Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ball

[kaasirpent]

About a month ago, I purchased a new range because veldah was able to demonstrate that it wasn't working correctly.

While we were at the Sears appliance store looking at ranges (I bought one very like the one I had located online), I was looking at washing machines and dryers.

"Not because I need new ones," I said to the salesdude. "I bought the ones I have now with the first paycheck from my first job back in 1990. Twenty years and they're still going strong. They won't die, but if they did, I'd probably replace them with something like this."

When characters in movies say things like that, there are usually musical cues to let the viewer know that it was a bad idea. Minor chords, dissonance, unresolved chords, repeated notes...that kind of thing. You know the schtick:

"Oh, it's been 100 years since there were any murders here in Cabot Cove." <dun Dun DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!>

"Well, no, we just moved the gravestones, not the bodies. I mean, what can possibly go wrong?" <orchestral burst followed by creepy dissonance>

You know nothing good is ever going to come of whatever has just been said when you hear that music.

If I had a life-track (soundtrack for my life), there would have been an honest-to-goodness <ominous chord> at that utterance.

"They won't die," I said. <ominous chord>

Tonight I came home to find veldah sopping water out of the laundry room. Seems the washing machine sprung a leak.

Good thing I have plenty of clean laundry for the next few days.

Maybe this is a new superpower. I can break appliances with the power of my statements that invite the ironic application of karma.

Let's test it! You, there, reading this. What appliance would you like me to break for you?

 The Skeptics Guide #279 - Nov 15 2010 by NESS from The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe (Rating: 0)

Comments

Whatever you do, first call a repair guy...

[ddreslough.livejournal.com]

One day I came home to find the washer had become incontinent. Clay and I braced for the painful Cha-CHING, since these units are at least 13 years old and we expected a full death... But, I called my appliance guy, and voom - $75 bucks later: good as new! *whew* He just saved our dishwasher too (and that one was newish...stupid thing. Motor went out on it.)

[scirocco.livejournal.com]

I've repaired our 15-year old washers and dryers a combination of four times so far. Your leak is probably an easy fix, so IF you wanted to retain your loyal appliances, you probably could. Keep in mind, however, that I've fixed ours myself, and so not incurred any labor costs. PARTS costs for older models are cheap, but if you get someone in to do the work, all bets may be off on whether or not the repair exceeds the remaining value of the washer.

[kaasirpent]

I can guarantee that if I tried to fix it myself, it would break irrevocably and I'd have to either call a repairman anyway OR buy new appliances. So either way, I'll be calling a repairman. :)

I would say my dishwasher…

[cfred.livejournal.com]

…but the effects wouldn't take hold until after the home warranty has expired, and we'd have to pay for the replacement out of pocket.

The dishwasher is ancient—at least 25 years old. It would not run when we first moved in, due to an issue with the drain pump. We called the problem in to the home warranty company, and they sent a repairman. He was just about to call it in as dead and order a replacement when it sprang to life. It's run consistently since then.