The life expectancy of a washer in today’s market is far from years past. There was a time when you could acquire a new washer and have it be good for the next 20 years. Washers are on a decline for life expectancy. What was once 20 plus years is now 5 to 8 years. This is due to production of disposable, quickly worn parts. It is no surprise a customer asks, “What is wrong with my washer?”. In many cases there is nothing wrong, only the sound of new technology. Auto load sensing measuring water levels is often misdiagnosed as the washer makes a humming sound when auto adjusting load sizes. This is often mistaken as a problem. Off balance load detectors are also much more sensitive in today’s washer, which is also misdiagnosed that something is wrong. Lengthy intervals between wash, rinse, and spin also contribute to this assuming something is wrong with the washer.
Although there are many cases like this, there are even more when repair is needed and an issue does occur with your washer. Washing machine repair can be broken down into many different areas such as control board, electrical, motor, pump, suspension and drum. Control board issues are at the top of the repairs addressed. Often, when a control board is not working properly, it is due to a computerized timer that is responsible for controlling all the different circuits in the machine, such as draining and heating circuits. Usually all of the components in the washer are tested including the wiring to rule out the control board. Due to the difficulty of diagnosing a control board problem, the whole board is replaced. A control board replacement can range from 150 to 800 dollars. If considering a control board replacement, often times consumers choose a new washer due to overall expense related to the cost of a new one.
Electrical issues can be the direct result of the wiring connection to the motor, pump, and control board. This is the easiest to rule out. If it is electrical, replacement parts are relatively inexpensive. Some washer motors run on single phase AC supply motors. This type of motor is very durable with minimum repairs. One commonly used motor is the split phase induction motor. This is a low cost motor. This motor has more speed variations and has less wear and tear in the fine wire density. The speeds are constant. Although new motors experience less wear and tear and are more efficient than older models, the shelf life is less than half of the old traditional models. Unlike control boards, a motor will be replaced due to cost of repair vs new. Pump failure is evident when the water is left in the drum after a wash cycle and won’t rinse out. This repair is marginal. If a washer is vibrating and moving then it is likely you have an issue with the suspension and drum. This will more than likely lead to an off balance load. Suspension coils are cheap, drums are expensive leading to a replacement vs repair. All of these issues leading to repairs are most cost effective in today market while the purchase of an extended warranty will have the cost absorbed through 1 repair. It is also wise to get a warranty with a lemon replacement guarantee.