Kenmore Washer model 110.4680290 Rusting
 

The second problem with our Kenmore Clothes Washer, top loading model 110.4680290, 8 years old, is:

RUST. It has been eating the baked-on enamel around the underside of the washer's cover opening for about 4 years,
and I've neglected to bring it to Sears attention, or to deal with it. There is also rust on the metal where the
plastic sleeves cover the metal holding the hinged top to the body, and a lot totally around the hole under the
plastic where bleach is to be poured. Plus various small areas are rusted around the interior of the cabinet's body,
some of them pintsized.

The washer is well out of warranty. It's located in our kitchen, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, so the location
isn't damp, and it's in new condition otherwise, since we baby it. Really, since we bought a lot of Kenmore
appliances all at once in a moment of "we want new stuff, and we want to be adults!" :-) Got rid of our old stuff,
and shine and polish the new stuff.

I'm asking Sears to consider it a manufacturing defect. The store's appliance manager has agreed to pay the $49.95
charge for the tech's visit on Wednesday.

My reasoning is that baked-on enamel applied by manufacturer shouldn't rust under normal conditions and use. Sears
should repair this.

What do others think?

- Dugie, tired of planned obsolescence

Sorry, I made a spell-check error:
Should be:

Plus various small areas are rusted around the interior of the cabinet's body,
some of them *PIN-SIZE* (not pintsized)

- Dugie, tired of planned obsolescence

I'd say the heck with it. The transmission went on my 5 year old Kenmore
top loader. Sears offered to pay labor if I bought the transmission. I
had bought the thing on sale at a good price but got a lemon. I decided the
heck with it and bought a new washer. A front loader Maytag and that was 7
years ago. Glad I did.


"Dugie" wrote in message
...
The second problem with our Kenmore Clothes Washer, top loading model
110.4680290, 8 years old, is:

RUST. It has been eating the baked-on enamel around the underside of the
washer's cover opening for about 4 years,
and I've neglected to bring it to Sears attention, or to deal with it.
There is also rust on the metal where the
plastic sleeves cover the metal holding the hinged top to the body, and a
lot totally around the hole under the
plastic where bleach is to be poured. Plus various small areas are rusted
around the interior of the cabinet's body,
some of them pintsized.

The washer is well out of warranty. It's located in our kitchen, in
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, so the location
isn't damp, and it's in new condition otherwise, since we baby it. Really,
since we bought a lot of Kenmore
appliances all at once in a moment of "we want new stuff, and we want to
be adults!" :-) Got rid of our old stuff,
and shine and polish the new stuff.

I'm asking Sears to consider it a manufacturing defect. The store's
appliance manager has agreed to pay the $49.95
charge for the tech's visit on Wednesday.

My reasoning is that baked-on enamel applied by manufacturer shouldn't
rust under normal conditions and use. Sears
should repair this.

What do others think?

- Dugie, tired of planned obsolescence

We had the same problem with various rust spots on our Kenmore. Patched it
up for a while but then found that the upper edge of the tub had rusted,
too. Repair parts are prohibitively expensive. Bite the bullet and buy a new
washer.

--

Walter
The Happy Iconoclast www.rationality.net
-

"Dugie" wrote in message
...
The second problem with our Kenmore Clothes Washer, top loading model
110.4680290, 8 years old, is:

RUST. It has been eating the baked-on enamel around the underside of the
washer's cover opening for about 4 years,
and I've neglected to bring it to Sears attention, or to deal with it.
There is also rust on the metal where the
plastic sleeves cover the metal holding the hinged top to the body, and a
lot totally around the hole under the
plastic where bleach is to be poured. Plus various small areas are rusted
around the interior of the cabinet's body,
some of them pintsized.

The washer is well out of warranty. It's located in our kitchen, in
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, so the location
isn't damp, and it's in new condition otherwise, since we baby it. Really,
since we bought a lot of Kenmore
appliances all at once in a moment of "we want new stuff, and we want to
be adults!" :-) Got rid of our old stuff,
and shine and polish the new stuff.

I'm asking Sears to consider it a manufacturing defect. The store's
appliance manager has agreed to pay the $49.95
charge for the tech's visit on Wednesday.

My reasoning is that baked-on enamel applied by manufacturer shouldn't
rust under normal conditions and use. Sears
should repair this.

What do others think?

- Dugie, tired of planned obsolescence

"Dugie" wrote in message ...

Hi,

The second problem with our Kenmore Clothes Washer, top loading model 110.4680290, 8 years old, is:

Built by Whirlpool/Inglis for Sears.

RUST. It has been eating the baked-on enamel around the underside of the washer's cover opening for about 4 years,
and I've neglected to bring it to Sears attention, or to deal with it. There is also rust on the metal where the
plastic sleeves cover the metal holding the hinged top to the body, and a lot totally around the hole under the
plastic where bleach is to be poured. Plus various small areas are rusted around the interior of the cabinet's body,
some of them pintsized.

