Go figure. The first post I have in forever and it’s a rant. Typical.
We got a new washer/dryer just under 2 yrs ago. We got the extended warranty through Lowe’s. When we got it, the cashier happily told us we did not need to keep the receipt for the warranty as Lowe’s keeps it on file under our phone number. “Yay!” I thought, one less thing to keep track of. But I filed it anyway ’cause, you know, stuff happens.
Just under a year, stuff happened. The washer door wouldn’t close. Since it was not a year, we had to go through Samsung which was fine. I pulled out the file with the receipts and stuff to have on hand for all the model and serial number conversations I had over the phone. The washer was fixed and all was well.
Two weeks ago or so, the dryer stopped heating. We checked the vent, the hose, and Ryan (the nephew) even got down on the floor and looked up the exit hole on the dryer itself. Clear. The dryer spins, runs, all the stuff it is supposed to except heat. Lorna tried calling Lowe’s customer service but for some reason she got nowhere. She hates that kind of stuff anyway so I said I would do it. I finally go around to it and this is when the fun started.
We need that receipt after all. We have practically turned this house upside down and I can’t find the file. I know it is the entire folder missing because I can’t even find the manuals. And I always keep the manuals (although they are getting really useless). Problem is, we moved stuff from the living room into the Rose Room/office. Stuff got put here and there as we figure out where stuff is going. You know, stuff. Stacks of stuff. Stuff in bins, stuff in boxes, stuff in piles.
I told the nice guy (he really was nice) what we were told and how we thought the system worked. He said no, that we need that receipt no matter what. That even if we had called in and registered the extended warranty (which we didn’t know we needed to do), I would still need the receipt. He put a search request in for the time frame we think we bought it and if they find the electronic copy, they send it to me via email.
Meanwhile, no dryer. I decided we’ll just call some local appliance place. Lorna had to take Ryan back, Jo was not well, I had to stay home, and life went on. I just today got around to remembering the dryer was dead. Looked it up online for possible causes (how many others have this happen after just 2 yrs?) and I have been kicking myself ever since.
In college I had a job working for a video arcade company. One of my jobs when we did the rounds was to check the non-working machines. Check cord to see if it is plugged in. If so, then unplug the machine, wait a minute or so, then plug it back in. 90% of the time that “fixed” them.
The first thing to do with an electronic-controlled appliance? Unplug it, wait a minute, and plug back it. It resets the electronics.
Now, we’ve had a lot of power blips lately. Anywhere from less than a minute to over an hour. But it is the actual unplugging that works. And it did. Dryer now heats.
I am kicking myself like mad. I SHOULD have thought of that! It is always the first thing I do when anything is broken! But I was thinking mechanical (heating element) vs electronic.