Washer wowes... or service people

[gottahaveahoove]

Well, I noticed my Maytag washer (1992) was leaking on the side. I pulled it out of it's little room, only to FIND THE HOSES (original) were bad. The hookup to the washer is at an angle, and had been frozen there. I tried EVERYTHING to loosen them, all to no avail.
I called, "Robert', my great appliance guy. out of business. I called the one before him. retired. I called a reputable repaid place about 9 miles from. I told him I needed new stainless steel hoses, etc. I got the runaround. We'll have to "order" those, we only have rubber. Then, "Our timetable will have to do, as we cannot drop everything for your schedule. It'll cost, $125.00".I am considered a handy person. So, I went to a hardware store and explained my problem. He was excellent. He sold me the stainless steel hoses, and told me how to "get those things loose". TWO day later, IT WORKED! It was NOT easy. I remember "Robert" telling me, after he saw this laundry set, "My gosh, they look like they just came out of the box. Do ANYTHING you can to keep them".
I can't wait to call the appliance repair shop to tell him I solved the problem. You don't realize how much you miss your washer, even if you live alone.

 

[countryguy]

Next time, go onto the sister automatic washer site and the guys there will be able to help

 

[luxkid1980]

I wonder why the original rubber hoses would not come off? Typically they are just threaded onto the hot/cold taps. Liquid wrench sometimes works for things like that. At least you tried to replace them yourself; most people don't seem to want to even try.

When we got our stackable laundry center (GE) last year, I threw the rubber hoses that came with it away and went to Lowe's and bought the braided steel ones, which are more expensive but last so much longer and do not degrade like the rubber ones can do over time. I hope my washer/dryer lasts a good long time.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Best to do things yourself...

Glad you got them off without damaging the valve body as they are often plastic. And yes, those older washers that use water are worth keeping as long as you can. I sure am keeping mine!

The main reason these threaded connections get stuck is mineral deposits left over many years. After so many years the rubber washers at the connections often deteriorate just enough to cause a tiny weep that seeps past into the threads and evaporates without notice. The minerals are left behind in the threads, fusing the two together. This is usually why valves freeze when never used. Not evaporation but just the deposits that get left there.

My family have used standard rubber hoses for 50+ years on three machines without issue. About 10 years ago we began shutting the valves off behind the washer after use just as a precaution. Doing this also keeps the valves working.
Do not let the cute metal braids fool you - underneath is a rubber or plastic hose and I have seen and heard of them deteriorating and breaking as well. The braid might prevent a long split from bursting open but they can break in many other ways where the braid does no good to prevent a big leak.
Personally I do not trust any plastic or rubber piece under water pressure as they do and will break anytime without warning due to deterioration. Chlorine in the water is a big cause of it.

 

[luxkid1980]

Sure, all hoses can fail, but I have heard of less bursting issues with the hoses that have the braided steel outer covering. Some of the steel covered hoses have a psi rating of over 1,000 whereas some of the standard rubber ones I've a 125 rating. Its worth the extra $10 - $15 for peace of mind.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

The rubber hoses were the

originals, from 1992! On the back of the washer, they're top and bottom, instead of side by side, and are VERY close together. It was SOOOO hard getting them loose. I'm considered to be quite handy around the house. It killed me to have to call a pro... an expensive and arrogant pro.
I was delighted to be able to finally get them loose and replaced.
On to the next project.This weekend, I'm taking a lot of oak woodwork outside to stain. I hope to install all of it in the house very soon.

 

[real1shep]

You're very......

lucky those old hoses hadn't burst...usually when you're not home and flooded everything. Probably the greatest cause of house floods are water supplies to appliances and fixtures. I've never seen the braided stainless let go and burst. You were just fighting all the yrs of corrosion around the threads. Most of the newer washers use plastic composite, male hose fittings. Lots of tools are offset to grab a hub that is right next to another...it's a plumber thing. Home Depot has them....gawd I hate that they bought Ridgid Tool Co.


