Washer/Dryer Warning

My Frigidaire stove quit a month ago. It's five years old. Found out yesterday it will cost $250 to replace the control panel. I can buy a new stove for $150 more.

I flat out HATE Frigidaire and will NEVER buy one of their products again.

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I'm running so far behind I thought I was first!

http://hickahala.blogspot.com/

I hate washers and dryers. IMHO they are not ment to last much longer than warrenty. That is the plan they die after a year to 18mos out of warrenty and the company won't fix it if it dies. 1 month or so after the warrenty is out they feel like they should fix it. They should.

In my 11 years of being married we have gone through 3 sets of washers and dryers. Thats sad. We had a neptune and it was junk the company knew there was a defect in the seal ( it would mold and stay nasty no matter what I did) and they wouldn't fix the problem.

I now regret giving my Mom a hard time about her older stuff. It might have been funny colors but they were ment to last.

Now I am scared about or ovens and other appliances. We get a lot of power failures ( we have a whole house surge protector) and I ahve no doubt it will speed up the death of machines. I hate rebuying things that really should be long term investments.

Why is it so expensive to fix anything? How can repairmen stay in business. Do they make their money on warrenty work only?

Sorry your stuff blew up but good job for the company fixing it. There really should be a warning of the product if it must be kept in AC/heat ranges.

I always buy washers and driers without the electronics. They may not be as fancy, but they are cheaper and more reliable.

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George
www.search4paws.com - Free Classifieds for Pets and Livestock

I agree that the fancier the item, the more to go wrong- in everything from cars to clocks.
But I do love my drier feature that senses the dryness of the load and turns itself off when done. No more run in, check clothes, try to guess how many more minutes, then repeat.

The circuit boards were probably junk anyway. They just did not tell you.

Unless one lives in an oven, a 30 degree or so rise in (73-103 deg.) temperature, should not be enough to damage properly designed circuit boards.

But many of Fridgedair/Electrolux products are built in Mexico, so it's possible that the engineering and quality control, have cut corners also.

Most large appliances seem to have a less than 5 year life span anyway. Maytag is now one of the worst.

We recently bought a used set from a guy who reconditions them and gives a 2 year warranty. DW had gotten the decision down to two washers. He said take this one, it has one less knob and one less dial. We did.

IC Circuit boards should be able to operate normally, up to 150 degrees farenheit, with no problems.

Regardless, if the board is running too hot, there should be an overtemp component, that will shut the appliance down until it cools back to operating temperature.

The idea of modern appliances requiring air conditioning, to normally operate, only reflects the manufacturer's indifference, in properly engineering their products, no matter how complex.

They really just want a quick buck. They want us to buy another appliance after 3 1/2 years. They know we won't have much choice, since they are all junk.

I worked for a quality manufacturer of electronic components both here and abroad. Part of the testing of the components consisted of a burn-in test. IMO, there is no justification of requiring an appliance in an air conditioned environment. These repair persons were just setting you up for a ripoff. The difference in an air conditioned area and the ambient temperature is insufficient to create a problem in an appliance. We are talking 30 degrees F. All equipment should be properly ventilate whether it is electro- mechanical or electronic. I do my own burn-in test on some items such as TVs and computers because it they are going to fail I want them to fail early on where I can get a no argument replacement. I turn such equipment on and leave it on 24/7 for at least a month. This is referred to a infant mortality and if it fails then I can get a replacement promptly. I do not want a repair. After the first few months of use I have found that if the appliances are OK they will typically remain fine for years of service. I only buy brand names and I do some research prior to purchase. Reading a long list of reviews may be boring but it can be can be rewarding. Never return a device with an intermittent problem, it will be returned in the same condition as it was sent.

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Agmantoo
If they can do it,
you know you can!

A couple of comments here. Bear with me, they come together.

Compact florescent lights have a short life when operated in an inverted position. Why? Because the heat builds up in the electronic ballast and fries a particular capacitor. The ratings on a lot of capacitors in particular do not allow for high heat environments.

Want another reason to hate mindless eco-nuts, other than the ones who blow up power lines and cell phone towers? The recent mandate is that solder be lead-free so that it doesn't harm the environment if not properly recycled. So what is the problem? A little issue called dendrites. Lead free solder automatically limits the life of many circuit boards. The dendrites form and short out components and the boards fail.

Power line fluctuations and surges are currently unrecognized problems. Invest in a "whole house surge protector." It isn't just computers that need surge protectors now. Any appliance with a circuit board needs surge protection. Pay for one and you have cheap insurance.

Un-air-conditioned spaces. Some laundry areas can be ungodly hot in the summer. Add the heat of hot water and a drier to a room already at over 100 degrees and yeah, electronics can start failing. Washers are not made with mil spec. components. If you can't air condition, buy a $15 box fan.