The washer is well out of warranty. It's located in our kitchen, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, so the location
isn't damp, and it's in new condition otherwise, since we baby it. Really, since we bought a lot of Kenmore
appliances all at once in a moment of "we want new stuff, and we want to be adults!" :-) Got rid of our old stuff,
and shine and polish the new stuff.

I'm asking Sears to consider it a manufacturing defect. The store's appliance manager has agreed to pay the $49.95
charge for the tech's visit on Wednesday.

What does your use and care manual suggest the warranty is on the cabinet or rust?

My reasoning is that baked-on enamel applied by manufacturer shouldn't rust under normal conditions and use. Sears
should repair this.

What do others think?

- Dugie, tired of planned obsolescence

jeff
Appliance Repair Aid
http://www.applianceaid.com/

Sadly, what you describe is not an unusual occurence. Frankly, I'm
surprised that Sears even agreed to send a tech out at their expense to
look at this (and I say that as an ex-Sears tech).

There is, as far as I recall, no specific anti-rust warranty on the
cabinet - indeed, Sears' own service products (Maintenance Agreements,
or whatever they're called now) specifically exclude "cosmetic" repairs
after the unit was over 3 years old. That being said, I've replaced
rusting lids and tops under MA on the grounds that rust in those places
impedes the functionality of the appliance, and was never challenged on
it. Best advice I can give you is to try to broker some kind of deal to
get the lid and top replaced with you paying the labour charge.

Good Luck!

"jeff" wrote in message om...
"Dugie" wrote in message ...

Hi,

The second problem with our Kenmore Clothes Washer, top loading model 110.4680290, 8 years old, is:

Built by Whirlpool/Inglis for Sears.

So I've been told. By Whirlpool.

RUST. It has been eating the baked-on enamel around the underside of the washer's cover opening for about 4
years,
snip

What does your use and care manual suggest the warranty is on the cabinet or rust?

Ha! No coverage, of course. If Sears won't do a repair under "warranty", I may take it to Small Claims court. Just
to make a point about planned obsolesence and poor workmanship. Depends on if I want to spend the $80CDN filing fee,
take a chance on having to pay Sears' lawyer(s), and how determined I will be.

Thanks to all for the responses. They've been excellent. Now, after I install the new pump, I hope I can just get
that water pump to recycle the soapy water during the wash cycle. :-)

- Dugie

Hey, it's great that you, "...replaced rusting lids and tops under MA..." , Mad Mac. You sound like a really decent
guy and repairman. And a bit of a rebel.

Your advice is my goal: broker a deal, but for complete repair. If I don't get it, I'm unsure what I'll do. I may
repair it myself, no big deal, just time consuming and annoying. I'd actually began the sanding for the repair, then
stopped and decided to pursue this with Sears.

Why do we consumers accept such below-par manufacturing practices, especially with so many new and long-lasting
materials available but unused? And what can we do about it? Where's Ralph Nader NOW? :-)

- Dugie

"Mad Mac" wrote in message ...
Sadly, what you describe is not an unusual occurence. Frankly, I'm
surprised that Sears even agreed to send a tech out at their expense to
look at this (and I say that as an ex-Sears tech).

There is, as far as I recall, no specific anti-rust warranty on the
cabinet - indeed, Sears' own service products (Maintenance Agreements,
or whatever they're called now) specifically exclude "cosmetic" repairs
after the unit was over 3 years old. That being said, I've replaced
rusting lids and tops under MA on the grounds that rust in those places
impedes the functionality of the appliance, and was never challenged on
it. Best advice I can give you is to try to broker some kind of deal to
get the lid and top replaced with you paying the labour charge.

Good Luck!

If you really want to find something to bitch about, check about every
contract you are now stuck with...... cell phones, new houses, bank
agreements..... they all have binding arbitration agreements and they get
to pick the arbitrator. All because the majority of the people vote for
like they did last election.


"Dugie" wrote in message
...
Hey, it's great that you, "...replaced rusting lids and tops under MA..."
, Mad Mac. You sound like a really decent
guy and repairman. And a bit of a rebel.

Your advice is my goal: broker a deal, but for complete repair. If I don't
get it, I'm unsure what I'll do. I may
repair it myself, no big deal, just time consuming and annoying. I'd
actually began the sanding for the repair, then
stopped and decided to pursue this with Sears.

Why do we consumers accept such below-par manufacturing practices,
especially with so many new and long-lasting
materials available but unused? And what can we do about it? Where's Ralph
Nader NOW? :-)

- Dugie

"Mad Mac" wrote in message
...
Sadly, what you describe is not an unusual occurence. Frankly, I'm
surprised that Sears even agreed to send a tech out at their expense to
look at this (and I say that as an ex-Sears tech).

There is, as far as I recall, no specific anti-rust warranty on the
cabinet - indeed, Sears' own service products (Maintenance Agreements,
or whatever they're called now) specifically exclude "cosmetic" repairs
after the unit was over 3 years old. That being said, I've replaced
rusting lids and tops under MA on the grounds that rust in those places
impedes the functionality of the appliance, and was never challenged on
it. Best advice I can give you is to try to broker some kind of deal to
get the lid and top replaced with you paying the labour charge.

Good Luck!