Whenever anything in my house breaks down I become anxious because I immediately jump to the conclusion that it is irreparable and I will have to get a new one. Last week after I had used my washing machine I noticed that there was water on the floor. I ran the machine again and could not see where the water was coming from so I assumed that the bottom was rusted or leaky in some way. The machine had been working very well. I looked in the manual and could not find any trouble shooting advice. I noticed, however, that the machine was purchased in l983 so I decided that it was so old it probably couldn't be fixed and I needed a new washing machine. I ordered another machine from a local appliance retailer.
The new machine was installed today. I had a weeks worth of laundry so I put the entire laundry bag into the machine and left with the knowledge that when I returned the clothes would be washed and all would be well.
When I returned there was water on the floor!
This made me come to the realization that the original machine was probably not broken but that there must be another reason for the water. Finally, I did what I should have done in the first place and watched the machine while it went through its rinse cycle. Sure enough, the water was coming out of the drain pipe. After I inspected the pipe I found it to be all clogged with muck and that did not allow the water drain properly. Thus, it had spilled over during the rinse cycle.
I was very annoyed with myself because I didn't do that trouble shooting in the first place. So, this is a reminder that applies to computers and to most appliances. Try and find out the cause of the problem before giving up and resorting to replacing what might still be in good working order.
