Old washing machine threw a belt on a Saturday after a spring storm

I was out in Des Moines last April, working on a 15 year old Whirlpool that had a belt snap during a heavy rain. The homeowner said it started smoking and stopped mid-cycle, so I figured it was just age and wear. I opened it up and found the belt was shredded, but the real problem was a seized pulley from a leaky drain hose that had been dripping for months. I replaced the belt and the pulley, cleaned out the gunk, and tested the spin cycle three times before it ran smooth. The whole job took about two hours and cost the guy $45 in parts, but he was just happy to have it working again before Monday. Has anyone else run into hidden water damage causing more than the obvious broken part?

2 comments

2 Comments

blairf4812h ago

Man, I read a blog post that said water damage is the number one hidden laundry room issue.

the_morgan4h ago

Honestly yeah water damage is a nightmare. I had a tiny leak from my washing machine hose that I didn't notice for months and it ruined the baseboards. I started putting a cheap plastic drip tray under the machine and checking the hoses every couple months and it's been fine since.