Message
from your RepairGuru®
Welcome to
the September 2007 edition of the RepairClinic.com newsletter. While the
kids are heading back to school, chances are you have some great summer
memories. What are your personal favorites? An outdoor picnic? A camping
trip? Or maybe a triple-decker ice cream cone on the hottest day in August?
For Phillip
F. of Phoenix, Arizona, we're betting that his best memory would be saving
enough money on appliance repair to go on a family vacation. How's that
possible, you ask? Read on and you'll find out Phillip's secret for turning
appliance trouble into fun in the sun.
Washer
and Dryer Parts Purchase - Provides Extra Cash for Family Vacation
Phillip F. of Phoenix, Arizona
"We
started having some real appliance trouble at our house," says
Phillip F. "The washer was leaking water and building up mildew
around the inside of the door. On top of that, the dryer would only
work sporadically. With three kids in the house from 2 to 16, my
wife and I knew we needed to do something - and fast."
A computer
network engineer, Phillip knows his way around computers, but typically
doesn't fix the household appliances. "I either call a repairman
or replace the entire appliance," explains Phillip. "That
was my plan this time, but it didn't quite work out as I expected."
When Phillip called a service company, they wanted $138 to tell
him what was wrong with their seven-year-old washer and dryer. "After
coming to our house, they told me it would cost an additional $300
for a new gasket to fix the washer and $380 for a new control board
to fix the dryer," says Phillip. "We thought that wasn't
worth it, and decided to just order new appliances."
|
What
he fixed: Whirlpool
washer and dryer
What led him to RepairClinic.com:
Changed his mind about spending $1,800 on new appliances
How
he diagnosed the problem:
He relied on email help from the RepairClinic.com RepairGuru,
as well as the online schematics and diagrams
How he fixed the washer:
 |
Unplugged
the appliance |
|
Removed
the agitator |
|
Removed
the spanner nut |
|
Removed
inner tub |
|
Replaced
center post gasket |
|
Replaced
tub, spanner nut and agitator |
|
Plugged
appliance back into outlet |
How
he fixed the dryer:
|
Unplugged
the appliance |
|
Removed
six screws to remove the top panel |
|
Removed
four screws to remove the control board |
|
Replaced
four screws to install the new control board |
|
Plugged
appliance back into outlet |
Parts
needed:
|
Gasket
($49) |
|
Control
Board ($70) |
Tools
used:
|
Screwdriver |
|
Two
wrenches |
|
|
Meanwhile,
while waiting for the new appliances to arrive, at a cost of $1,800 Phillip
started surfing the Internet "just to see what was out there."
During this time, Phillip remembered a website he had bookmarked a couple
of months earlier. It was RepairClinic.com.
"Even
though I'd known about the site for a while, it took me all this time
to even consider fixing an appliance," explains Phillip. "I
looked at the schematics on the RepairClinic.com website. I also emailed
the RepairGuru and asked for instructions on how to replace the gasket
and command board. The Guru sent the manuals to me with the areas highlighted
about my appliances' problems."
During this
time, Phillip also relied on RepairClinic.com to locate the parts he needed
- a $70 control board for the dryer and a $49 gasket for the washer. "It
was a great feeling to fix them myself," says Phillip. "With
help from RepairClinic.com, I was able to do both repairs with simply
a screwdriver and a couple of wrenches - oh, and a little muscle to stretch
the gasket."
"I canceled
the new washer and dryer order, and won't automatically call an appliance
repairman in the future," continues Phillip, "Now I'm ready
for anything to break - with RepairClinic.com at my fingertips, I know
I can save my family a bunch of money. And I can take them on vacation
with the savings."
Energy
Saving Tips for Washers and Dryers
|
Using
cold water during the washer's rinse cycle can save at least $25 per
year by not having to heat the water. |
|
Select
the correct wash cycle for the level of soil on your clothes. Each
cycle has a different time associated with it, the heavy wash cycle
uses more energy than the short cycle. If you have a load of heavily
soiled clothes, try soaking them first and then use a shorter wash
cycle. |
|
Don't
forget to adjust the water-level or load setting to match the amount
of clothes that you will be placing in the washer. Lower settings
use less water. |
|
Consider
combining 2 small loads to reduce the time spent doing the laundry
and use less energy. |
|
Is it about time to replace your washing machine? If so consider buying
a front-load washer, which can use up to 50% less energy, require
less detergent and water and cause less wear and tear on your clothes.
|
|
Overloaded
dryers take longer for clothes to dry, wastes energy and also causes
wrinkles, which will require ironing. |
|
Clothes
dryers use heated air and tumbling action to dry clothes, so keeping
the lint filter clean is very important. Lint build-up on the filter
reduces air flow and makes the dryer work harder, which uses more
energy. |
|
Take
advantage of the warm air you have already paid to heat up the dryer.
Whenever possible dry loads consecutively. |
|
Make
sure that all excess water is removed from items being placed in the
dryer. Soaking wet clothes take much longer to dry. |
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