Don't Try This At Home

It's official.  We are not qualified to replace the belt on our washing machine.  In fact, we're not qualified to do anything with any appliance other than press the buttons and open and close the door.

In the last 12 days, I have washed 3 loads of laundry...which I squeezed in between when the sewer pipe got unclogged and the washer belt burned up.  Three loads is not nearly enough laundry for a 12-day period, and we have a mound of dirty laundry the size of a Volkswagen Bug.

We spent a long and frustrating part of this evening replacing the belt by using the 18-step instructions we found on the internet. (Note Ben's blood on the bracket on the right side of the photo.)  My favorite part was when I overheard Ben say to himself, "Now this part is really important, so it HAS to go back in."  WHAT??  They ALL have to go back in!

The belt has now been replaced, and the washer still doesn't work.  While we were replacing the belt, I noticed a piece of black rubber in the bottom of the washer.  When Ben pulled it out, I realized that it was a broken brake shoe, and all 3 of the shoes were broken.  Technically you could run the washer without brake shoes as long as you don't mind losing a hand if you open the lid during the spin cycle, but the big question is WHY did the brake shoes and belt simultaneously self-destruct??

Until I'm proven otherwise, I'm going to blame it on the thoughtful but misguided decision my family made to wash my very dirty car mats in the washer.  Ever since then I've occasionally heard a gritty sound while the drum was turning.  I think the sand has probably caught up to us.  I'll be heading over to Belcher's after the game tomorrow for a little chat.

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