The Kenmore washing machine that came with our House on Literary Lane is from 1997. It’s a very simple but functional top-loading beast with no bells or whistles. Early last week I noticed that the top portion of the agitator was no longer moving with the bottom part. Usually the bottom part moves and the top part moves with just a little delay.
We have to replace our hot water heater soon (I’m waiting on calling for an estimate until our street repairs are finished) and I really didn’t want to have to replace the washer or call who-knows-who for a repair.
The Internet to the rescue! I found that there are parts called agitator dogs that have teeth that connect with the top part of the agitator. Those teeth wear down over time and eventually the top part stops moving. I found the parts that matched up with our old washer and watched the instructional video. It seemed pretty simple so I placed an order. The total was around $16.95 and the tiny little bag with 4 agitator dogs arrived in two days. They are Whirlpool parts but sometimes one company makes parts for others.
The entire repair yesterday took me only 20 minutes to accomplish, and some of that time was spent washing the inside of the agitator (so disgusting) and figuring out WM’s socket set. I only needed to remove one bolt and pop off a retaining ring. The old agitator dogs were indeed worn smooth and were easily replaced by the new parts. And when I reassembled the top part of the agitator came back to life!
I am so stinking proud of myself that I can burst.
What can I fix next? Don’t say the hot water heater.
