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Stainless and aluminum used in Kenmore front load washer

November 8, 2009

My $800 Kenmore clothes washer is 6 years old and broke due to aluminum drive arm failure. The 3 arm fixture is shaft driven and attached on 3 points to the stainless spin drum.

The aluminum arms are badly deteriorated and broke from the stainless drum.

 

Is this a design flaw using these metals this way in a highly concentrated detergent wash water?

6 years seems way too soon to have such a major failure.

The washer is a Kenmore Model 417.42042100 SN XC14707938 by Sears

I value your opinion.

James Gregory
customer -buyer - Laurel, Maryland

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November 9, 2009

Hi, James. The video is interesting! It does seem ridiculous for aluminum to be used in contact with a stainless drum, immersed in alkaline laundry detergents and bleach. But six years isn't that short a lifetime for appliances in these days of meatball whoring. My 27 year old all-steel Maytag was built in a very different time.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Ed. note: Readers said they didn't know what I meant by "meatball whoring". Apologies; it's a phrase I coined after I bought an "IBM" phone with their large logo meatball on all 6 sides of the box and on the product, but it failed immediately ... and they took Zero responsibility for the problem -- just told me to deal with whatever outfit actually built the "IBM" phone under a "trademark licensing agreement".

When a product has a brand-name logo/meatball displayed on it, so you buy it but it turns out to be garbage actually built by Joe Blow Appliance & Electronics Shop, and the company whose logo is on it wants nothing to do with the product beyond letting their logo be placed on it in exchange for cash, that's "meatball whoring". Today's CEOs prostituting their logos is a disgusting insult to the memory of generations of employees whose hard work gave those logos their value :-)

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November 25, 2009

I agree Ted,
6 years is a pretty good run with an appliance these days. I bet the alloys were selected TO corrode between 5-10 years (after the warranty expires of course!) Haha!
Here is a little info that hopefully will make you feel a little better James:
My higher end model KitchenAid fancy stainless gas range electronics failed right around the 5 year mark. Beats the hell out of me why they would install the control board on a flange directly above where the oven door opens. So every time you use the oven and open the door it would get a blast of 350-450° hot air. Meatball whore #1
My Maytag Plus stainless fridge failed right after the 5 year mark about 1 week after warranty expiration! Ruined a freezer full of moose, chicken, and Oreo ice cream sandwiches. Meatball whore #2
Last year I had to replace 3 fridges and 2 electric stoves throughout the week between Christmas and New Years at our tenants' places. These were from various manufacturers with no pattern at all. These were all between 5 and 7 years old. Meatball whores #3,4,5,6,7
The most recent was a 25 year old clothes washer. The main drum seal went and flooded the room where it was. Repairing a main seal is not that difficult. The time involved+the cost of part comes pretty close to buying a decent used replacement. The machine, being at my tenants and already inconvenienced I opted to buy used. Now here is a REAL good lesson for everyone! When moving the "new" used machine some lint clogged the drum level water sensor! Upon the first load of laundry the machine failed to stop the filling cycle and flooded the goddam room again! This machine was less than 3 years old and while the age had nothing to do with the failure. The design did. It really beats the hell outta me why the manufacturer didn't configure the system to FAIL-SAFE rather than FAIL-FLOOD! It was an easy 15 minute repair. I am still going to check the sensor once a year. Meatball whore #8
The original washer lasted 25 years as confirmed by the owner who I bought the house from. It failed after 25 years! (for the record, I do not consider this old timer a Meatball whore in any way) It blows my mind compared to the crap of today where 5 years is considered "long" I upgraded to a "newer" model to increase efficiency and hopefully lower my carbon footprint.
My point is you cannot tell what manufacturer/model is better constructed or will last longer without taking the machine apart, reverse engineering and searching for design flaws and weaknesses. That goes for materials used and design. But when you do find something. Inform the manufacturer, send them your video. I know, I know... you shouldn't have to since they designed it and should be the pros. Do it anyway.
At the very least but most important you now know how to take apart and re-assemble a washing machine. You have gained the skill to fix your new $4000 Miele clothes washer when it fails after the 1st year :-)

Ted I apologise in advance for copyright and trademark infringement with the repetitive use of "Meatball Whore"

Cliff Kusch
- North Vancouver, BC, Canada