Skip to main content

Appliances Suck

You may be wondering how my kitchen appliance dilemma was resolved, or maybe not. Maybe you have more pressing things to think about other than whether or not I have a functioning stove. Well, I'll tell you about the repair process.

We bought all of our appliances at Sears years ago, so when they all began to malfunction, I called Sears repair service for one huge repair visit. Of course, because we have different types of appliances needing help, Sears sent two different repairmen, which meant two different fees for the visit. You know, they charge you for coming to your house even if they don't fix anything.

The first guy was here to fix the ice maker in the freezer. It works, actually, but the bin that collects the ice has been broken for a while. So, he ordered a replacement bin, which will be here later this week.

About an hour later, the other repairman came. He listened to my imitation of the sound my washing machine makes and immediately declared it to be the bearings, unfixable in this model, of course. He put the machine on the spin cycle to confirm it, so now we have to buy a new washing machine.

He easily repaired the hinge on the dishwasher, which breaks on a regular basis because it's crap. Sears repairmen know this, so they leave extra parts when they repair it so later on the next guy won't charge me for the piece of string attached to a piece of plastic. Then he took a look at the oven. The broiler heating element was completely fried, so he rigged the wiring to disconnect it but to let power flow to the lower oven and the burners, so we're cooking again. By Friday, the top oven should be fixed, and life will be back to normal. And the cost of that normal was about $550 plus the cost of a new washing machine.

As irritated as I am with planned obsolescence and how everything seems to break all at once, at least I've got machines to help with the work. And these people who repair appliances for Sears are the nicest people. The guy who worked on the oven even helped sweep the floor, and when I was washing off the side of the oven while it was pulled out into the middle of the room, he tried to warn me not to slice my finger on the exposed stain steel trim. Unfortunately he wasn't quick enough with his warning, and I cut myself anyway.

Oh well, at least I've got appliances to repair, and at least I'm not stuck out in the cold washing and cooking my fingers to the bone.

Comments

Shan said…
I agreed with your statement before even reading your post! They definitely don't make 'em like they used to and why do they have to die in threes like celebrities? If anyone needs a working kitchen it is YOU the chef extraordinaire!

I killed my mixer this weekend in a peanut butter bon bon frenzy but it was a cheap one that I replaced with another cheap one so that was no biggie. My dryer, however, has been making the most horrible noise for months now and hubby doesn't hear it as much as me so it's been slower to be tended to by him.

We had to replace our old old stove when redoing our kitchen and that has been grand but the new dishwasher needs to start with clean dishes to end with them. ;) Don't get me started on microwaves...

My poor van is the next on the list now. It has something expensive wrong with it so I am driving it warily until we can decide to replace it or fix it.

Bother. It is expensive to keep up all this modern day business but I am glad we have them all the same.
2:59 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Classic Green Bean Bake

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I feel I must post a recipe with plenty of good old American tradition. The classic Green Bean Bake was invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly, a home economist who worked for the Campbell's Soup Company. A study was done determining that 50% of all Americans have eaten the classic Green Bean Bake, and 38% of those believe it is best served during the holidays, mainly Thanksgiving. So, for the other 50% and for those in other countries where this dish may be unfamiliar--my treat: The Classic Green Bean Bake serves 6 to 8 1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon soy sauce Dash of fresh pepper 1 20-oz. bag frozen cut green beans, thawed* 1 2.8 oz can French-fried onions -Preheat the oven to 350 F -In a casserole dish, combine the soup, milk, soy sauce and pepper. Stir in the green beans and half of the onions. -Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Top with the remaining onions and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve hot. *Or cook 1 ...
7 comments
Read more

Bring On the Bombs

In today's edition : I generally try to keep on top of cultural trends even if I don’t adopt them, but there is a growing movement that I have only just discovered. Not long ago, I was walking along in Berkeley, California while visiting my daughter, and I saw a signpost that had been covered with yarn, like someone had sewn a knitted scarf to it. It was colorful and randomly striped, and I pointed it out as if it were the most unusual thing in the world. That’s when my daughter explained the nature of what is known as yarn bombing. It’s when knitters attach something they’ve created to a public object, most often doing their deed stealthily and anonymously. They leave a “bomb,” so to speak, for no other purpose than to brighten up the place and to bring a little cheer to those passing by. Their work has been equated with graffiti, except that the woven yarn is not permanently installed and does no damage to the object it covers. And instead of signifying the territory of a street ...
2 comments
Read more

Cindy Loo Who In October

What is it with people and Cindy Loo Who? Of my last one hundred blog hits, forty have been direct visits from regular readers, and fifteen have been as a result of people searching for "Cindy Loo Who," the little pixie from Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas . A couple of years ago, I posted an image of the original Seuss illustration as compared to the TV cartoon image, and for some reason, that post is bringing in the crowds, relatively. Maybe it's the weather. It isn't even November yet, and already we've had frost and have had to dust off our winter coats. When it gets cold like this, I start to think about Christmasy things like listening to Nat King Cole and decorating the tree. It's ironic because I am offended when retailers start pushing holiday stuff early, but I don't mind my own private celebrations. When my sister and I were much younger and still living with our parents, we would pick a day in July, close the curtains to darken the ...
8 comments
Read more