Peter W. wrote:
Rant Warning Rant Warning

Appliances require care and feeding, generally in direct proportion to
their complexity. One upon a time, the typical Maytag top-loading washer
had a timer driving a layered switch with an eccentric series of
contacts activating a series of soleboid valves and relays that operated
a motor, a pump, and a transmission. Perhaps half-a-dozen assemblies
operating without any sort of software at all. No silliness such as
weight sensors, dryness sensors, dirt sensors nor much of anything else
along those lines other than *perhaps* a door/lid switch so that the
system shut down when the top was opened. Oh, and it would use up to
forty (40) gallons of water for a single load. Big ones used more. They
could be overloaded, they could get unbalanced and much more, And, they
would leave between one (1) and three (3) of water behind for the dryer
to work with.

Now, they have more computing power than the original Space Shuttle, use
between four (4) and eight (8) gallons of water to do more clothing, and
leave only a very few ounces of water behind after spinning. And they do
not care about balance much.

There is a price to be paid for all this efficiency, however. They need
to be level. Really level. With a proper level, level. Fore and aft,
starboard and port. That also means with the feet each bearing
properly. This does not happen much. I know of two such washers that
were installed properly initially. One in this house, by Best Buy, bless
them! Their installer took a full 10 minutes with the level to get it
'just so' (and did not take a tip!), and the other at our summer house.
I redid both the kids' machines after so-called 'professional'
installation. They need to have the sump cleaned regularly, every
quarter in the typical house, every week if small kids are involved with
Lego pieces, coins, marbles and such. They need to use the proper
detergent, and in the proper quantities. NO, more detergent will NOT
make it cleaner. NO, fabric softener does NOT help clothing last longer,
nor is it good for the machine. Just a lot more lint in the sump. Yes,
they DO like really hot water once in a while to remove scum. Add a bit
of ammonia to help.

Dishwashers have similar foibles, but with different emphases.

There is no reason whatsoever that a well maintained modern appliance
should not last 30+ years with scrupulous maintenance. Well until the
original purchaser is either tired of it, or has moved out or worse. My
general contention is that if an appliance makes it through its first
two years, then it is not a lemon. Excepting that generation of LG
appliances that rust badly, of course.

bull****.

30 years out of an italian designed/ made dishwasher? no ****ing way, not
even in a musueum. 2 years, maybe, if you replace all parts every year.

Refrigerators are the machines that need the least maintance of anything
with moving parts and even the 10 years is a good run these days. Hell,
many don't even make it that far before they have problems with freezing
up and condensation/****ing all over the floor. This garbage design is no
accident.

Residential gas furnaces are usually pretty fixable. Just wait until
AC/inverter drive blower motors start to become common though.