Saturday, October 13, 2007

From Speed Queen to Kenmore in 20 years flat

I knew the day would come, eventually. I mean you can only rewire and cajole and coax a dryer so many years, before the heating element breaks down.

And we've had it for 20 years, and it was an old thing even then, so i don't suppose I should begrudge the element for giving way.

But I have rebuilt that thing a couple of times in these 20 years. I've replaced the motor, and multiple burned out wires, lights, fuses and wire clips. I know the in's and out's of it, and I always knew that if the heating elements ever let go, it may mean a new machine.

Well it died a week ago, to the day.

It doesn't look like replacement elements are even available any longer. So I went looking at a used machine to replace the old one. They seem to run from $150 to $250, for an old, sometimes 20 year old machine itself. So we looked around for new.

Wow. $1300 seemed the top end for a dryer, and $350 for a low end. Guess what we did.

But I don't know, those old beasts would run and run and run forever. I'm a little nervous about a new one. Light metal, easily popped together with plugs rather than screws, little wiring, and it took all of 35 minutes to build.

I think it's a Kenmore, so we'll see if we can get 20 years out of that one too.

1 comment:

  1. You know you're a housewife when.....

    you are envious of someone else getting a new dryer.

    you are drooling over a household appliance that only means that work needs to be done in the end.

    What a sad, sad state to be in.....

    :)

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