My washing machine just exploded.

Appliances just aren't built like they used to be. I remember back in the day (like, the 80's, yeah) appliances were humongous, heavy, solid steel monstrosities that, if they broke, would just sit there in the house forever, because it would take either a crane or a whole team of people to budge the things.

So, to stay on topic, my washing machine--only a couple years old--just friggin' exploded. I think it might have had something to do with the pillows I was washing, which get quite heavy when wet. I think centrifugal force and the weight of the sodden cotten caused the malfunction. I was sitting right here, in front of this computer, and I hear this incredible blast, and then an almost comic sound of the machine's power slowly dying.

I ran out into the hall (my washer/dryer are right outside the bedroom in a recessed compartment in the wall) and find the lid open and clothes spewed out all over the place. The tub on the inside has come loose, or something, and just tossed the contents of the washer all over the place.

I'm glad I was in my den when it happened. I'd hate for my coroner's report to say "Cause of Death: Blunt Force Trauma Caused By Soggy Pillow Projectile."

I think this is a perfect example of sudden unexpected appliance death, very similar to a sudden stroke or heart attack in us humans.

"Ack! Mein lieben!" sighs the washing machine. "Gurgle! Hack! Cough!"

BOOM!

And, unless I am mistaken, I hear the faint, tinny sounds of house gremlins laughing at the furtive attempts of the house master as he sadly gathers up the remnants of his clothing and dumps them, half-washed, into the dryer, which may or may not suddenly catch fire and burn the place to the ground, if my luck stays on the same track.

 

Washing-machines of mass destruction. That's it, I'm calling the Feds.

 

And, unless I am mistaken, I hear the faint, tinny sounds of house gremlins laughing at the furtive attempts of the house master

i hate those gremlins... they taunt me at every turn!

 

I have this old iron, no plastic on it, very heavy. No steam. But it lasted longer then the 3 irons I bought after it.

 

It must have been an Al-Queda washing machine.

 

Sometimes, my washing machine has a seizure when the clothes get out of balance during the "spin cycle." Friggin' awesome.

 

Simple.

Buy a new one.

 

We have the same problem as Darth_Guy.

 

All washing machines do that when you don't put the load in balanced, D_G and _p_l_

And -Z-, I agree that most stuff is crappily made these days. It's all a government conspiracy, I tell ya

 

I've heard of that happening. Appliances arenn't as durable or well built as they were My almost new 32" tv started smoking after 3 months... while my 10 year old 27" is still working... wierd.

 

stuff is made to break, plain and simple. it's done this way so you have to spend more money on spare parts only the manufacturer of that item can produce. then the part breaks, and u have to buy another part. quality just isnt on a manufacturer's priority list anymore

 

We have a VCR that's about 20 years old, maybe a little more, and it still does its job perfectly well. Meanwhile the 5 year old "state-of-the-art" one with VideoPlus and all sorts of fancy features has broken at least twice and is still temperamental when you try to get it to tune into certain stations. It's true, quality and life-expectancy of products are slipping.

 

All washing machines do that when you don't put the load in balanced, D_G and _p_l_

Yeah, I know, but it unbalances itself sometimes.

 

I wish mine would explode




MP

 

Actually, there's no such thing as centrifugal force. It's caused by centripedal force Yes, I'm a physics nerd.

 

Centipedal force? Argh! Attack of the centipedes!

 

wmmd?

 

It's not the gremlins, it's the green smurfs. They did it I tell you!

P-F

 

Are there any female green smurfs?

 

Another great example is videogame controllers. Anyone else notice this? Take your average NES controller and try to smash it with a hammer. Go ahead. The little sucker's tough!

I'd say CD players have come a long way, though.

Centripedal force? Err?

And there were female green smurfs. But, one autumn, the harvest wasn't so great, and they became stew.

 

my washing machine makes this awful whining noise when it's on it's spin cycle. I have no idea why, but it hasn't exploded. yet.

 

The whining noise is actually the language of the appliances. Much like animals, these seemingly inanimate objects actually have an intricate heirarchy, with the refrigerator as the leader. The toilets are the foot soldiers; this is why they break so often. If you listen in the dead of night, sometimes you can hear them gurgling. They're plotting. Always plotting.

 

good to know. I'll be on my guard.