need to vent over appliances grrrr!!!!

[smilingcat]

Sometimes I feel like I'm getting ahead and at other times I feel like everything is conspiring to keep me from saving money for my retirement.

I remember my parents had appliances that lasted and lasted... for years they would run... for decades it would run... Only reason they got rid of it was well styling got just too old.

The olive green color... the gold color... the traditional white...

I thought I took a good care of my appliances but my washer went Kaput about three weeks ago. I specifically bought it because it was more or less industrial grade without too many fancy functions. Amana washer. It started to leak after only 15 or so years. My mothers kenmore washer lasted nearly 25 years... I ended up buying Fisher&Paykel washer cause it was the only one we liked. Sure others had stainless steel drums but it had stains on the steel finish (hmmm...) then I ran my finger on the seam of the drum and it snagged my finger. (hmmm...) And Fisher Paykel is assembled in USA. (Buy American)

I hope the new washer lasts more than 15 years... All those fancy electronics make me nervous.

And tonight. I'm really bummed. It's a good thing we have a large chest deep freezer and a spare fridge. I opened our fridge in the kitchen tonight and I heard this spitting, sputtering noise from the fridge. I thought maybe the refridgeration gas was leaking... Listened to the sound and couldn't find it. Pulled out some of the shelves in the freezer section and still couldn't find the source of the noise. Close the door and noise became faint. My partner opens the door and looks in. She sees an orange glow in the back of the fridge. OMG!! It's ready to catch on FIRE!!! Together we pushed the fridge so we could unplug the thing. the fridge is only 18 or so years old!!

Now we have to buy a new fridge after having bought a brand new washing machine... Less than a month ago no less... I'm feeling really poor again.

Whats really odd was that I got side tracked while we were looking for the washer and I spent some time looking at new refridgerators. Only one we liked were again... Fisher&Paykel.

The bright side of things is that we caught it in time so my house didn't burn down. All of our foster animals are safe and sound. and I still have a roof over my head. sigh... but no fridge. Yes we do keep an ABC fire extinguisher in the kitchen. It's a good size.

I hate spending money. I also went cloth shopping at Talbot over the weekend. A cute red plaid skirt, stylish pair of pants, ... I needed new work cloth... then the trip I just took to see my father for the last time... Last month was very expensive. This month is also going to be very expensive...

Did I say I hate spending money?

I hope I can sleep tonight. I'm just really angry about the whole thing. Guess where I will be tomorrow morning? Playing hooky from work. WHY ME!!!???

I just hope it doesn't take two weeks for delivery.

[papaver]

If you hate spending money, be happy that you have NEW appliances. They will use a whole less energy. I hope you did the sensible thing and bought energy efficient appliances...

Yes they used to make appliances that were there to last. But they don't do that anymore... the reason is simple. If everything would last for 25 years, they wouldn't sell as much.

My washer broke down a month ago. It was fifteen years old. I have a new one, and boy does it use a whole lot less energy.

[cylegoddess]

Nothing last like it used to - and hey at least you didnt get what I did!
My ( now gone) bunny bit thru our new three year old fridge cord, and I fixed it. Guess what shprted out all the house fuses and burnt out its own motor, requiring a NEW fridge. Yep. 15 years sounds good. I wish my washer would do that but its plastic and dont thing it will last 27 years like Dads

[uforgot]

I just retired my 30 year old dryer. I could have just replaced the heating element once again, but it was $50 and the new dryer was a scratched floor model for $200 with free delivery and setup. I don't imagine it will last 30 years, but maybe I won't either! Those 70s Kenmores were great appliances. The washing machine is still working!

[sfa]

Yeah, household appliances do seem to conspire to all break at the same time, don't they? We had to replace our dryer and dishwasher last year within a couple of months. I keep expecting our fridge to go (it spent the last four summers leaking all over the kitchen floor, but this summer it stopped. No idea why.), but it's holding on. The furnace also scares me--our house is 90+ years old and the furnace is from at least the 1940's (coal furnace originally, converted to burn heating oil at some point). How long can a furnace last?

But it seems like your appliances are lasting a bit longer than average. Here's the life expectancy of household appliances: http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-ad...pectancy.shtml

Sarah

[Ritamarie]

We've got a 1950's oven. Works like a charm (well except for the broiler). Pic is of my husband (who is as old as the oven) making his first ever batch of cookies during the snowstorm. It took him a few batches to figure it out!

[tc1]

...no such thing as a free lunch. The reason why newer appliances only last 10-15 years is inherent with their design. Energy efficient means smaller and lighter parts which take less energy to move, which wear faster, and smarter electronic controls, which wear faster.

I love my newer fridge, and brand new washer, which are both energy efficient. We kept the old dryer, because dryers are so low tech not much has changed.