt suspended until it is flushed away.

Interestingly, look at the pictures of my 2009 rebuild of my 1976 Kenmore 60 machine. The basket was filthy at the start, as you can see, and the outer tub had a great deal of white detergent residue on it. When finished (third picture), I was a bit disappointed with the inner tub, as it had little or no shine, and I figured it was simply worn from use.

I'll post a new shot when I get home tonight, but the basket started getting much more shiny after 15 or 20 loads, and now is glassy and new looking. There was clearly something on the basket that took numerous loads of warm water and good detergent (mostly Tide) to remove.

Gordon

 

[whirlcool]

I noticed on the shelf above the washer was a box of All Free & Clear Pods. It appears that what this woman was using in the washer. I think you may be onto something about today's detergents. Maybe your theory applies to the cheaper detergents?
We use All Free & Clear liquid and haven't experienced staining in our tub.