**Washing Machine Warning!!**

[Cudedog]

I have always been one of those "Nervous Nellies" that have always been careful to make sure all my appliances are turned off when I am not at home - even when I might just go for a short walk. LOL. When I plan to be away for an hour or more, I even tend to unplug my electronics - things like my computer, printer, TV, blu-ray player, etc.

Lately I have been chastising myself for worrying so much, and have been consciously trying to get my "worry coefficient" more under control.

A time or two, of late, I have even been so brazen to leave my washing machine running while Big Joe and I would go for a walk!

Dang. Never again.

Last evening, after doing laundry all day, I had just thrown in the final load of the day. Clean bedding is always a treat after one has spent the day on sweaty chores, so I set the machine on "bedding" threw the bedding into the machine, and then went into the kitchen to fix Joe and I some dinner.

Suddenly there was an extremely loud **BANG!!!*** from my laundry room (it really sounded like an explosion!), immediately followed by continued LOUD thrashings, crashings, and further bangs.

I rushed into the laundry room (a few steps away - my laundry room adjoins my kitchen) to find my washing machine (still thrashing!) had "walked" away from the wall, out to the middle of the room. I pushed the "emergency off" button - which had no effect for almost a minute or so, as the machine continued to jump and gyrate across the floor. I wondered if I would need to dash outside to flip the electrical breakers, because the wall plug was behind this thrashing monster.

Just as I was turning to rush outside, the machine finally stopped.

Once the machine had stopped, I inspected everything. Within seconds, the machine had "walked" itself almost to the opposite wall, one side of the washing machine, near the top, was bulged outward (no idea what could have caused this), and the machine seemed to be leaking water from somewhere underneath the machine (too heavy for me to tilt it back to check).

My dryer (usually beside the washer) had been pushed by the jumping and gyrating washing machine about three feet out from the wall, now blocking the door that leads out to my back porch.

Also, the plastic laundry tub beside the washer may also be damaged (it is loose from the wall, when before it was tight) and I will need to inspect the plumbing of it. I also suspect that the electronics of the machine itself might have been damaged, due to the fact it was so difficult to get it shut off, and due to the fact that in jumped and thrashed so much. The plastic laundry tub itself might be damaged (the legs on the washing machine side were both bent in under the laundry tub), the whole tub might also be in need of replacement. I was just too tired last night to look at it closely.

I ended up unplugging the machine and turning the water to it off, then taking my bedding to the local laundromat so that I could have clean bedding to sleep on last night.

Like I said, I got the machine stopped probably in less than a minute (seemed like much longer!). Had I been gone from the house - even for a few minutes (maybe just talking to the neighbor over the back fence, for example) - the damage might have been catastrophic - I might have had water all over my house (soaking my carpets and hardwood floors), plumbing maybe pulled out of the wall, maybe the water electrified, because the plug to my washer is very near the floor. Maybe even a hole pounded into the sheetrock of my narrow laundry room.

What scared me the worst, though, is that if my Joe, or a person (especially a small child) had been standing anywhere near this machine when it erupted, severe injury - or worse - might have been the result.

Even a day later, as I write this, I am shaken and astonished that this could have happened. I am an old bag, I have used washing machines all of my life, and have never had anything remotely like this happen before. Never heard of it happening, or even thought it possible that something like this might be able to happen.

Scared the living crap out of me, I am here to tell you!!

The (expensive) machine is only about four years old (so, of course, out of warranty). I will not have it repaired. Why? First of all, it is about a $100 "service call" just to have someone to look at it, with parts, and labor on top of that - with a further "service call" to install those parts when it is determined what parts it needs.

Also, the last time I had a washer repaired, the final cost of repairs was more than half the cost of a what a new machine might be. And a few months later, this same machine broke again. No thanks!!

At the moment, I am considering a front-loading machine (getting my credit card warmed up for this one!) instead of a front-loader. Why? Because I have noticed when using the front-loaders at the laundromat that my clothes get cleaner (my whites whiter!) in a front loader than in a top loader.

Also a front loader only seems to last four years or so before it needs replacement (they don't build them like they used to!).

Does anyone have any thoughts on front loader vs. top loader? I would appreciate your comments.

Thanks!

Anne

[Acadianmom]

I have had front loading washing machines since 2006. The first one was a Maytag and that was a piece of crap. The door was too heavy for the hinges and I had to pay to have the door replaced twice. I couldn't just replace the hinges. The reason I got front loading washer and dryer was because my utility room is small and I put the dryer on the washer so I could put a cat litter box in the utility room. I like my front loading washing machine. I never leave the house if the dryer is running. I should not leave if the washer is running too. If it went crazy it would tear up the utility room.

My aunt and uncle had a gas water heater. Something happened to it when they were on vacation. The only reason the whole house didn't burn down was because it was in a small closet and ran out of oxygen and put the fire out. When we go off on month long trips it would probably be a good idea to turn things like that off and the water too.

Martha

[Cudedog]

My aunt and uncle had a gas water heater. Something happened to it when they were on vacation. The only reason the whole house didn't burn down was because it was in a small closet and ran out of oxygen and put the fire out. When we go off on month long trips it would probably be a good idea to turn things like that off and the water too.

Martha

OMG, Martha! Thanks for posting!

I didn't think of this!! My hot-water tank is also in my laundry room - my washer ended up about 1 1/2 feet from my gas hot water tank!!!

Had I not been standing there in my kitchen when this happened, my machine could easily have gyrated into my hot water tank!

Oh my . . . had this happened when I wasn't standing right there in my kitchen, the gas line might have been damaged . . . and my house might have had a gas explosion, or might even have burned down.

Definitley not going to have this machine repaired!!

THANKS AGAIN!!

Anne

[JudyJB]

I had a neighbor in our condo complex who warned everyone about turning water off when they went on vacation. Half of us had units on the second floor and had pans underneath our appliances in case they leaked. The problem is that often the drains would get stopped up by fuzz or stuff. Anyway, her water heater developed a leak while she was home and started to flood. Luckily she was home to turn the water off.

Also, EVERYONE should know the location of their electric, water, and gas shutoffs. The husband of another of my neighbors tried to tighten the water to his toilet and broke the valve off behind it. Had water gushing all over the place and into her downstairs neighbors unit. (Upper units were responsible for damage caused by water leaks to downstairs units.) Anyway, she was 7 months pregnant and panicked, so they called the fire department. Bad decision! The firemen tramped through the house on her white carpeting with their muddy boots because it was raining outside, trying to find the water shutoff. Then they called the homeowners association manager who called me because I was president. I went over to help and found a crying pregnant lady with muddy footprints through her place, and the kindly downstairs neighbor whose tiled bathroom was also now flooded. I knew the shutoff was in the finished and carpeted basement, and with a little effort found it and the husband reached up and turned water off!! Insurance paid for the damage, but it was not a fun night for anyone! Fireman had also been down in the basement, so that carpeting was ruined also. The 8" by 8" access panel was behind a drywalled heating supply thing, so you had to be standing directly behind it to see it, especially since it was painted the same as the walls.

And NEVER let anyone drywall over the shutoffs! Everyone in the family should know where these are, by the way.