appliance hell

mistysue

DIS Veteran
Joined
May 26, 2009
DH lost his job at the end of May. Last week our dryer quit. Now today we realize that the air conditioner also is not working. (we've had it off the last few days)

If you needed to find the best deals on a dryer and an air conditioner, where would you look? I have never bought an appliance, so please tell me basic things that seem like common sense. I am going to have my dad come look at them to see if it seems like either can be fixed, but they both are about 20 years old so dying beyond repair would not being a surprise.

We are planning a trip for next summer... I hope the rest of this house can hold out at least until we have a normal income again.
 
Start calling air conditioner installers asap. We just had out 25 yr old unit replaced and every installer we talked to...their incentives, rebates, and discounts ended on June 30th. Most said they are so busy during the summer hot season, they don't have to have incentives....people just want their air back asap.
 
We recently got a new washing machine from a used appliance store for $125, Maytag extra large capacity. I would go with something like that - at least until DH has a job again. ;)
 


Depending on what is wrong with the dryer you may be able to fix it. The drum on ours stopped tumbling and DH replaced it by watching a how to video on You Tube. Part cost $20 instead of $300 for a new dryer. He fixed the clutch motor on the washer about a month later again with instruction on You Tube. Part only $30. Good luck :)
 
I second PP definitely see if you can repair the dryer. DH has fixed ours a couple of times and for well under what it would cost us to get a new one. Also check to make sure that the problem is not a clogged vent or something similar. That was our problem this winter when it stopped working - Doh!
 
There's a handyman in our town who is very reasonably priced. If you find fixing the dryer is beyond your abilities, check and see if there's an appliance repair person in your area. They almost always charge a whole lot less for repairs than the people associated with the appliance store. In the mean time, a clothesline is cheap and easy, and luckily it's summer so you can probably make do for a while, even if you have clothes hanging inside on a rainy day!
 


Do you have any scratch and dent places near you?

I bought a new fridge with the freezer on the bottom for my daycare at a scratch and dent place and paid less then a regular (freezer on the top) Maytag in black at an appliance store. It was a Sears brand (Fridgedaire) but they removed all the branding-looks just the same but no brand name on it. I didn't see any scratches or dents, but it wouldn't matter much as all you can see of the fridge is the front as it's built in.

So wish I had a freezer on the bottom upstairs, but it costs too much $ for one in black.

I had the upstairs one go within weeks of buying the house and then the downstairs one went about a year later.
 
Cal every Lowes and Home Depot near you and ask if they have anything in "scratch and dent". I have always found my appliances this way. I got a chest freezer for 90% off because it has a 4 inch long dent on the side.

Also, consider purchasing 1 or 2 110 size window unit air conditioners. Get a "free estimate" on what it would take to repair yours and if its a lot then go with the window units. We're half way through the summer anyway.
 
Check Craigslist. Especially this time of year, when so many students are moving, there are tons of deals and freebies to be found. I ended up GIVING away my working washer dryer to a scrap metal collector today, just because I have to move and don't have the time to sell them.
 
HaVe you changed the filter on the a/c unit?
Good luck.
 
Try ebay, we found a used washer for $75 when our old one broke and we didn't want to pay full price for a new one. DH just had to go a few towns over and pick it up.

As for the A/C, our central system hasn't worked since we moved in six years ago, but other priorities has stopped us for replacing it. We just make do using two window A/Cs. One in my office (I work from home full time) and one in the bedroom for when we sleep at night. Box fans and ceiling fans work for the rest of the house. We hope to get a new HVAC system installed next year.
 
Do you have any scratch and dent places near you?

I second this. I have a Sears Scratch and Dent place nearby and that's where I bought my washer, dryer and built in oven. They may even end up having a special sale this weekend for the 4th of July.
 
Do you have any incandescent (traditional) lights? If you notice these getting dim or excessively bright then you have a problem in your wiring that can cause damage to appliances and electronics.
 
You can also try www.freecycle.org... even if nobody is listing appliances to give away at the moment, you can always put out a request. The worst that will happen is nobody will have one to give.
 
my husband also just recently fixed our washer by watching a youtube video... there is a guy on there that walks you thru fixing almost any appliance... saved us lots of money.....
 
I'm glad I posted here, I had no idea there were used or damaged appliance stores!
Apparently DH had a stupid moment because he changed the furnace filter and the case had a little corner that wasn't pushed in right. We tapped it and the A/C kicked back in. :cool1: I didn't catch it before because I was looking for something to be wrong with the A/C unit and didn't know he had been into the furnace!

Then even though it hasn't worked right for weeks, I tried the dryer again and I dried the clothes and only had to run once. Yay! I have no idea what was going on, but that was awesome. Having 5 people and no dryer is not so fun.

Now I will just keep my eyes open for a good deal and try to have one when it does die, because that thing is on it's way out.
 
Hooray for your AC working! Our dryer died last summer and we also have a family of 5 so I feel your pain! We used drying racks outside and had clothes hanging in our basement and bathroom for about 6 weeks. It wasn't fun but it worked. I went to the laundromat for towels and sheets once and it was enough of an incentive for us to look for a new dryer. DH's stepdad ended up getting us a refurbed one for $65 at an appliance store. Its still chugging along.

Our fridge ended up dying on us last fall and we lost everything in it. We went and looked at new ones and had complete sticker shock over how expensive they are. And we found they don't make almond color anymore so we'd have mismatched kitchen appliances. So instead of getting a new fridge, we decided to drag the old fridge from the basement up and wait until that one died out. The thing is an energy hog but its ice ice cold and it works. Sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do to get by!
 
Yay its working!! :banana::banana:

If you do need a replacement tho, Please dont discount Freecycle and craigslist. When I moved out on my own from my ex, I was able to get a ton of great deals.

I got a FREE washer/dryer set on freecycle, it was older, but worked great
I got a HUGE microwave on craigslist for $20

:)
 
I got my stove at Best Buy. It had a dent in the side. Got it for $249. I'm not fussy; it works and is new, that's what mattered to me!
 

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