Looks like the washing machine might be dead and in need of replacement. Looking at new ones. Why on EARTH would anyone want a wi-fi connected one? WHY?
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I second this. Do not expect LG to honor any warranty without months of runaround for both the customer and repair company. I will NEVER buy another LG product again.
I replaced our old LG with a Bosch dishwasher & it’s MUCH better, quieter & uses less water than the LG. They are manufactured in the US (NC?) & do cost a bit more.
If it lasted for 13 years it probably was made way before those IoT BS kicked off and was engineered based on hardware not software. On average modern appliances are not built to last that long sadly.
Yes and no. Price alone does not guarantee quality nowadays. But we should definitely look for it and give up bargain hunting mentality.
Also repairability is huge factor for longevity of things. Best products can break sometimes. We should not need to replace them every time
That assumption hasn't been right most of this century. You can spend $20,000 on an appliance and it will still break from planned obsolescence that serves the interests of the company over any irrelevant needs you may have .
Remember getting a Sears Kenmore washer back in 93. Lasted 19 years. Don’t even think it was ever serviced. The Kenmore dryer lasted the same amount of time. I think it had the belt replaced once. Miss that quality.
We had an LG washer and dryer for 15 months. The washer broke down in December & repair person made it worse )a screw/washer tore a hole on the outside of tub. 2nd repair person came & looked at it & never came back. Customer service was useless.
Damn dude, that's wild! Must have had a lot of use. I've not needed to repair anything that in depth and my washers have been around a while. Best of luck
paving the way for subscription service. i know ot sounds ludicrous, but... well, just check out what the EFF has to say about it (and the legal battles they've been fighting for at least a decade now)
I’d also like a timer so I can tell it when I want it to finish by, not try and work out the delay timer, which never corresponds to the actual time set
Been there and this is the sort of product innovation that really matters. That said, I DEFINITELY know people that would benefit from a notification that the wash is done!
Been there done that a couple weeks ago. Also had to find out there is now ai in it and game sounds and it begs you to connect to an app. I thought I got a washing machine.
“Use the steam cycle on your washer when you want to tackle stubborn stains, remove odors from clothes, sanitize items like baby clothes or bedding, or minimize wrinkles on garments that might otherwise need ironing”
It is supposed to help remove stains and kill mould, bacteria, and things like dust mites. There is not super good evidence from consumer testing orgs that it actually makes any difference compared to a normal hot water cycle.
I will say that my washing machine deep in the basement telling my phone to notify me that the laundry is done is literally one of the greatest upgrades ever over the old unit.
Simple. My washing machine sends me an alert when the cycle is complete. I love this feature and would miss it if it went away. What I would like is a local only option, I don’t want or need the cloud.
If it works, it tells you when the wash is done, so it saves trips to check on it. But mine didn't have the code to connect to the app, so I have no idea how useful it is.
We need a new midcentury appliance company, like someone needs to be cranking out updated versions of what GE was making in 1965. Gimme a blender that's just a motor, a choppy bit, and a switch. One mode: ON. Cars, too: https://bsky.app/profile/davidfisher.bsky.social/post/3ljedvw3ass2p
Actually I do want my appliances (and esp cars) to have sensors and safety features. So not quite like in 1965. I think our current tech is good and efficient. We just need less gimmicks, like wifi washers and touchscreens instead of buttons.
Just buy an old kids' bike from Goodwill and hook the chain up to the agitator. These new-fangled hi-tech bluetooth enabled pieces of crap are just more planned obsolescence programmed to fail when your subscription runs out. I'd take a 1995 Speed Queen w/ manual mechanical controls over this crap.
Well, it does save me from going downstairs to check if a load is done. That said, I could use the exercise and have only used the app once in two months. That was the first wash and was just to see it in action. So, in answer to your question: no good reason.
I've heard so many people complain that they had to replace a modern appliance after 5 years. Adding a motherboard means that you now have a new "most expensive part" and it's the one most likely to take a dump on you...
Yeah. I have a whirlpool (5 yo) wash machine and one of the circuits/computer parts had to be replaced. The older ones and ones without “computer parts” is probably best way to go
I’m convinced it’s companies inching the needle that much closer to spying on us every single minute of our lives. We have refrigerators that watch the front door, TVs that watch us watching TV, and every gd thing else comes with its own app now. We’ll be advertised at and ratted out at every turn.
