Last week our dryer started to make crunchy sounds. DH was like, it’s probably a ball-bearing. I’ll look into it on the weekend, maybe take it apart and put it together again.
A few days later it started to make squeaky sounds. Then it stopped making heat consistently.
DH looked on the internets and determined that it probably wasn’t a ball-bearing but was instead something dealing with sparks that he was not going to be able to fix.
I’d looked into getting a new dryer before but DH was always able to unclog it and it would start working again. Enough time had passed that my chosen models weren’t really being offered anymore.
So on a Thursday, we looked into buying a dryer and picked one out in like 30 min. Which is much much less time than we usually put into shopping for a major appliance.
The top models for several online sites were no longer being made OR were out of stock for long periods of time. But Tom’s Hardware’s top model also happens to be the other half of the pair for the LG washer we currently have (or at least the other half of the pair of the newer model of our current LG washer). It came in white/gas and Home Depot said they could have it to us by Tuesday. So we bought it.
We also decided to pay extra to have them install it and cart it away because nobody wants to mess with gas and it’s probably worth $30 not to have to move the dryer to the curb for bulk pickup.
Total cost including tax and installation and installation kit: $1,268.64.
It seems to be working great, and DH has been having fun playing with the “steam” option. I especially like the way it matches our washer visually, though I didn’t used to care about things like that. If it were a low rated dryer I probably would have picked a non-matching white dryer, but with it being highly rated, I get a little extra happiness from completing a set.
A couple of days after we ordered a new dryer (but before it got here), our microwave decided to give up the ghost mid-frozen lasagna. We looked at all the top rated microwaves on various lists and none of them were in stock in our local stores, though we could order them from amazon. Also none of the top rated microwaves came in white, and currently all of our major appliances except the dishwasher are white, and while I don’t mind another stainless steel appliance, if we couldn’t get a microwave locally that day, I figured we might as well get one that matches the kitchen. So then I looked for white microwaves locally. Home Depot had a number of very cute “vintage” style microwaves that I didn’t want to deal with. I prefer buttons to knobs, thank you. The Lowes in the next town over had a white GE that looked decent that we could pick up that day. Which we did. It was $175, which is on the expensive side for what it is, but it matched the kitchen and we wouldn’t have to wait half a week or longer to get it. It seems to be working ok so far. It’s much more powerful than our old microwave so we’ve been adjusting timing accordingly (less of an adjustment for me–I think it’s actually the same model as what we have at work for the same reason– it was what was available to buy that day when the workroom microwave stopped working in a cloud of smoke).
I think we might have gremlins.
Have any of your appliances given up the ghost recently? Do you like your dryer? How about your microwave?
Grumpy Rumblings (of the formerly untenured) 
March 14, 2022 at 5:19 am
I was on the verge of buying a new dryer last year until my brilliant son-in-law took the old one apart and fixed it, hurrah. But recently when we combined households, we ended up with two microwaves. We kept the newer microwave and gave away the older one just a few weeks ago, but now the newer microwave is not working at all. I’m kicking myself for not holding on to the extra microwave, but I’m not interesting in asking for a return, so I guess we’re in the market for a new microwave. (Does anyone fix microwaves?)
March 14, 2022 at 6:23 am
In our experience it’s usually cost more to get the parts to fix a microwave than to get a new one. There was a time there where some percent of new microwaves had bad vacuum tubes.
March 14, 2022 at 6:57 am
We bought a new microwave a couple months ago when ours started looking like it was about to explode mid-heating. It had lasted about ten years though, so we ended up getting basically the same model (same brand and price, slightly different panel) from Target.
March 14, 2022 at 7:45 am
Sounds like it all worked out well and fingers crossed that this is the end of your appliance issues.
My dryer is perfectly fine (I don’t really care that much about most appliances). I think it’s a Maytag and it has various functions (steam? anti-wrinkle?) but I’m not really motivated to try them.
I don’t own a microwave because I really don’t like the way they tend to get dirty. I’m very sensitive to smells. I’m sure that, with a little effort, they could be kept clean, but I’m too lazy to make that effort.
March 14, 2022 at 2:03 pm
Maybe you are, or maybe not. I never knew microwaves could be kept clean until I had my own and always covered my dishes, and, on the occasions when that wasn’t good enough, immediately cleaned up my messes. It’s amazing! Microwaves really can stay clean! (But if you have others messing it up and leaving it to dry, or you don’t have easy ways to cover your food, then maybe not.)
March 14, 2022 at 8:23 am
Our dryer has been going strong for 18 years! In that time we have had three washers. Our microwave is probably about 13 years old. It seems to be working fine. It’s above our stove, which I hate, because I would rather have more space to maneuver above the stove when I cook, and in our case it also means we don’t have a real exhaust. The microwave is so dinged up because I am always whacking pots on it. You wouldn’t think it would happen that often but it does. Maybe I am just clumsy. But if I were designing a kitchen from scratch I would definitely put the microwave somewhere else.