Overall, with all of the above, it is little wonder that appliances fail early. A bit of it is manufacturer's fault, but a lot of the fault lies on your side of your doorstep. Get a fan. Get a whole house surge protector. Write to complain about the ban on lead in solder.

Yikes!

Blaming the consumer for spending good money, on supposedly quality products, but not being proactive enough, to compensate for the poor engineering and shoddy workmanship, of the product.

Sound about right in the new economy.

Nearly every electronic appliance could easily have inexpensive surge supression built-in - if they wanted to spend the extra buck.

Did anybody test CF bulbs in the inverted position, to see if they fail? Probably, but they are still going to put the cheapest components, that were that may not even be tested.

A $2 cooling fan should keep any circuit board from overheating - but only if they add one.

We are paying good money for appliances that are engineered and mfg only for quick profits - not to give the consumer lasting value.

It is their fault - not ours.

I've seen people use screwdrivers as chisels, and then complain when they break. I've seen people run engines without changing oil and wonder why they stop. Is that because of "quick profits"?

Inexpensive surge protection is adding MOVs. When MOVs blow, the system stops working. That means an expensive service call. GOOD surge and overvoltage protection costs money. It makes no sense to duplicate that expensive protection on a washer, drier, dishwasher, stove, electric teakettle, tv, radio, stereo, computer, CLF lightbulb, printer, scanner, etc., when ONE device will do an excellent job of protecting everything in the home.

If appliances were made with mil spec components, they would be out of reach in cost for many people. Is there junk out there that is overpriced? Absolutely. Do I agree with you that such stuff is an outrage? Absolutely. That doesn't mean that I'm not going to try to get ahead of the game by doing serious investigation into any expensive appliance before I buy, and try to cut the possible causes of failure to a minimum.

I pay to have the gas filter on my van changed. I don't worry about the dirt in the gas ruining my engine. How is electricity that much different?

They don't need to be built to MIL specs, they just need to be built properly.

A modern automobile has dozens of IC circuits, most of which run in very severe operating temperatures and other conditions. They almost never fail, even after 10-15 years. They did fail in the early years, until they started building them right.

Paying $900 for a washer with a 4 year life is unacceptable, IMO.

Changing a fuel filter is required maintenance and is referenced in the owner's manual. If air conditioners, whole-house surge supressors, or floor fans, are required for proper operation and reasonable life, for large appliances, then it should be determined and stated up front.

Get a Speed Queen set. Top load washer and dryer, built to last.


Yeah, remember those defective "3 element" CFL's. I had one and it failed, they don't make them anymore.

So I have to use a traditional 3 way bulb if I want different light settings, soon to be obsoleted.

"A modern automobile has dozens of IC circuits, most of which run in very severe operating temperatures and other conditions. They almost never fail, even after 10-15 years. They did fail in the early years, until they started building them right."

Maybe we are only at that stage. I had a Honda Accord that looked great but was a pile of junk. More than once, the circuit boards overheated (one was mounted to the engine block, of all places) and stalled me out in traffic, nearly causing accidents. I hear what you are saying that some things are unacceptable.

I have ventilation for room and use a box fan to expell air...As another poster said,a simple 4" fan next to control board would probably have stopped any problems...

You are using logic promoted by a salesman? All electronics are at an ideal temperature when the room is 100 degrees F. That salesman is playing on your feelings; praying on numbers you did not learn. You don't need a fan. What you need is to put what he said where it really belongs.

How do we find defective electronics long before they completely fail. We operate at temperatures above 100 degrees F. If it fails at that high temperature, it will probably completely fail at all temperatures a week or many months later. Trivial heat (room at 40 degrees C) is a diagnostic tool.

When are electronics too hot? If uncomfortable to touch, then it is at an ideal temperature. If you touch it and leave skin, only then is it too hot.

If anyone makes a declaration (ie heat caused the damage), then he better ---- well say why - with numbers. Did the salesman pull out a manufacturer spec sheet that shows his 'too hot' temperature? If not, he is lying. Lying most likely because he never bothered to learn any numbers and knew you would buy it - hook, line, and sinker.

Apparently you accepted the salesmen's claim equal to all others because you have no benchmark for credibility. No numbers suggests he went from salesmen to retard street bum. I don't see anyplace where you properly rated his credibility. No numbers? Then everything he said was hearsay - just as valid as if an 8 year old told you the same thing. Literally, that attitude is necessary to start finding a correct answer.

Now, what does the manufacture specs list as an operational temperature range?

Hi. Welcome to the board. I don't believe we saw your credibility posted anywhere?

Welcome Westom.