Twenty-two months ago my wife and I replace our still-working 14 year old Maytag washer with the second most expensive set of LG washer & dryer. We spent $2200, got a two-year service extension, and about three months ago donated the Maytag (again, still working).
Then last Saturday (4/11) we tried to use the LG and five minutes into a cycle it stopped, sounded an audible alarm, and flashed tE as an error code. It was late in the day and by the time I got through the home Cheapo chit, etc., and actually got to speaking to someone to setup someone to come out it was scheduled for Monday (4/13).
The person showed up late, opened his LG-provided pamphlet to the error code section and tE equated to thermistor failure. “I’ll order the part and we should have it in 3-5 business days.” What!?! I am told by this service technician that a) LG doesn’t allow distributors to handle their parts and ships them directly to service companies, b) they stopped stocking LG parts because LG “changes the parts numbers yearly even if the part is identical from one year to the next”, and c) it takes that long for LG to send the part.
The dire situation was that we were already a week behind on laundry because of being busy the past month. Now (4/19) we have three weeks worth of laundry sitting there. I found one coin laundry near me, ‘n-1’ occupants were of the Latin variety (owner was Asian), and the wife and I got real strange looks last weekend when we had to resolve the interrupted load of laundry that led to the appliance failure.
I tried to run a cold wash and thus thinking the thermistor sensor would not be engaged, but no deal. Even a pure cold wash is not allowed with this failing component. Tomorrow the service tech is supposed to come back out to make the repair, but what good is it if it takes a week to resolve a simple sensor repair?
Now, I do not know if what I was told is true. All I know is that it would made little difference, I think, regardless of where i bought the product. Next time it will not be LG, but then that leads into a question of to which manufacture for a nice washer? I asked the service tech and he actually recommended LG. “They fail, but not as much as others.”
Replies
Three kids, two dogs, three cats...............I buy a new washer maybe every fourth year. I buy the $400 and I'm happy to sell it for $15 scrap when I'm done.
As for LG? Same thing with Dyson. When the belt on our $7,000,000,403 dyson vacuum broke, I thought "No big deal....I'll go buy one".
But no one had one. And when I called the place listed as the service center I was told it would take them just as long to get the part............5-7 business days.
Noone carried parts because the part numbers changed and they were constantly updating the parts.
Are you positive the belt was broken? I found one in our neighbors trash and took it home. I diagnosed a broken belt and went straight to the web for parts and repair techniques. In the meantime my DW called Dyson who gave her the quick fix. By the time I got back to the house she had the vac running like top. The belt wasn't broken, just loose and is tightened by laying it on its' side and turning the Carpet/Floor knob back and forth 5 times. I've "fixed" several others using the same technique since then. The neighbor who threw his away was positive the belt was broken.
Yeah...........I was holding what used to be a belt but was then just a very expensive straight piece of rubber with two jagged edges.
I was amazed that Dyson belts are not replaceable. Not a good design in my opinion. Now that we've had a Dyson for years I'm not so impressed. I don't think it does any better job than most of the vacs that sell for 3 or 4 times less. My wife still loves it but I wouldn't buy another one.
"Three kids, two dogs, three cats...............I buy a new washer maybe every fourth year"
;)I think you'd get longer use out of them if you didn't wash the cats so often.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Yeah,
But I hate smelly cats
What kind of softener sheets do you use on them in the dryer?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
No softener sheets,
I like my cats rough and staticy
Sorry about the misfortune.
This is the reason we buy from real appliance stores. And keep our service manual that came with the beast. And learn where the closest applicance service store is. (Serially, these guys are worth their weight (considerable) in gold.)
You see the quality of service people the Orange Borg sends out. By implication, this means the repair is well within your level of compentence. Your service manual probably has the same codes his book did. By removing the cover panel, you could quickly eliminate a disconnected wire from the equation.
I have a not too dis-similar machine as yours. Stupidly, once I needed to wash some cheep throw rugs, and threw them in along with a good helping of bleech. Without reading the label on the rugs saying, "DO NOT use bleech."
Well, it appears the bleech dissolves, or at least decomposes, the rubber backing on these Kmart rugs. Plugged up the pump and the whole discharge line. And the DW on my back to get it fixed quick cause she's outta pantyhose.
Turns out, they have these things so well designed, that they have figgered out which stupid thing the HO will do next. My machine's pump was accessible by removing the front lower access panel (lifting up and tilting, no screws), and unscrewing a cleanout to the pump's guts. Then, a quick by-hand scooping out, and five minutes later, she had her pantyhose going. Brilliant design work, I thought.
The Orange Borg doesn't have any repair staff. The manufacturer's have service contracts with local repair centers. so, the guy who came to repair the washer was very likely the same guy who would have come if he had called LG for service.
"Your service manual probably has the same codes his book did. " The LG manual said for the code to "Unplug the unit and call for service." I guess this is Korea's assumption that if I am stupid enough to hand over $1200 for a clothes washer, then I am probably too stupid to understand Thermistor Error.
Must have the Whirpool Duet front loader. I did the same thing. Nice design on that washer.
I am currently having a problem with the electric dryer though. Burnt 4 internal fuses. The tech is coming back this week with what he thinks is the correct part, probably a high temperature thermostat.
Rich
"This is the reason we buy from real appliance stores. And keep our service manual that came with the beast. And learn where the closest applicance service store is. (Serially, these guys are worth their weight (considerable) in gold.)"Absolutely, then add the variable of trying to get one to travel to an island!So I have a good relationship with one of the local stores. They ONLY service what they sell. I recommend that my customers buy from them. When they don't they are on their own.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
sucks.