If you want your laundry to be done when you get home from work, but you don't want to start it in the morning before you leave because then it'll sit wet all day.
If you have a baby who goes to sleep early, it’s nice to have the buzzer off when a load is done, and instead get a little alert on your phone. It also tells you when when to do a tub cleaning.
A word of warning! I bought a low-water use top loader from a brand that rhymes with Mirl-fool and fool I was. It did not clean anything. No combination of products or settings could get even a handkerchief clean. I went to a used appliance store and bought an old Kenmore and now have clean clothes.
Why would anyone want a WiFi connected refrigerator? My son has a washing machine connected to his phone. He also set up our new TV. It always tells me when his wash cycle is done. I figured it out one day. Now I don't care when his laundry in done. 😉
grrrrr, they just keep making it dumber. Our oven/range was a wifi type and when it was installed, we couldn't get it to work at all. Took 3 weeks for a tech to come out and get it going. Took him 2 minutes. I probably wouldn't have chosen that one if I'd known about the wifi bit
🤔 ... ☝️ to remotely update its operating system ! (in other words to make something that initially works reasonably well with the hardware, not work anymore).
I bought a miniature one, well it was like a medium one, for only $250 or so from Walmart delivered to
my house and that was like 4 years ago and I still always have clean clothes and the only thing it can't wash is large blankets. Pretty good bang for my buck!
Largely because if you don't hear the beep at the end of the cycle you might leave your laundry sitting wet for hours if you are occupied with other concerns.
I have a Wi-Fi operated dishwasher and tumble dryer only the washing machine isn’t, it’s handy for turning them on and off when I’m at work. Plus I just love tech.
WiFi connected kitchen appliances appear to be literally mandatory now. I’ve got an oven that texts me when at temperature and a dishwasher that pisses and moans about salt levels & being “terminally unhygienic”
see elsewhere - the entire insides need replacing apart from the pump and the motor; everything else including some of the steelwork needs to go. Es ist gefuckt
Parts Select. They sell parts and have a YouTube channel that demonstrates DIY repairs. I’m a 61 year old woman and this year I repaired both my wall oven and my dryer. Very empowering.
you could visit a local appliance repair shop or Restore for a used kenmore or similar model with a turn dial and no electronic board and keep the same washer for 25 years.
( our electric dryer is from the 70’s and was tossed out by a family member - best curb pick up ever! )
Went through this recently as well. Was lucky to find one with actual buttons and they are touch sensors. Just more digital claptrap to wear out and brick the whole thing. Good fucking luck!
Gonna make a mint with my "no electronics at all" appliance company. Call me a philistine but my toaster doesn't need a computer chip, let alone be able to access the internet.
It lets you know when the load is done. I don't need it but it could be useful if you're doing Saturday chores with 5 loads to do in the basement while you're vacuuming the 2nd floor. Kids have soccer and friends are coming over for dinner so 20 minutes saved not running stairs checking is huge.
Can these wi-fi wonders tell the time? My non-connected-to-anything-but-a-plug-socket seems to think a minute can be anything from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
You'll want wifi so you can still turn it on when the touch controls inevitably fail. Just make sure you set up the wifi in the 1-2 years you have before this happens or you're bricked.
Some of the new ones calculate based on weight and type - determined by sensors- the cheapest/most effective cycle time and water temp to save you money but they do so vai a closed API over the interwebs.
Ours has WiFi but I have no idea what it's for other than to be able to operate it remotely or something. I think it was on offer - I certainly wouldn't have chosen it.
(and obviously, all that phoned home data is great for not only ML improvement on the adjustment algorithm but MUCH more importantly, it produces metrics you can use for marketing).
just to make this worse, your water hardness is a measurable factor and that means saving the details of each machine that phones in and making automated adjustments via *swallows hard* AI.
Likely to prevent accidental deactivation of the chime, much like how the door lock override is similarly hidden behind a complex key combo. They should have been listed in the user manual, although I know plenty of people who just plain don't read those.
That sounds like something that would have been entirely handled by a precalculated Lookup Table in an 8bit microcontroller, before everything became CONNECTED
Calculations by weight/type aren't particularly new. It was a new feature in 2010, although at that time machines with the function were pretty pricey name brand machines that thankfully have decent lifespans (my mother's one still works, somehow)
Makes the contingency task of Russian FSB of putting novichok on your underwear perhaps a bit easier. They will know now your underwear cleaning cycle (when/how frequent), can better predict when it will be available on the clothing drying lines etc. These guys work hard, every bit helps.
