New washing machine

[RMJacobs]

I thought we were discussing the annoying LG washer and dryer tunes in this thread, but I don’t see it. I think I mentioned elsewhere that I hate the tunes. Give it up already, I heard you. So, I just bought all new kitchen appliances, and got a good deal on a four-piece LG set. Each one of those suckers plays some kind of tune. It’s driving me nuts. What was I thinking?

I’m sure I can find a way to shut it off, but DH will want it on. The kitchen is his territory, so I can’t argue. He might expect me to learn to cook or something.

Rebecca

[Bonnie2]

Oh yeah! I shut mine up immediately! I don’t understand why appliances need to make noise.

[Bluey]

@RMJacobs

I thought we were discussing the annoying LG washer and dryer tunes in this thread, but I don’t see it. I think I mentioned elsewhere that I hate the tunes. Give it up already, I heard you. So, I just bought all new kitchen appliances, and got a good deal on a four-piece LG set. Each one of those suckers plays some kind of tune. It’s driving me nuts. What was I thinking?

I’m sure I can find a way to shut it off, but DH will want it on. The kitchen is his territory, so I can’t argue. He might expect me to learn to cook or something.

Rebecca

I am hard of hearing, don’t hear most of those annoying sounds, thankfully.
Once someone told me the tv controls were making some clicking, whining, chirping or whatever noise?
Not sure they were pulling my leg about it, why would those make any noise?

[LCDR]

My new LG washer and dryer in the tack room also have wireless connections so that they can text me when the loads are done. It was interesting for the first week or so and then I shut it off. I hate getting texts while I am busy. Well actually, I hate getting texts any time. Even the cute cat pictures that SO insists on randomly sending me throughout the day.

[walktrot]

@LCDR

I tried my best to repair the 1985 Maytag. I accumulated all the parts after weeks searching and having to buy most of what I needed used or NOS from ebay. Almost every part was NLA on the repair parts web sites.

Then I discovered that I needed two special proprietary Maytag tools. I went to appliance repair forums to ask. The response from repairmen was “I used to have one of those, but tossed it out years ago.” Alternative approaches to removing and rebuilding the transmission were “you can probably get it out with a four foot pipe wrench and a 6 foot piece of pipe as a breaker bar.” I finally gave up after that did not work. And I now own a $150 4 foot pipe wrench.

I’m still going through withdrawal, having been forced to retire my circa 1961 Maytag washer 5 years ago. It was made of metal. No nylon. No plastic. I got the washer and dryer free when a friend was selling his mom’s house. The dryer was newer because the original burned up.

The washer pump for cold water wasn’t working right. The dryer made a noise when it ran. We have a really good appliance repair shop locally. They come out for $69 to check things out and include that in the total bill. The dryer needed a new motor which he would order and install in about a week and also fix the washer.

It was traumatic. When he arrived 10 days later he said he wouldn’t charge to fix the dryer because it took so long to get the motor. But he refused to fix the washer. WHAT?!?!? Maytag stopped making the timer. WHAT?!?!?! Why. Just because the washer was built in 1961? He recommended Speed Queen. Get a real agitator in a top loader. I still use powdered Tide with Bleach. The dryer with the lint screen on top has been built forever. No computer. I went to their store. They sent me over to Lowe’s across the street because the washer and dryer were on sale, cheaper than their wholesale cost. Call anytime for repairs. They didn’t charge me $69. Another good reason to live in Maine.

The guys who brought the new washer downstairs to the basement almost died when they picked up the old Maytag. It was about 3 times heavier. It was made of metal.

Dad was a lifelong member of the local volunteer fire department. When I moved out on my own I promised him I would never leave the house with the dryer running. Too many fires. I still keep that promise.

[Jarpur]

@walktrot

I promised him I would never leave the house with the dryer running. Too many fires. I still keep that promise.

Same here – I don’t even go out to our barn, or go to bed, with the dryer running. That’s supposed to be a leading cause of house fires. I always think the house is a material possession, but what about my dog?

[LCDR]

Anyone else turn off the water valves for the washer after each use?

I was watching a This Old House show recently and Richard Trethewy was saying that we should be doing this, “but nobody ever does.”

I was dying to ask him “if the plumbing profession advises this, then why do plumbers install the valves to make it so hard or even impossible to get to?” All I can do for my house’s front loader is change the hoses every 5 years and pray. In my tack room I have a top loader and I can get to the shutoff valve with a pretty good stretch.

[RMJacobs]

@LCDR

My new LG washer and dryer in the tack room also have wireless connections so that they can text me when the loads are done. It was interesting for the first week or so and then I shut it off.

Yeah, don’t want inanimate objects texting me!

Rebecca

[RMJacobs]

@LCDR

Anyone else turn off the water valves for the washer after each use?

