circuit boards

[444 Magnum]

I was listening to the washing machine tonight and began thinking about the service life of our appliances. We're currently living in a house I built in 2006. We bought all new kitchen appliances from Frigidaire. The dishwasher and microwave went out in 2022. The oven and refrigerator went out this year. Circuit boards failed in all four. The parts were considered obsolete and, although some were available, cost prohibitive.

I think by today's standards, 16 and 17 year service lives was alright so I replaced everything with more Frigidaire appliances-hecho en Mexico.

Contrast that to what brought about these deep thoughts--the washer and dryer. Both are Sears Kenmore heavy duty models that I bought in 1990. I've replaced one minor part on the washing machine years ago (I don't even remember what it was) and I bypassed the safety cutoff when the door opens (no children at home-wasn't sure if parts were still around). Both are still going strong 33 years later without the benefit of a circuit board.

I won't even mention how many LED lights and bathroom fan/light combos I've installed only to find they don't work right out of the box.

Overall I know they are a blessing and make life easier, but they sure can bring the hurt also.

 

[LVSteve]

Circuit board failure or a little plastic part breaking inside one of those mechanical timers. Tough choice.

 

[DWalt]

Up until about 2019, we had a Kenmore electric dryer we bought in about 1969. It was still working when we bought a new replacement. Nothing ever needed repair that I couldn't fix myself. No solid state anything to go out. The most serious repairs were replacements of the heating element and the electric motor. Probably about 2010. Say, around 50 years of service on the dryer. Not a big deal, parts were still available, and not very expensive. The latest Kenmore washing machine lasted from about 1983 to about 2015. No fixing that one, the transmission went out.

 

[chief38]

If you are getting 16+ years on an appliance you are doing well! One of my friends owns a huge appliance store and their extended warranty duration has been modified from 10 years down to 8. When I asked why he informed me that there is no expectation that today's appliances will last more than 8 years and that parts will be hard or impossible to get. Since their extended warranty includes an equal value replacement if the old one can not be repaired, they can no longer go out more than 8 years.

He also told me this is true of most of the higher end appliances such as Viking, Thermadore, Wolf, Bosch etc. Although some appliance are still assembled here, most use Chinese parts, motors and compressors.

We live in a new home (18 months old) and it came with ALL GE appliances. They have offered is an extended 5 year warranty which I have not taken as the warranty's on all the appliance are so expensive it would actually cover the cost of replacement of a few should they fail within that 5 year period. After they are no longer serviceable I will replace them with what we want - more than likely Whirlpool brand which we have had good luck with for the most part.

 

[SAFireman]

Vacuum tubes.....it's the wave of the future, and rumored to be EMP proof

 

[BigBoy99]

"Planned Obsolescence" A company is in business to make money. Why build a product which will last 20 years when one can be built which will last only 8-10 years? The sooner it needs replacing, the higher the profits.

 

[CalifEd]

December, 1924 the Phoebus Cartel hatched a secret plan to increase sales by bringing the average bulb's lifespan down to just 1,000 hours.
This began one of the first known examples of planned obsolescence.

 

[SMSgt]

A few years back, the upper element blew out in our 1994 model oven. A replacement element was inexpensive, the fried circuit board not so much. The stovetop had the electric elements, so we got on the glass-top stove bandwagon with the replacement stove. Big mistake. Both the wife and I hate it. Does not cook as well as the old circular elements. I'd like to get a set of cast iron pots/pans, but the wife is afraid they'd scratch the glass top to ruin. When the day comes this on kicks the bucket, we're going back to replaceable elements--if they're still made.

 

[jeffrefrig]

That's true, I'm sure, the planned obsolescence. Heck, I just had to replace an LED light down the cellar. That's several now. Should save receipts.
I've been pretty lucky with appliances. Now, my upstairs toilet is only 71 years old and I have to replace it. (Don't ask!)

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My family were/are builders, developers, and property managers. We literally bought kitchen appliances by the 1000's. In the 60's, 70's & 80's it was GE! (Not Hotpoint, GE!)

For our first Christmas Mom and Dad bought us a GE commercial washer & Dryer (Electric). Over the next 22 years we used that washer/dryer serviced my household well! A minimum of one kid was in cloth diapers for the next 9 years. Then the washer died of exhaustion, and was replaced by a Kenmore "Commercial". That washer lasted for 3.5 years with lots of service. I replaced it for our 25 anniversary and the original GE Dryer for the 26th.

As a professional maintenance man, I did it all day. Over the years my wife acquired a good set of tool and abilities to fix stuff around the house! She pulled the front off the dryer as I came home from work on day, and I noticed she had doorbell wire (with 220V running through it) connecting the door safety switch! This was a few days before said 26th anniversary!

We moved into a Condo about 10 years ago, my perfectly good GE set got manhandled by the movers and goofed up the transmission! The wife paid for our current set Whirlpool Front load, 100% stainless interior, heavy Duty, on pedestals. Going on 10 years next month and 1 CS phone call to understand a certain function. Not a single Service Call! (I negotiated a great deal, but it was still double what a good top loading pair would be.) I think the GE's would still be going if not for the movers! My B-I-L is still using that dryer with 26 years on it!

A Comment on the consumer's ability to read a follow directions: By and large, THEY HAVE NONE! That alone will shorten the life span of any appliance by 50%!