It is all about data collection these days. If you can gather information to sell that is just another revenue stream for corporate profits. It is up to us as consumers to not buy those products and definitely do not blindly accept Terms and Services agreements.
I hate how modern home laundries don’t even have space for top loaders anymore. They assume everyone is just washing undies in their tiny front loader that takes at least 2hrs to wash one load
The one I have will hold several washings full of detergent, knowing how much is in the bottle that you bought and whenever you are almost out will automatically order more to be delivered from Amazon. How’s that for big brother?
I use the wifi integration ony dishwasher to announce to the house that it's finished, that's all it's useful for. But pay attention, the wifi modules they use are real crappy and often only support 2.4 ghz and get confused if there's also a 5 ghz ssid with the same name.
I bought the cheapest washer and dryer I could find and there is no electronic BS, just mechanical knobs and they work perfectly. My only complaint is the dryer done alarm is this crazy loud buzzer and the washer has no alarm at all.
Yo, I'm not selling the things or promoting them. I would say, if the inquiry is sincere & the shit is keeping someone up at night, ask a sales rep if Google doesn't cut the mustard.
Just my $0.02. Like I said, WTF do I know about it man...
The Right to Repair bill hasn't even passed Congress (though it applies more to business owners who don't want to pay subscriptions for their tractor or ice cream machine to work)
Helps when you have a parent who wants independence but might have memory issues, and you are not always at home or they cannot go up and down stairs "just cuz".
Agreed! Love Miele, but went for a Samsung smart, returned it in a week and got the dumbest Maytag with real knobs. It is still water efficient, but works perfectly after 10 years! Our Miele dryer is working great and we bought in 2009.
The model my wife was told to buy by her implant surgeon has BT and an app... First time it was connected it, it downloaded a new firmware. FIRMWARE? It's a goddamned toothbrush, why does it need firmware at all, what bugs did the update fix?
I believe it has something to do with an ability to learn the most efficient way to wash stuff and also so you can turn it on when you want to - it's taken the place of a timer - so clothes aren't sitting damp all day if you want it ready to put in the dryer when you get home.
restart the laundry you forgot to take out 2 days ago that now smells musty from your bed? also so they can download 767436758978gb of stuff on your network. what stuff, can't tell you, its all proprietary washing machine stuff tho I'm sure.
My partner got given some oralb brush that costs several hundred pounds as a gift from work and it lasted about two months before the computer in it started constantly rebooting itself.
I have one of the older Bluetooth ones (before the entire AI hype happened), it reminds you to change the brush head, keeps stats on how long you brush and if you use your phone it will do face tracking to make sure your getting every area of your mouth clean.
It’s a little silly but it’s at least a practical use of tech. It attempts to solve a problem, and it does; maybe not the most practical thing, but it’s not total BS. Also it can be controlled fully locally (and through home assistant)
I get what you’re saying, but forty-odd years of using a toothbrush (and regular dentist check ups) seems to be working without an algorithm poking its nose in.
I had to setup a socket power monitor to see when the energy consumed by the washer went above a certain W, then if it went below a certain W for a few minutes and report it to my phone, so I knew the cycle had finished from my office. If this were built in that would be far less hassle.
I forget there's washing to empty from the washing machine. And if I remember, I feel bad about myself for forgetting and/or it never gets dealt with because I'm not in a position to process the next step.
100% agree. The nonsense of adding computer controls unrelated to the basic functions of devices must stop. Case in point, I had a circuit board fail in a gas stove, and the repair would have cost more than replacing it. Digital controls end up being wasteful limiters to device life expectancy.
Our last one was an LG and loved it compared to the Maytag we replaced it with. Lasted 12 years. But that was back before they over complicated appliances with mini computer technology. I just need the basics. Why he haven’t purchased a new fridge yet. They are all now overly technical.
It can tell you when it's finished. If it's in the basement or some corner of your house where you can't easily watch it, that's actually useful. Unfortunately it's also a security hole in your household internet.
I had a 30+ year old Whirlpool top loader that was so old, the lid rusted off. The power company gave us a new Whirlpool Duet front loader to encourage energy conservation and it broke down in the first six months. 🙄
Completely agree.
