The Washing Machine Fiasco

Pond is really frozen over.

Aaaarghhh!

Before daughter and family arrived at Christmas time I decide to fix the washing machine. The problem being that the cold water barely trickles in making cold water washes impossible and warm water washes, well it takes a long time even if it ever happened. So, friend of mine who owns a hardware store and at one time repaired Maytag washers said that the problem would be in the small washer screen at the point where the hose attaches to the machine. Well, that seemed like something I might be able to do. We had called a plumber out two year ago to fix the problem, but he could not find anything wrong. Evidently the wife had taken action at the time, too. Well, somebody had screwed the hose back on and had cross-threaded the (plastic connecter) threads. We had a slow leak that was causing the floor to rot out.

I took the hose off and found that the screen washer had completelyrusted out, so obviously that was not the problem. I attempted to re-attach the hose and that is when I discover the cross threading had ruined the threads and the hose could not be attached and that was the cause of the leak and the mess.

Since the receptors for the hoses is part of the solenoid that switches on the cold and hot water, I had to find the part. Not easy to do for a 32-year old washing machine. I called Maytag and they were no help and not really interested in my problem. On line I found a part. Part was shipped for $57 and received the day after daughter leaves for home. That is another story because she has diapers--as in lots of diapers--so I spent a couple hours at the laundromat washing diapers and about ten other loads of clothes.

I installed the new part and hooked it up. It came with no wiring scheme, so I had to guess. Guessed wrong. Tried wiring it the only other way possible. Did not work. Bummer! So, wife and I go shopping for a new washer. Wouldn't you know the CR magazine that wife had just subscribed to arrived a few days prior and the feature article is about washers and driers. Yahoo. Small victory in a deluge of defeats! Price at local store is pretty high so in a snow storm we take the Oregon Side route to Ontario. We hit a complete white out, can't see the road no way no how (wife really hates those conditions) and we venture clear off the road into a field. Wife gets a bit panicky and yells a suggestion that I have driven off the right side of the road. Well, I knew better than to act on her suggestion of turning left to get back on the road because we had gone off on the left side of the road. We were in pretty deep snow, but I had the pickup in 4WD so just cranked it to the right and back up onto the road. Whew! Not another rig in sight.

Shop at a couple stores and they tell us that the price they are charging is the sale price. Haha. We know better because we have read CR. Go to Sears who has the $995 price like everybody else but upon asking, the salesman tells us that there will be a sale on MLK Day. We wait till MLK Day and dirty clothes keep piling up. I go to laundromat again. Wife says she has plenty of clothes to wait. I won't tell how many panties she has, but, well, WOW! she has a lot of panties. So, on MLK Day we make the purchase and save a $150. If we pick up the washer, we save the sales tax which is 6%. Yaya, I know, the Idaho law says that we are to pay the sales tax on all purchases made outside the state when we file our income tax, but I have only ever heard of one Idahoan that does that. I am betting that the Guv does not even do that.

Wife started tearing the old washer apart so that it would be easier to haul away. She worries about me having a heart attack. She should considering how well she feeds me. I finish taking it apart upon my return from work. Take the parts to the recycling center and get a penny a pound for the scrap metal. Pocket 250 cents. Go to Sears and get washer. Oh, yeah. It took another 8 days to come in after we bought it. Wife panty suppy was still holding out.

Wife and I struggle to ge the washer unloaded. Not too bad of a chore since I backed the pickup to the stairs of the deck. Good thing I have 4WD! Only took out one planter.

Washer is all set up, wife checks for leaks, we balance it and (now this is what this story is all about), wife plugs in the washer and prepares to run the first load of water and soap. (We followed the directions and were running only water and soap so as to wash out the tub). Yeah, we followed the directions. Okay, ready? The $!%$^^#^%$#$# washer does not start. Wife looks at me and says, "Did you throw the breaker when you were working on this?" My answer, "No." Hmmm, we have a problem. Go down stairs and check the breaker. Yep. It had tripped. Reset the breaker and washing machine starts. Do I have to make further explanation? or do you get the picture??