The Dryer Repairman


A couple weeks ago the dryer stopped. It was unresponsive other than a slight hum from a non-turning motor. Called the appliance repair place. The guy showed up the next morning. Took it apart, had a look, pronounced that the motor was seized up and it’d cost at least $150 to replace and install. He didn’t even ask if I wanted to repair it, assuming I’d rather replace the dryer. Hands me the bill for his $38 service call, which I pay, as he’s recommending that I check out a certain appliance store over by Wal-Mart.

So we shopped for a new dryer. A decent one could be had for about $350, but to get one with the same type of variable temperature setting would be at least $600. Fixing the old one starts to look like an option, especially if I can replace the motor myself. So, I get into it and sure enough, the motor is seized up, but I can turn it with a wrench and as I keep turning it gets a little looser. Shoot some WD-40 in and the thing spins like a top. Put it back together and it ran fine.

Went to the appliance repair place a couple days later and suggested that I didn’t seem to have gotten anything of value for my $38. To the contrary, they almost cost me the price of a new dryer I didn’t need. They didn’t see it that way.

Well, it seized up again this weekend. Took 20 minutes to oil it up again. Maybe they’re right, but it still seems like the repairman could’ve done the same thing (adding maybe 15 seconds for the WD-40 treatment to his service call) and told me it might work an hour or it might work a year.

When I get a few minutes I’ll drop by the appliance store he recommended, to let them know why I’ll never buy anything from them.



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