I bought a Speed Queen washer and dryer a couple months ago to keep it as simple and straightforward (and reliable!) as possible.
I was almost embarrassed at the existence of the WiFi connected washers and dryers.
Come back with that when WiFi can sort and load the machines lol
The one we chose had it, and really the only benefit is that I can get a notification wherever I am that a load is done. It's not a bad feature, I guess, and nice when people are sleeping to not have the alarm go off, but it did force me to make an account, soooo.....
We got a wifi one and it has changed the laundry game for me as an ADHD person. I get notifications from my washer and dryer when they complete and reminders when my completed laundry has been sitting too long in either
Yeah, speaking as someone who can forget they are making toast in the 2 minutes it takes to toast a piece of bread, hooking my chores into a calendar/notification system is a godsend.
Same. My laundry hookups are all the way down in the basement, and getting a notification when they're done and being able to look in the app to see how much time is left is pretty sweet.
Yep! It's all done through an app on your phone so you can check the status of your washer and dryer remotely to see how much longer they have left. With ours you can also start/stop the cycle remotely too
Mine does. Let’s me know 5-10 minutes before the cycle ends. Also once cycle actually ends. And then 30 minutes later if I still haven’t gotten the clothes out. It is pretty handy, but I used the thing for a year before finally setting it up.
This! I need my washer to scream at me every 15 minutes until I take the clothes out. Or else the mildew monster will get them. Far too often my brain converts "I'm going to take the clothes out of the washer as soon as I finish X" to "I took the clothes out of the washer."
I don't know why anyone would want to buy one, but I know who would want people to buy one: bored teenagers. In my day we'd drive around suburbia mashing the button of a garage door opener and when eventually a door would open we'd drive off howling with laughter.
100% the same energy would be cracking the doubtlessly terrible cloud security on these systems and sending everyone's washing machine into spin cycle at 3am.
I have a combo washer dryer. Connecting it to WiFi lets me control it based on my solar generation and off peak time irrespective of when my wife turns it on.
I'll admit it, I'm way too into home automation and I'd want a washingachine with wifi. Like, think of the possibilities. I can have the laundry room lights go into an rgb loop when it's running!
why? I dunno. I'm busy asking if I can, not if I should
Because you're working in the garden and you need a ping to say come in and get the laundry to put out on the line. You'll be so thankful as you sink into deep slumber on those sweet-scented sheets.
I've had my stacking wash/dry for 21 years. The washer finally gave out. I'm looking for a new one but it's hard to find a SMALL stacking wash/dry for my condo.
Does anyone have any good brands to look for?
Brands to stay away from?
Are they all going to cost more than I can afford?
😞
Laziness and convenience ;) My washer, which is on another floor in than I usually am, lets me know when it's done, and it also tells my dryer what program it should run based on the program the washer just finished running. I just have to move my wet clothes over and hit "start". It's awesome.
Others commented on the real use (and it sounds handy!), while I was thinking about using the WiFi function to troll my roommates in the middle of the night when I am away lol
Find a place that sells refurbished old ones, refurbished etc.
Save a bunch of$$
New machines are electronic nightmares that are almost impossible to repair and designed to be shredded after they’ve served there purpose!
So China can put a probe up our A$$ & send text messages to a Musk chip in our skull to monitor our amygdala, silly! The gay, rich tech bros want to rule the world thru our A$$E$ with ... wait for it ... washing machines. 😎
"LUNATICS run THIS asylum, buddy....and wash your dirty straight-jacket!"
Conspiracy bs bingo: the WiFi is to propagate the 6G signal to activate the nanobots that were in your COVID vaccination. Think this is RFK official health advice 😜
I’m a creature of habit so when the ancient Magic Chef washer that came with the house died, I wanted one similar. Basic top loader, large capacity. After looking at all the modern ones with cycles lasting for over an hour, I landed on a Speed Queen. Basic. About 1/2 hour cycle. I love it.
yeah we have a washing machine that you can download something to. Never used it and never will. It doesn't have screen so makes zero sense. Won't play Jimi Hendrix videos off youtube either. DUMB.
The same reason someone would need a Keurig connected to wifi. Although I have found 1 benefit to the Keurig connected to wifi is they count how many pods I use and send me new ones at just the right time.
If you have to ask, you won’t understand why. I love my WiFi connection appliances. No more restarting the dryer cause your clothes are wrinkled from sitting.
