In the house, certain appliances get a huge amount of use week in and week out, and for most families, especially those with young or multiple children, the washing machine is one of them. As such, if your appliance suddenly goes bust, you can find yourself in a sticky situation – quite literally – when you have soiled children’s clothes and nappies to wash, not to mention your own gear, but no functioning laundry to clean it in.
It pays to swap out your washing machine for a new one before it conks out on you. You don’t want to do this too early though, as this could mean an unnecessary added expense for your household. How to tell when to go down the path of repairing your washing machine and when to outlay the funds on a new one? Here are some signs to look out for.
Noisy Machine
Some noises coming from a washing machine are common and normal, such as when it sounds like your unit could take flight when it’s spinning. This sound typically comes from an unbalanced product and is an easy fix – bring in a washing machine repair specialist, and they’ll probably be able to stop it from shaking and moving about quickly and easily.
However, strange sounds coming from a washing machine aren’t always something simple like this, so get a professional to check your washer. A big issue that can lead to excessive noise is if the motor mount or drum needs tightening. This problem may be able to be fixed by a service technician, but it could be so costly to repair that you’d be better off with a new machine.
Bad Odor Coming from Appliance
Sometimes another sign that you need to buy a new washer is when you notice a terrible smell consistently coming from your appliance. Machines can get a buildup of mold or mildew in them over time. While you might be able to remove this through cleaning (e.g., via natural ingredients like bicarb soda, vinegar, lemon, etc.), if you’ve left it too long, no matter what you do you may still find that the machine, and your items after being in it, smell.
Also, note that there have been some issues with some older machines in the past, where they didn’t adequately self-clean themselves. This failure led to them being much smellier than other appliances and meant that for most people, the only solution was a replacement.
Power Sucking
If you’ve noticed that your energy bills are much higher than you think they should be, your washing machine could be one of the culprits. Older and less efficient machines don’t regulate the amount of water they use in comparison to the number of clothes in the drum (i.e., the same amount of water is used no matter what), so they waste water and energy usage as a result.
There’s nothing you can do to make your current machine more efficient, so if you want to slash your power bills, buy something new. The newer models with high Energy Star certifications are said to use around 45 percent less water and 25 percent less energy in turn than other machines. These reductions can add up to significant savings per year on your utility payments.
Regular Leaks
If you’re continually having to clean up big messes in your laundry because of water leaks stemming from your washing machine, it could be time to get a new appliance. Many leaks occur as a result of loose connections on the water hose or elsewhere, a rusted pipe connection, a cracked tub, or damaged sealant.
Some of these things are repairable in the short term, such as through the replacement of hoses or tightening of pipes, but others, particular cracks in the tub, usually mean you have to buy yourself a new machine.
Old Units
If you have an old washing machine that’s eight years of age or more, you’ll probably need to go straight to buying a new product, rather than wasting money on more repairs. While the latest washers can last around 11 or 12 years, older units are typically starting to get worse for wear once they hit that eight-year mark.
If your machine is an aged one, you might notice that the drum isn’t filling up with water appropriately, the spin cycle isn’t working correctly, or that your clothing isn’t coming out clean. These are all signs to start researching new washers.
Use the above factors to help you decide if now is the time to invest in a new machine, or if you might be able to use your current appliance for a few more years yet.
