Whirlpool top loading Washer that stinks terribly mouldy and sour

Hi--Everytime we have the Best Buy Service come out, (another BAD story), they clean out old sour lint near the top of the basket or enclosure. Five days later, the clotheswasher stinks again. Now, they say they won't do it anymore! Not covered!

This has gone on for 3 years, and I am about to take this $%*^^% Whirlpool top loader (no filter) and toss it over a cliff with a stick of dynamite! (if I only had some)

Any (really) good suggestions or helpful tips? We can smell the sour washer, even when I first open up the front door of the house to come in---

Best--- Ron

Reply to
Ron G
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I would run an empty cycle with hot water and Clorox. Leave the lid up between loads to allow the tub to dry out and do anything else you can to promote air circulation where the washer resides. Avoid using liquid fabric softer as it can promote mold. When possible, make your last load one that uses hot water and bleach such as towels and other bleachable cotton items.

I have a Whirlpool top loader that is about 5 years old. It has already broken once and the tub rusted and was replaced (after much discussion) under warranty. I find that the machine seems to accumulate a lot of fabric softener reside around the top of the tub that traps lint and can become mildewed. The serviceman told me to use far less softener than recommended on the bottle and to make sure to dilute it very well.

My next washer will be a front-loader and it will NOT be a Whirlpool.

Reply to
Vox Humana

I have a Whirlpool (super capacity) that is going on its 12th year. It has not needed service yet. I leave the lid up when not in use to allow it to dry and prevent rust. No rust yet. I use vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. I have not used any kind of fabric softener in the washer nor dryer. The dryer itself softens clothes without any perfumes or chemicals. Another tip: Never, ever, overfill your clothes washer. A little extra room will get your clothes cleaner and lessen the chance of straining (or burning out) the motor. I found nothing wrong with the Whirlpool brand, and it was considerably less than a regular-size Maytag.

Reply to
Phisherman

"Phisherman" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

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Well, things were probably built better 12 years ago than 5 years ago. I had a 17 year old Kitchen Aid dishwasher before I moved. I immediately replaced the builder's grade GE in the new house with the best KitchenAid (by Whirlpool). It was bad from day 1. The installer ran a cycle and called the service people. They replaced the motor. A couple years later the motor had to be replaced again. The seal fell off from around the door, the bottom fell out of the silverware basket, several clips broke that held up the partitions on the shelf, and then the hose on the middle wash arm got an embolism. I have had dishwashers for thirty-five years and had none of these problem. My previous low-end Hotpoint clothes washer was 20 years old when it went bad. I used it in my business on a daily bases for several years before using it at home. I got the top of the line Whirlpool Gold Imperial Series Supercapacity + with all the features offered at the time because I thought it would be a good appliance. After three years a plastic component that connects the motor to the transmission broke. The part was only $8, but the total bill to fix it was almost $200 and it took a week to get the part. Whirlpool covered the transmission, but claimed this was not considered a covered component. When they took the machine apart, I looked at the drum and found that it was rusting around all the perforations. When I brought that to the attention of the service tech, he didn't want to replace it. He told me that I would have to prove to him that the part was covered. I pulled out the opener's manual and he was dismayed. I find it very hard to believe that Whirlpool doesn't know what is covered under their warranty.

I have replaced several appliances that didn't last nearly as long as their predecessor. It seems to be a trend. JennAir range - Electronic Oven Controller went bad after 5 years along with an igniter. GE-over the range microwave -- touchpad went bad after about 5 years and would turn on by itself! I have had two GE/RCA/Thompson TVs go bad after about 5 years of use. I have an old TV in the closet that is thirty years old and still worked fine.

Reply to
Vox Humana

Hi Ron

Sounds like the identical problem to my neighbors washer.

The installed a strap around the top of the tub with several strips of innertube type rubber affixed to this strap. When the inner tub spins, these straps sling outward and clean the outer tubs top area. It solved their problem with "The BIG STINK" as they called it.

TTUL Gary

Reply to
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.

When you say "they" do you mean the homeowner or Whirlpool?

Reply to
Vox Humana

"Vox Humana" verbositized:

A service tech Cohen Appliance uses came up with and installed the idea on the washer. Cohen does not sell Whirlpool Appliances but services all makes through their contracted service company.

We had a Penncrest (GE) washer that had a similar odor problem, main reason was they skipped the outer drum and the inner drum spun into the cabinet itself. This same appliance repair company installed a small blower similar to the kind you find in a dishwasher on the back of mine. When the washer quit, the blower would kick in and run for a tad over 1 hour to dry the inside of the cabinet out.

To the best of my knowledge, nothing they every did voided any product warranties!

I had a french door refrigerator, loved it! The seals would go out about once every 4 years, always replaced under warranty too! The last time the seals were replaced, the service guy said they finally changed the way this seal works on the new models. And although the manufacturer did not sell a retrofit kit to make the new seals fit the older style fridge, the service tech came up with a way to make the new style work on the old fridge and installed it for us. Never had a seal problem after that and he did a marvelous job too!

Some appliance repair companies are just that! Others try to solve problems so they don't recur again. Even if they have to replace your unit with an upgraded model to solve the problem!

Now, if only I could find one of these companies here where I recently moved to I would be a happy camper again!

TTUL Gary

Reply to
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.

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