If you don’t want it, don’t set it up. Easy peasy.
Technology and laziness go hand in hand, my guy. Why bother being smart when your appliance can be "smart" for you 🤦
This isn't the way.. Technology should help make life easier. It wasn't supposed to make people lazy... Yet it's being marketed as "smart" cos it sells! I think, idk.
Comments
Also repairability is huge factor for longevity of things. Best products can break sometimes. We should not need to replace them every time
Not sure if or why I need that.
It's the first real positive explanation for the use of wifi/internet of all things that made sense to me.
The more hi tech stuff on board
You are asking for trouble
Look up reliability for any appliance
Then go by that
Appliances are major bucks
Especially a fridge
now with the uncertainty
Tariffs
We have to be wise
Good luck
I would not recommend it.
If I would buy another one it would be a top loader with an agitator.
6 people doing laundry under 1 roof, so now you can tell if the washer is free by asking anywhere in the house.
Also, it listens to you and reports seditious speech to your local billionaire.
I so deeply wish I was 100 percent joking, with that one.
But can you be sure it is ignoring you?
I would give it the side eye if it were mine, for sure. 😒
You can't be too careful these days, lol.
my house and that was like 4 years ago and I still always have clean clothes and the only thing it can't wash is large blankets. Pretty good bang for my buck!
"Erm... how about no?"
My dude, what does my fridge even have to say to my TV?
Oven: “you should see his diet. This man is like, gonna be dead when he’s 50.”
Dishwasher: “yeah no kidding. The plates are always washed at highest temperature”
Washing machine:
“You guys have no idea”
( our electric dryer is from the 70’s and was tossed out by a family member - best curb pick up ever! )
They have to be able to lock you out somehow 🤷🏻
#EndSubscriptionModels
Miele are the best by a country mile, unless you're pouring concrete or drilling for oil, it should last you 20 years.
Some of the new ones calculate based on weight and type - determined by sensors- the cheapest/most effective cycle time and water temp to save you money but they do so vai a closed API over the interwebs.
So yeah. Sorry.
Why on earth was it hidden behind a secret menu?!
Perhaps notifications... I don't know beyond that muchacho. I'm loco ese...
Just my $0.02. Like I said, WTF do I know about it man...
However, everything is better with Bluetooth
Never once have I set it going by doing anything other than pushing the buttons on the front
I happily paid less for a toothbrush that doesn't have any connectivity.
We exchanged it for one without connectivity that doesn't demand engagement
The LG doesn't clog my inbox plus it has a top rack & washes much better
I assume the wifi connection benefits the company by providing detailed usage data, and perhaps surveillance data.
Why?
Yeah thanks, the beeps told me that and cost me £250 less...
I have to literally set a timer on my phone otherwise the washing machine will stop existing to me.
Follow me for more advice like this.
I bought a Speed Queen washer and dryer a couple months ago to keep it as simple and straightforward (and reliable!) as possible.
I was almost embarrassed at the existence of the WiFi connected washers and dryers.
Come back with that when WiFi can sort and load the machines lol
My laundry machines are both Samsung, by the way.
They do this on purpose.
Also the warning that a load is finished or it's in use is nice.
Connected my washer (8Kg LG), and found absolitely no functional benefit.
The only thing such connection could be useful is to "brick" your washer and force you to buy another one.
Soon, industrious people will buy these as scrap and future proof them by fitting better bearings and electrics
And that's the least nefarious reason.
why? I dunno. I'm busy asking if I can, not if I should
It’s the wifi!
😳
All I can think of is which playlist to shit to
Does anyone have any good brands to look for?
Brands to stay away from?
Are they all going to cost more than I can afford?
😞
Save a bunch of$$
New machines are electronic nightmares that are almost impossible to repair and designed to be shredded after they’ve served there purpose!
"LUNATICS run THIS asylum, buddy....and wash your dirty straight-jacket!"
https://youtu.be/d0Jq6hKiLUQ?si=8sMZNn3laTQpYHQK&t=25
“You can just turn off WiFi”
I know. But I don’t want IoT devices on my network.
“But you can always just turn it off.”
So then I called another store, who found one, and they got my business.
If you don’t want it, don’t set it up. Easy peasy.
This isn't the way.. Technology should help make life easier. It wasn't supposed to make people lazy... Yet it's being marketed as "smart" cos it sells! I think, idk.