There was a time when we could buy stuff that lasted a long long time. I have a manual typewriter that my father bought when he was in college back in the 50s. It still works perfectly. I also have a desk fan from the 1940s.
But most of the stuff we buy these days does not last for very long. A case in point is Washing Machines and Dryers. I've had to repair them over the years and I have noticed one thing in particular, washing machines don't seem to last as long as dryers. Simplicity of design is a factor, sure. Dryers are just a motor, timer and heating element. Washers have plumbing and valves and such that are controlled by a basic computer.
The washer I have allows several semi-programmable modes. You can set the heat level, the dryness and the spin speed. And that's where I see the problem. If I select the "Max Extract" option (because they can't say slow, medium or fast) even a load of towels is nearly dry at the end of the cycle and only needs 10 minutes in the dryer. It's SO convenient.
BUT, it's also what causes the washer to fail early. It uses a brushless motor that looks like a miniature of CERN. Running it at "Max Extract" means the motor spins faster and heats up more. The bearings are also pushed to the limit. All of this ages the washer prematurely, by design.
However, I no longer use that speed and suffer with towels that are a lot wetter and require 20 minutes in the dryer or more. But that's OK because the dryer is cheap compared to the washer. So if I wear out the dryer, I can swap them pretty quickly. The washer is a pain in the ass because it's heavy and the dryer is on top.
I didn't realize any of this until the first washer wore out a year ahead of the dryer. Which made no sense to me. So I went to web sites where losers like me grouse about LG and Maytag and GE. And I read up on the motor design and realized that it has a weakness when made to spin too quickly. The outside coils are shaken back and forth until the leads break. The washer reports imbalance and quits. With the door locked and the washer filled with wet towels. Such a pain in the ass.
But most of the stuff we buy these days does not last for very long. A case in point is Washing Machines and Dryers. I've had to repair them over the years and I have noticed one thing in particular, washing machines don't seem to last as long as dryers. Simplicity of design is a factor, sure. Dryers are just a motor, timer and heating element. Washers have plumbing and valves and such that are controlled by a basic computer.
The washer I have allows several semi-programmable modes. You can set the heat level, the dryness and the spin speed. And that's where I see the problem. If I select the "Max Extract" option (because they can't say slow, medium or fast) even a load of towels is nearly dry at the end of the cycle and only needs 10 minutes in the dryer. It's SO convenient.
BUT, it's also what causes the washer to fail early. It uses a brushless motor that looks like a miniature of CERN. Running it at "Max Extract" means the motor spins faster and heats up more. The bearings are also pushed to the limit. All of this ages the washer prematurely, by design.
However, I no longer use that speed and suffer with towels that are a lot wetter and require 20 minutes in the dryer or more. But that's OK because the dryer is cheap compared to the washer. So if I wear out the dryer, I can swap them pretty quickly. The washer is a pain in the ass because it's heavy and the dryer is on top.
I didn't realize any of this until the first washer wore out a year ahead of the dryer. Which made no sense to me. So I went to web sites where losers like me grouse about LG and Maytag and GE. And I read up on the motor design and realized that it has a weakness when made to spin too quickly. The outside coils are shaken back and forth until the leads break. The washer reports imbalance and quits. With the door locked and the washer filled with wet towels. Such a pain in the ass.
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