We shut them off when we go out of town. Someone is home most of the time when we’re not traveling, plus as you say, they are a bear to get to at best. In winter, in South Carolina, we shut our water off and drained the lines before going out of town as we’d had frozen pipes even with the heat running. In summer, the water had to stay on so our neighbor could water our lawn, plus there was no danger of pipes freezing, but the washer valves definitely got shut off.

Now that we’re back in Colorado, I doubt we’ll shut off all the water before traveling. Our power is very reliable, and as long as the heat is running in winter, we are very unlikely to have pipes freeze due to the construction of our condo. And our daughter is just a few miles away, and has a key. But I hope DH can get to the washer valves. They look very hard to get to, worse than any other place we’ve owned.

Rebecca

[colorfan]

Why would you turn off the water valves? I have never heard of doing that. I live in negative temperature land 7months a year.

[colorfan]

ooh even just a washer in my barn would be lovely!

[colorfan]

Yes, exactly! Does anyone like those annoying little tunes playing randomly throughout the day?

[mommy_peanut]

@LCDR

Anyone else turn off the water valves for the washer after each use?

First time I’ve ever heard this even being a thing.
Unless going on an extended trip, most people around here don’t even turn their main water off & we are in winter a good 7-8 months a year.
I wonder if it’s more of a regional thing?

[LCDR]

Washing machine hoses vary in quality and structure and components, but even the ones covered in braided stainless steel deteriorate over time and as they are constantly pressure loaded. Some of them will burst and disastrous flooding can happen. And hose failure happens even in tropical climates where freezing never occurs.

You go away to work, return home, hear water running, and the house is flooded. A washing machine hose is essentially just a garden hose inside your house - same size and same water flow. Imagine how much water you could hose into your house over 8 hours.

If you cannot get to the valves to turn off the water flow to the hoses, there are hoses that sense a catastrophic failure and seal themselves at the connection to the valve. Both my local Home Depot and Lowes have these in stock. There are also plumber installed or DIY installed devices that will shut off water flow if they sense water on the floor, and there are other types that sense water flow changes.

Shutting off the washing machine valves when you are away, or having another type of emergency shutoff system is just basic homeowner water damage prevention. If you have a well like me, another option when you are away is to just turn off the circuit breaker to the well pump.

[trubandloki]

@LCDR

If you have a well like me, another option when you are away is to just turn off the circuit breaker to the well pump.

Darn, that would make the horses very grumpy since they would then be with out water.

I am curious, do you turn the water off to all your sinks and toilets too? They have braided stainless steel supplies too.

I do not think it is a bad thing to shut the water off when you are not home (to anything and everything), but I certainly do not think it is standard home ownership practice and I do not think people who do not do it are putting themselves in extreme flooding danger.

[LCDR]

Each to his own. I just grew up like this. I had a Navy Captain father and the house was organized like a ship. Every switch and outlet was labeled with the fuse or circuit breaker number. We knew where all the water shutoff valves were, and the fire extinguishers. This was before smoke detectors were available. Even garden hoses were laid out and flaked to limit kinking. I actually enjoyed the organized approach. I admit that I no longer take Navy showers, but with six of us showering in a small time frame every morning they did make sure the last child still had hot water.

And yes, when no one is at home I do turn off the house water supply. The well switch is right outside the door into the garage so it is easy to hit it going out and coming home, so that takes care of all the sinks and toilets in addition to the washing machine and outdoor irrigation pipes.

And, I drain and flush my water heater and replace the anode rod every year on June 15th. And every car and truck gets a new battery every 3 years. The whole house generator gets serviced by me every September 16th. Furnace filters are changed monthly on the 1st. Every car, truck, and trailer tire gets its pressure checked every month. Oil checked at the same times. I don’t forget because it is all posted on a big white board. I keep a replacement well pressure switch and control box on hand. Heck, even a spare garbage disposer. Just basic damage control practices. And yeah, I served in the Navy too.

[trubandloki]

I guess I can put it this way. If we are going to insist everyone do everything the exact only right way, then everyone would be exercising every valve in their whole house once per month to keep them functioning properly.
No one does that either.
Oh, and don’t forget the maintenance on your domestic water heater.

My question about turning off the water to all those other fixtures was sincere. If you (general) are that worried about the water supplies to your washing machine, I assume you are also that worried about the hose/tubing supplies to all those other fixtures too.

[LCDR]

See the updated post above yours. It is just what floats my boat.

[trubandloki]

@LCDR

See the updated post above yours. It is just what floats my boat.

You edited while I was asking I guess.

If I go out of town I can not turn off my water. I have pets, including horses.

[trubandloki]

@LCDR

Heck, even a spare garbage disposer.

In my world no one would have even one of these, let alone a spare.
So bad for the waste water treatment system.