Don't Get That New Washer (Just Yet)
It's tempting, isn't it, when the old washer and dryer break down, to just go out and buy new ones? Maybe you've been wanting new ones for a while and have been waiting for an excuse. But hold off just a bit.
In the first place, buying new when you need one, when the stuff at home isn't working properly, means you're not able to wait on the best deals or do as much research. You need a working washing machine or dryer, you have to take what you can find and can't hold off until the perfect thing comes along. In the second place, maybe the smaller troubles you've been having along the way, the stuff that's been making you want a new one, is something that can be fixed with washer and dryer repair. Maybe the dryer isn't drying as well as it used to, and then it quit drying altogether. That's probably just the heat element going out, one of the most common dryer issues. It can easily be fixed. Or the washing machine doesn't do the spin cycle anymore- that could be a simple belt problem, or it might even be a problem with the door switch.
On a related note, if your dryer is having trouble drying, but it does seem to be heating up, and you know the lint catcher is empty, check where the dryer exhaust leaves the house. that can get clogged with lint, as well, and you may find that all you need to do is clean that out to fix your dryer. (And that'll save you a service call charge, too.) Having a washing machine or a dryer repaired averages between $100 and $500, washers tend to be slightly more expensive because they take a little more work. Not that they're more difficult, but getting to the pertinent bits of a washing machine generally means taking the whole back or whole front of the machine off. It simply takes longer to get to what needs to be repaired in a washing machine.
Unless you're buying used or getting a particularly great sale, it's unlikely that you're going to find a new washer or dryer for any less than $250 bucks. And if you're the kind of person who needs to have matching washers and dryers, then you're out double, while possibly getting rid of machines that only need a little bit of work to be doing what they need to be doing, which is wasteful.