 


Best rust penetrant hands down is Kroil...highest price too! I keep PB Blaster on the work truck but at home if I need to get serious, I break out the Kroil.


 


Kevin


 


 

 

[luxkid1980]

Hearing stories of a flooded house makes me want to replace all of the appliance hoses with stainless steel. The cold waster hose for the toilet is some type of white colored hose, not the braided steel. I am sure they make ones for toilets and dishwashers too.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

My dishwasher DOES have s.steel too

Although I ALWAYS turn the water off at the washer, it could have burst.... out onto the oak parquet floors in the kitchen.
I was lucky, indeed.

 

[real1shep]

<a name="start_35202.379340"></a>Hearing stories of a flooded house makes me want to replace all of the appliance hoses with stainless steel. The cold waster hose for the toilet is some type of white colored hose, not the braided steel. I am sure they make ones for toilets and dishwashers too.


 


In the trade, we only use the braided stainless hoses for all supplies. They are rubber cores, but the stainless braiding keeps them from exploding when old. In my lifetime I've seen MANY supply materials. When I started we used soft copper and chromed soft copper. Only problem there were the cone washers or the plumber not making the lengths quite long enough and the ends blowing off. My favorite before the stainless braided were the grey polypropylene supplies. They used a tapered Teflon washer at the supply connection. Foolproof never saw one explode...had the cone molded in on the fixture side.


 


BTW, I have seen a few leaking stainless braided lines, but not ruptured and flooding. 


 


One of the worst water disasters I ever saw was from a 1/4" ice maker line someone ran up in an attic. Folks went on a ten day Christmas vacation and the line froze and ruptured in the attic.....flooded the entire home. They opened the doorand water cascaded out with enough force to knock them all down.


 


Funny about dishwasher supplies....they were almost always soft copper with flare fittings, then went to soft copper with compression fittings.....finally to the stainless braided supplies. They didn't fool around with the plethroa of supply material like the other fixtures recieved. Probably because they are the most inaccessible.  


 


Kevin


 


 


 


 

 

[gottahaveahoove]

WELL........................................................

After happily resuming laundry, there was still water on the floor!!!!!
Upon looking in the phone book (YEP), I called a different repair service. The NEXT day, "Ed" came. He, too, remarked on the pristine condition of my laundry set. It was a worn out, cracked hard plastic part the the hoses hook into! He QUICKLY REPLACED IT. perfect, ONCE AGAIN, and a lot cheaper than a new Speed Queen. Turns out, "Robert", the excellent repairman who did everything for years is his BROTHER !!!!!!! "Robert" moved south, thus explaining the disconnected numbers. I'm thrilled to know I can call him for any repairs ever needed again. He mentioned, "These are about the last of the really good REAL Maytags". He caught a glimpse of a pristine Convertible 69 and said, "Wow, you take care of your stuff. I'll bet even the light still works". I told him, "Look around, they ALL still work in this house".
So brand new genuine Maytag parts AND stainless steel hoses, and we're good to go.
Thanks for all of your input.
John

 

[real1shep]

So glad it worked out for you, John! Funny story about Ed & Robert....lol.


 


I have a long association with older Maytags. I bought a house and later a farm that both had Maytags in place and I insisted they were thrown in with the deal. The farm set had real mecury switches in the lid and the dryer had an ultraviolet light that supposedly 'sanitized' the clothes. And up unitl the 90's Maytag prided themselves with keeping a full line of parts, all the way back to their rringer washers! 


 


I got the Maytags up and going although the farm set had washed so many coveralls over the decades that the metal buttons had just worn out the drums in both the washer and the dryer. Eventually with much hammering from my then wife, I had to let the set go. 


 


Then about 13yrs ago I bought a used Neptune front loader and matching dryer. Not a scratch on them until we had to wrestle them down the narrow stairs to the half-basement.  Then all kinds of trouble with the washer at first. Did my research, fixed the washer right the first time and it's still going after all these yrs. Plan on moving the set to my new house. Maytag is no longer supporting their older models...just the basic things that wear out or break.