March 14, 2022 at 9:47 pm
We did that very thing when we renovated our kitchen! We got a seriously powerful hood and moved the microwave to another wall entirely. No regrets!
March 15, 2022 at 10:01 am
I have hood envy!
March 14, 2022 at 2:16 pm
We love our Panasonic microwave, but we are into knobs, and it is also stainless steel (ugh, but the large window looks black when it’s off, so that’s good).
I use drying racks and will never go back to driers.
And speaking of gas, I was super happy that my house had gas when I bought it in 1996. Back then most electricity was made from coal, so gas was cleaner and more efficient and cheaper. And the alternative to gas burners was electric coil burners. But now everything is different. Less electricity is made from coal, my electricity is supposedly made from wind, gas is retrieved via fracking (which pollutes and causes earthquakes), studies are showing that gas leads to worse indoor air quality, and induction burners are the best.
So I’ve been shopping for pans that can be used on induction burners, even though I still love my old Revere Ware pans. I know, but all my cooking involves stirring, and they are lightweight, and the handles don’t get hot, and there are no rivets to clean around, and I don’t put them in the oven. Plus most of the lids can be hung on nails.
Apparently I have a choice between All-Clad and All-Clad wannabes. Where are the Revere Ware wannabes? I ended up with the super cheap ones from IKEA (the ones that don’t look like All-Clad)–they look not as well-made as the Revere Ware ones, but they are also lightweight with non-metal handles and no rivets and the added bonus of glass lids. The lids might also hang on nails, or I may need a plate rack–at least they are thin enough to fit in plate racks. Next step–new oven.
March 14, 2022 at 2:27 pm
When we decided on gas over induction for the stovetop not having to buy new cookware was definitely part of the decision process. We do have a single induction burner that DC1 may end up taking to college.
March 14, 2022 at 9:43 pm
I don’t use a lot of pans, so replacing them isn’t too crazy. Just sad. :-)
March 14, 2022 at 4:56 pm
Our 17-year old oven is on its last legs, but it stinks because it’s mainly the LCD panel that is going bad. It is unreadable in bright light. A replacement part is 2/3 the cost of a new oven, so not worth it.
My dryer is a 1998 Speed Queen gas dryer with absolutely no frills that came with the house, but only because at the closing I mentioned the sellers could leave the washer and dryer if they wanted versus hauling it away. I didn’t have any so was tickled when they agreed.he boyfriend has fixed it twice, band it continues to work like a champ.
March 14, 2022 at 5:57 pm
Just got a new washer. A top rated LG. I am ridiculously happy with it. I am also a little bummed that it doesn’t match my dryer, but not worth replacing a dryer that works for aesthetic reasons.
Our microwave also abruptly died. Replaced it with an LG last week because it was in stock and reasonably similar to the preexisting GE (ours is an “above range” model). It does the job but is quite loud (I actually wonder if there’s a problem with it….might need to call the installer back to check).
But now with half the appliances stainless and the other two (fridge, range) old white….well, I’m leaning toward replacing. Both are ~20 years old and were put on right before or after the house was sold the last time.
March 14, 2022 at 9:45 pm
Did you finish the lasagna in the oven?
I’ve been keeping a close eye on our set for a while. The washer seems to need three spin cycles to get the clothes down to damp from sopping wet and the dryer, hmm, I think the dryer is ok for a bit yet. The set is over ten years old, maybe it’s 13-14, and I’m not sure what the lifespan of these things are now.
Our microwave is still new enough that I figure we should have another 5-10 years with it. I like the machine itself but I hate how poorly lit the LED screen is. You can only read it at a certain angle and otherwise it’s so incredibly faint it’s unclear which numbers are in use.
We replaced our water heater before it died because the anticipation of being surprised by it dying suddenly was too much for both of us. So at least that’s off the imminent replacement list. I’m hoping we don’t have anything other than the washer on our list.
March 15, 2022 at 2:26 am
We had to buy a new microwave when it started turning itself on randomly – often in the middle of the night! We got by unplugging it between uses for a while but then just bit the bullet and bought a new one.
March 15, 2022 at 6:14 am
Creeeeepy
March 15, 2022 at 7:30 am
Our microwave has started making ominous noises! I liked it until then. It’s some cheap GE that was available the day the last one started sparking every time we used it…
March 15, 2022 at 8:04 pm
Our kitchen is less than 10 years old and many of our appliances aren’t working right. Our fridge is leaking, our dishwasher is not getting the dishes as clean as it used to and the oven on our stove runs cold. I haven’t replaced any yet. I’m already on my second washing machine as the first one went after 7 years. My last front loader broke at the same time. The dryer is an el cheapo model and works fine.
March 15, 2022 at 8:55 pm
Sounds like gremlins!
March 27, 2022 at 6:31 am
I always used to say when you get extra money, whisper it in the house or the appliances will hear you and break.
My Kenmore gas dryer was 15 years old in March.
Most of my appliances are Kenmore and all are from Sears. I don’t know where I’ll go to buy new ones. I already know to look at Consumer Reports for their ratings. But their reports don’t seem as thorough as I remember.