Our 2009 GE front loader began to leak pretty heavily onto the floor. It appeared to be leaking where the water entered the machine as it was dripping down on the front left of the machine. At first I thought it was the typical broken inlet valve but after pulling it out and inspecting the rear it was clear the leak was coming from the front. I consulted Chat GPT about possible problems and it gave me a good set of trouble shooting steps. I determined that the gasket on the water tube under the detergent tray was probably worn.
I had hoped the I would not have to figure out how to remove the front of the machine because it was so involved. But even though I got the detergent tray removed, I was unable to re-install it in the tight space. So I tackled removing the front. That consisted of removing the wire ring around the door, removing the door lock and disconnecting the wires and removing multiple screws holding the front tight to the machine. Then keeping track of all those screws and where they went back.
After I removed the front I noticed that there was a disconnected drain pipe that was probably the real culprit. But I would not have seen it unless I had removed the whole front. So I saw that the disconnected pipe was attached under the drum and realized that was not a pipe I could replace without major machine surgery. But I reconnected the other end and ran the rinse test and it all seemed to hold water just fine. Then I rejoiced that I had fixed it for another few years of use and even bragged about it on Facebook. But pride goeth before a fall, after the first load the pipe began to leak heavily again and I gave up. If that pipe was split the washer was a goner anyway.
I broke down and did research for a new machine. We really liked our stackable machine pair and its energy efficiency. The dryer was gas and the washer was one that measured how much water was needed to do the load. We also washed mostly in cold water. So I downloaded washing machines’ energy ratings from Energy Star. That resource may not be available for long because it is transferring from the EPA to the DOI and already resources have been deleted as national policy has changed to using energy instead of saving it.
I read about heat pump dryers and that they work on 120 volt power. We did not need to wire for a new electric dryer. The nearby oven is wired for 220 but I since installed a 220 for the EV charger and I’m not sure the box can take another 220. I was also interested in the new, improved all in one units. Even though the LG all-in-one was more highly rated, I decided on the GE because it was about $200 less expensive and haul away and installation were included from Costco.
The installation was not seamless. Although the machine came with new hoses, the installers decided my old stainless hoses were better and didn’t replace them. However there was a leak that was difficult to determine its source. Actually if I had been in charge I would have disconnected the hose to see that the valve was not the source of the leak. But it’s hard to tell installers what to do. So they left saying I had to fix the problem. I quickly ordered new valves and a new box but when I started work on the leak, it was clear that it was the hose. I could not get the hose to stop leaking even with a new gasket so I used the hoses that came with the machine and the problem went away. Returned the unnecessary supplies and called the installers back. The machine did not sit evenly on the base. The installers denied that it was an issue but fixed it anyway!
And we really like this new machine. I was able to insulate and block off the old gas chimney through the roof and the cycles include drying. That means set and forget. Everything is automatic, the detergent is pre-measured from a storage tank, the water is specific to the load, and the cycles are adjustable depending on water temperature, spin cycle, and drying temperature. Adjustments can be saved so each cycle is specific to your settings. The wash cycle is about the same but the drying cycle is a little longer. Not hours like the older water-condensing machines. The heat pump speeds up the process to just less than an hour. And of course, Wi-Fi sends a notification when the load is finished.