 


Wer bought a new Maytag set in the early 90's for our second farm.....so I suspect they were exactly like yours. Had no trouble and she took them in the divorce.  She had them upstairs and the washer leaked down to the first floor causing some serious damage....don't remember the details, but it brought a smile to my face just hearing about it...lol.


 


The older Neptune sets are very well built but the washer had some serious design flaws, not the least of which is mold smell from the washer if you don't leave the door open after every use. Speed Queens are the only things made now of uncompromising integrity. LG's


 


Kevin


 


 

[this post was last edited: 10/12/2017-08:39]

 

[human]

Water horror story...

About 25 years ago, my sister and her first husband had a supply line burst on their washing machine right after they'd remodeled their kitchen. Guess where the laundry room was located? They had to re-do the kitchen all over again and then five months later, they had a fire in the basement area below. Water had leaked down from up stairs and damaged the paper composition insulation on the aluminum wiring going to the breaker box! Shortly after that claim was settled, they got a letter from their homeowners insurance company, canceling their coverage because they'd had two large claims in the same year, never mind the fact that the second claim was arguably a direct result of negligence on the part of the insurance inspector who had failed to spot the damaged wiring. Now here's the real kicker--their insurance agent was my sister's father-in-law!

 

[real1shep]

Double....

 horror....


 


My dad was an insurance icon and he had no real soul......I grew up listening to stories about how the company could compensate/recover from large losses. I was the last born, an accident, and so I never knew him before his success. I heard lots of stories though about a very different man than I knew.


 


Kevin

 

[gottahaveahoove]

First..............................

NEVER call yourself an "accident". You might have been a "surprise" or an "oops", but never an accident.
You might have been the best thing that happened to you father.... or your mother, or SOMEONE!!
I'm thrilled that these Maytags are still looking and running in perfect condition.
$121.00 beats the heck out of a $900.00 Speedqueen.

 

[real1shep]

Yes, it does! I fondly remember those early 90's Maytags from the farm. The only trouble we ever had was when the wife overloaded the washer. The pants would get stuck under the agitator. Never happned to me when I did the wash. I had an old GE washer down in the mechanical room that I rebuilt and refused to die. The kids would bring their clothes down there...knowing at least they would get done....lol.


 


Thanks for the kind words, John. My parents referred to me as 'the accident'...kinda hard to ditch the term even after all these yrs. It's OK though, I worked through all that sh*t.


 


Kevin

 

[gus]

John, you´re always like a scale, balancing and composing )trying to repair, mistakes that people )we= wrongly judgement of facts that hurts us or ourselves. The community ALWAYS needs subjects like you. We say in Spanish, Don´t never die )we value you highly. Sorry my English guys.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

THanks, Gus, and everyone else, too.

I try to be kind and nice to everyone. Some people ..it's easier than others. Although not perfect by any means, (I'm very aware of my own faults), I try. I was never called an accident, myself. However, I HAVE been called a LOT of things, by many, in here and elsewhere. I was told, by a few, that I was not terribly bright. Then, I became a teacher.I've taught everything from Kindergarten to college. I even taught blind students. Another story, another time. Some are very hurtful people. Some are not. In the end, it'll all come back to us. Just think: some" accidents" were the best things that ever happened.
"Dear KARMA: I've made a list of people you forgot".
Think about it.

 

[real1shep]

John, you are one of the few people I really relate to on this board. You always have nice things to say about others and for the most part; you're reaosnable and always balanced in your relies. I know I have a hard time in forums because I have Aspergers...I tell it like it is and call out BS when I see it. I should be more metered and amiable, but it's against the grain. Writing in forums has helped me greatly, but it's not going to 'cure' me....I have this until I die. 


 


Yeah, Karma is a beeeetch and athough I like to think bad people get theirs in the end, I know of too many that didn't in this life.


 


And I love the tales of your supernatural house! 


 


Kevin