4 ms·

Whirlpool Washer Transmission Repair (2007)

30 points by userbinator 5d ago

aidenn0 5d ago
I got a 503; maybe hugged to death? https://web.archive.org/web/20260117044133/https://k0lee.com/2007/01/whirlpool-washer-transmission-repair/ https://web.archive.org/web/20260117044133/https://k0lee.com...
SoftTalker 5d ago
I have fixed a couple of washing machines and other appliances over the years. It's satisfying although likely not money-saving unless you don't put a value on your time. But I like working on mechanical things so it's closer to a hobby for me.
- stronglikedan 5d ago
  > It's satisfying although likely not money-saving unless you don't put a value on your time. Being able to repair my Sears Kenmore 80 Series washing machine from the late 90s has definitely saved me money. I've made exactly two repairs in the last 15 years, each costing me less than $50 dollars in parts, neither taking more than two hours to complete, and both saving me from having to buy a new machine. If that's not money-saving, then I don't know what is!
  - 000000000001 5d ago
    Just wanted to chime in and inform you that Kenmore isn't a Kenmore, they never made anything just bought them and slapped a label on them. The first 3 digits denotes the manufacturer. I.E. 110 is Whirlpool, there are lists online to reference.
- toast0 5d ago
  Laundry repair costs a lot around here. Repair people certainly put a value on their time. It does take a while to get the machines apart and back together, but if you have a good idea of the part that needs replacing, it's not too bad to do many things.
- analog31 5d ago
  I've repaired all kinds of stuff in my house, including appliances. Calling someone to fix something could cost me more time than fixing it myself. Also, I can time-shift when I do it myself, for instance working during hours when I'm unlikely to get paid to do something. An example is bike repair. If something breaks, getting it fixed would mean driving it to the shop and back again. Doing it on my own terms and schedule, I can fix it at night, often in a few minutes. If it needs a part, I ride a spare bike until the part arrives. I decide on a case by case basis. I don't change the oil in my car because I can drop it off on my way to work, and in that case, I am getting paid while the car is being serviced. Also, some kinds of work involve more tools and space than I want to own. And mess. The home furnace, in the middle of winter while my elderly parents are vising... yeah call the guy.
Liftyee 5d ago
It surprises me how the US loves their top-loading washers. Here in the UK, there isn't the complex (though interesting) "transmission": the drum has fins to act as both agitator and spin-dryer. This means it's just a boring belt drive between motor and drum (or direct drive, for newer machines.)
- emmelaich 5d ago
  Top loaders are higher capacity and cost less. And open air drying is preferable to machine drying.
  - aidenn0 5d ago
    Top loaders also act as spin dryers...
    - olyjohn 5d ago
      Front loaders also get moldy and stink because they have to be sealed up so tightly. If you're not there to immediately pull out the clothes after the cycle, you're screwed. And in a small laundry room there isn't always room to let the door stay open to dry out the inside.
      - gmac 5d ago
        In my experience with front-loaders, all of these are non-problems. But my understanding is that top-loaders are always inefficient: they have to use a lot more water, because the clothes have to be submerged, and thus they also have to use a lot more energy to heat it.
- aidenn0 5d ago
  Mainly it's just everybody grew up using top-loaders, though it's also easier to get clothes in and out of a top-loader than a front (unless you have a huge machine). [edit]Oh, and also the up-front cost of a top-loader was about $100 less when I last bought a machine. I've used a front-loader now for years and the only thing I really miss from my top-loader is that I could just leave the lid open for it to dry out. The door of the front-loader is perennially in the way if you leave it wide open, so we have to prop it open to prevent mildew.
fragmede 5d ago
Have people discovered putting the washing machine into the walk-in closet where your clothes actually live as a life hack yet?

30 points by userbinator 5d ago

I got a 503; maybe hugged to death? https://web.archive.org/web/20260117044133/https://k0lee.com/2007/01/whirlpool-washer-transmission-repair/ https://web.archive.org/web/20260117044133/https://k0lee.com...

SoftTalker 5d ago

I have fixed a couple of washing machines and other appliances over the years. It's satisfying although likely not money-saving unless you don't put a value on your time. But I like working on mechanical things so it's closer to a hobby for me.

stronglikedan 5d ago
> It's satisfying although likely not money-saving unless you don't put a value on your time. Being able to repair my Sears Kenmore 80 Series washing machine from the late 90s has definitely saved me money. I've made exactly two repairs in the last 15 years, each costing me less than $50 dollars in parts, neither taking more than two hours to complete, and both saving me from having to buy a new machine. If that's not money-saving, then I don't know what is!
- 000000000001 5d ago
  Just wanted to chime in and inform you that Kenmore isn't a Kenmore, they never made anything just bought them and slapped a label on them. The first 3 digits denotes the manufacturer. I.E. 110 is Whirlpool, there are lists online to reference.
toast0 5d ago
Laundry repair costs a lot around here. Repair people certainly put a value on their time. It does take a while to get the machines apart and back together, but if you have a good idea of the part that needs replacing, it's not too bad to do many things.
analog31 5d ago
I've repaired all kinds of stuff in my house, including appliances. Calling someone to fix something could cost me more time than fixing it myself. Also, I can time-shift when I do it myself, for instance working during hours when I'm unlikely to get paid to do something. An example is bike repair. If something breaks, getting it fixed would mean driving it to the shop and back again. Doing it on my own terms and schedule, I can fix it at night, often in a few minutes. If it needs a part, I ride a spare bike until the part arrives. I decide on a case by case basis. I don't change the oil in my car because I can drop it off on my way to work, and in that case, I am getting paid while the car is being serviced. Also, some kinds of work involve more tools and space than I want to own. And mess. The home furnace, in the middle of winter while my elderly parents are vising... yeah call the guy.

Liftyee 5d ago

It surprises me how the US loves their top-loading washers. Here in the UK, there isn't the complex (though interesting) "transmission": the drum has fins to act as both agitator and spin-dryer. This means it's just a boring belt drive between motor and drum (or direct drive, for newer machines.)

emmelaich 5d ago
Top loaders are higher capacity and cost less. And open air drying is preferable to machine drying.
- aidenn0 5d ago
  Top loaders also act as spin dryers...
  - olyjohn 5d ago
    Front loaders also get moldy and stink because they have to be sealed up so tightly. If you're not there to immediately pull out the clothes after the cycle, you're screwed. And in a small laundry room there isn't always room to let the door stay open to dry out the inside.
    - gmac 5d ago
      In my experience with front-loaders, all of these are non-problems. But my understanding is that top-loaders are always inefficient: they have to use a lot more water, because the clothes have to be submerged, and thus they also have to use a lot more energy to heat it.
aidenn0 5d ago
Mainly it's just everybody grew up using top-loaders, though it's also easier to get clothes in and out of a top-loader than a front (unless you have a huge machine). [edit]Oh, and also the up-front cost of a top-loader was about $100 less when I last bought a machine. I've used a front-loader now for years and the only thing I really miss from my top-loader is that I could just leave the lid open for it to dry out. The door of the front-loader is perennially in the way if you leave it wide open, so we have to prop it open to prevent mildew.

fragmede 5d ago

Have people discovered putting the washing machine into the walk-in closet where your clothes actually live as a life hack yet?