Ivan

 

[wuluf]

Best vacuum I ever owned, lasted 60 years. Hard to use on stairs though..

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

That's true, I'm sure, the planned obsolescence. Heck, I just had to replace an LED light down the cellar. That's several now. Should save receipts.
I've been pretty lucky with appliances. Now, my upstairs toilet is only 71 years old and I have to replace it. (Don't ask!)

71 years is a long and Honorable life for a toilet. (Henry VIII's wooden crapper still exists). Modern imported from Mexico toilets are 1/2 (or a lot less) the cost of good American made porcelain products. I thing is is the type of rubber compounds used in the gaskets and fittings!

Ivan

 

[H Richard]

When we built our cluster home (Condo), we purchased all new appliances. I opted for what I felt were best of breed, Maytag dish washer, Amana refrigerator, Frigidaire (electric) range and microwave (Professional Series). That was in 2005, and all are still going just fine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as we approach a 20 year anniversary n about 2 years that they all don't go bad at the same time.

I did replace my wash machine with a Speed Queen, basic 3 function model, about 8 years ago. So far no problems. The dryer is a Hotpoint that we have had for about 25 years now and still going strong. It did have a broken handle, but found on the internet for less than $10.

 

[Golddollar]

In my first house the builder installed all Kenmore appliances. I moved in August of 1986 and moved out December of 2005. The original refrigerator and stove were still working when I left. I did replace the dishwasher and garbage disposal but I'm pretty sure they were at least 15 years old when I replaced them.

I had a washer and dryer set from GE that I bought just after I moved in that house. They were still there and working when I moved out. Between the two of them I had 1 service call in all those years. These had the mechanical dials which never had an issue.

The controls on the washer and dryer I bought for my present house look like Lt. Uhura's board on the Enterprise. I had to replace the washer after only 8 years.

Maybe the reason I had my appliances for so long was because they weren't exposed to family use.

 

[Jon651]

I was listening to the washing machine tonight and began thinking about the service life of our appliances. We're currently living in a house I built in 2006. We bought all new kitchen appliances from Frigidaire. The dishwasher and microwave went out in 2022. The oven and refrigerator went out this year. Circuit boards failed in all four. The parts were considered obsolete and, although some were available, cost prohibitive.

I think by today's standards, 16 and 17 year service lives was alright so I replaced everything with more Frigidaire appliances-hecho en Mexico.

Contrast that to what brought about these deep thoughts--the washer and dryer. Both are Sears Kenmore heavy duty models that I bought in 1990. I've replaced one minor part on the washing machine years ago (I don't even remember what it was) and I bypassed the safety cutoff when the door opens (no children at home-wasn't sure if parts were still around). Both are still going strong 33 years later without the benefit of a circuit board.

I won't even mention how many LED lights and bathroom fan/light combos I've installed only to find they don't work right out of the box.

Overall I know they are a blessing and make life easier, but they sure can bring the hurt also.

I absolutely feel your pain when it comes to losing an appliance due to a fried circuit board. We lost a list nearly as long as yours (washer, dishwasher, microwave, and one TV) and the frustration I felt was equally as much.

Frankly, I had a realization - I had plug-in surge suppressors on all of my "high value" electronics such as my big TV in the living room, the cable wi-fi modem, cable box and my PC (and never lost any of those over the years) but had NOTHING protecting any of the expensive electronics in the rest of my house. I decided to spend about $75 and installed a whole-house surge suppressor on my electrical panel and haven't lost a single device anywhere in the house since.

I've also installed another on the sub-panel in my backyard shop and one directly to the disconnect to my new (and expensive!) AC unit. I figured they were cheap insurance.

 

[babyloui]

My washer and dryer are at least 25 years old, replaced the water pump on the washer thats the only thing done. Still have a 50s fridge in the garage with the tiny freezer still going.

 

[Catwrangler]

I first started selling broadcast and industrial video equipment in '77. Circuit boards could be easily repaired to component levels. Then about '85 they went to surface mount boards- requiring a total board replacement using repair costs beyond belief. Progress?

 

[Rustyt1953]

In the world of audio amplification the easiest circuit boards to work on were Point-to-Point, followed by copper etched. PCBs were most usually replaced.

 

[ACORN]

Around 2010 we bought a big Amanda refrigerator.
2013 our ice maker in the freezer was full of melted ice.
The refrigerator section was around 50 degrees.
I called my uncle, who’s been an appliance repairman since Moby Dick was a minnow advised me to scrap it. Said it wasn’t worth fixing.
I told him we had paid about $1200 for it, and not a $200 cheapie. He said it was probably the compressor (Tecumseh) made in Brazil they are junk.
I did a little research on the web and looked up the symptoms. There’d be a loud buss for 15-20 seconds and then a loud click. A few minutes later it would repeat. If I unplugged it overnight it would run for a while and then, buzz, click.
Found out there is was is called a hard start capacitor, available on Amazon for about $12 shipped, back then. Supposedly increased the current to the compressor giving it some extra OOMPH!
I installed it in about 10 minutes and the fridge is still running today.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

A hard start capacitor is a repairman's dream! Usually just a few dollars and mere minutes to install. If that's all it takes, you just saved at least half on any refrigeration repair!

Ivan