I think I recall someone else here having LG issues.
I have an almost ten year old Fridgidaire dryer over washer (one piece). Had a couple of small issues with it. No big deal, parts available online.
Yesterday while on a salescall. the ho lady had a Subzero tech come out to look at a problem with the fridge. I wasn't really paying attention, but he seemed very nice and knowledgable.
As I went to leave, parked in the driveway is a 16 ft walk in trailer stocked with parts and equipment. I'm guess they could have fixed just about anything. This guy was with a wolf/subzero service co. Nice to see someone with their act together.
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
Salescall.............back to work?
Anyway,
Subzero, kinda like my dad's new S-Class M-B. When it's time for an oil change? They come get his car and drop of a loaner, then deliver his car back to him where ever he is............................
Of course, people who can afford to pay that much for a car.......or appliance? Expect the level of timely, competent service the rest of us can only dream of.
Salescall.............back to work?
Hope so.........I did some work for these folks back in Jan. Got the job through a lumber yard that gave my name to a gentleman that tends to peoples properties mostly while they are away. I did the work and got paid while they were in another country. Met them for the first time yesterday.
Went there yesterday to look at a moderate bath remodel. They're a step away from giving me the key and a temp pass code so I "think" I got the job.
And something else cooking on a back burner. At least it's on the back burner now as it has not been a burning priority for the owners to get going.........and the bathroom has a deadline of 04 July.
Mostly just need to get insurance and I'm good to go.
"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking." — Sherlock Holmes, 1896
The more high tech you go the more expensive the repair. Most people never use the fancy features... warm /cold wash, water level high.
My brother bought a top of the line front loader, door gasket replacement cost more then my new washer.
Buy cheap, repair parts are usually genaric and if something major goes, replace with another cheapo.
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. LG is the machine the DW and I have been lusting after but haven't been able to justify the cost yet.
Consumer Reports ranks them pretty high and my parents machines of almost three years has been working really well (They had Maytag Neptune previously what a piece of junk).
The motor on our 8 year old Frigidaire front loader went out a couple of months ago and I was about ready to spring for a new machine but then reality set in and a $150.00 replacement motor sounded alot better than shelling out $1200.00.
your problem is exactly why my wife refuses to let go of our 14 YO Maytags
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. . . . . . . .
Check out:
http://applianceguru.com/
And just do the repair yourself. Very helpful folks, links to the parts shipped next day.
A month ago the defrost sensor in my LG fridge went. Diagnosed and part recommended in the Appliance Samuri forum, fridge fixed.
I've used them a coupla times ... I is now an appliance repair guy!
currently have a whole drum sitting downstairs on top of the dryer.
the last 2 fixes have it running so long now the enamel paint is wearing off the back of the drum and leaving little burn marks.
gotta tear the whole thing apart once more.
first was a timer ... then a gas switch ...
after the second repair it seemed to dry even better than brand new.
The drum cost about $120 ... with everything else working as good or better than new ... doesn't make sense to not fix it.
I don't think the other parts added up to $80 total ...
$200 for a dryer that we bought about 10 years ago ... not bad at all.
Hell, I'd pay $200 just so I didn't have to drag this one out of the basement and drag a new one back down!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
bought a LG over the range microwave from homo despot a few years back.about a month before the warranty was up it quit working. called LG service and a few days later a local tech showed up, looked it over and said i'll order the parts and came back in a week and replaced some gizmo. still no workee, ok i'll order some more parts. comes back in another week and same thing. he says he will have to take it back to the shop and work on it there. two weeks later he brings it back in working condition. i know it's only a microwave but when it's gone for a month you kinda miss it.it's worked great ever since but if it was a washing machine i would have gone nuts.
Well, replacing the thermistor did the trick. Still crazy it took so long. I learned the extended service contract sold by Home Cheapo is actually a General Electric contract. He said i can expect them to send me a letter asking for renewal when the original extended contract runs out.
I guess like everything else its a gambling game. For every ten that buy these contracts less than did wind up using them. Last two days we've done at least eight loads of laundry. We now feel like we belong to a modern civilization and not some second-third world affair.
BTW, i did call Best Buy about five minutes before this service tech showed up. I was making contingency plans. It was nice that they said for in-stock appliances they could have it out to me the next day is I made the purchase by 7PM. I almost made that purchase.
So, when did they get it fixed?
Edited 4/23/2009 6:46 am ET by Matt
On the tenth day of failure (this past Monday). I think we've collectively done 15 loads of laundry. And ...
There is nothing to fear but fear of losing your means of cleaning clothes. Oh dear, back to the stone ages (literally).
The thing shoudn't have failed in les that 2 years.
Other than that, the guy came out on the next business day and was back in a week with the part. That part sounds like what is to be expected to me.
LG is the new name for the Korean firm Goldstar. Does that make any difference in your concern?
No more than Chevy and Cadillac being siblings. :)
I did the new washer search about a year ago. Had two GE Piece O Shet washers, NEVER again . They both lasted about 1 1/2 years!
Looked at all the fancy front loaders, way too much electronics and vibration, went withs a Speed Queen top load, HD 5 year warrenty, awesome machine!
Maybe the other problem with LG is that it's usually sold by the big boxes who outsource their appliance sales. Service is your challenge. I prefer local stores who back their products.
Not usually a big fan of Sears, but... Have a top-load Oasis couple of years old. Got a letter a few weeks ago - there may be a problem with your model, please call us. Yep, ours is from the suspect series. Something about a glitch in some of the controllers that could possibly cause a problem on one of the cycles. Part shows up a week later & the service tech shows up right on schedule, after calling to confirm. 10 minutes in & out. No that impressed me!