Don't Know How to Do Something? Learn that Something and Get it Done

A few weeks ago, my front load clothes washer started making an abnormal, very loud racket in the spin cycle. Something heavy was clacking against the wash tub. I thought to myself, "Hmmm. Now I know where that 9 mm socket went!"

I hit the cancel button on the washer and put the clothes into the dryer. But, oddly, the socket wasn’t in the washer tub. I looked through all clothing with pockets, but found nothing.

So, maybe the noise wasn’t from my lost 9mm socket. As I turned the wash tub, the clattering continued. Something was trapped in-between the washer tub and the tub housing. This meant a lot of dis-assembly to gain access to the object inside the machine.

Now I thought, "Shoot. What's this repair going to cost?"

When the load was dry, I decided to figure out how to fix this noise problem.

I grabbed my tool bag, un-plugged the power cord and turned the water off. I removed some panels and parts on the washing machine cabinet, but had to stop because I couldn’t figure out how other parts were mounted.

So, I did what Greg Johnson and I teach at every career workshop session: Use Google and figure it out. So that’s what I did. I entered the washer manufacturer’s model number into the search box.

A Flashback
When I was in the third grade, my teacher, Mr. Dempsey, taught all of his classes a lifetime skill. Whenever anyone asked him how to spell something, he would yell, “Look it up!” and slam a dictionary on their desk. I still remember some kids would say, “I looked it up, but it’s not in the dictionary.” That made Mr. Dempsey furious. He picked up a dictionary, looked up the word, showed everyone in the class, and then slammed the dictionary closed. Then he would yell, “Now you do it.”

Back to the Washer Information Search
Google said there are “about 62,200 results for MHWE300VW12.” I already knew this Maytag unit was made by Whirlpool, so that helped a lot. After a few minutes looking at various parts lists and operation manuals, I began to understand washing machine terminology.

Then I had to figure out what procedure would be needed to apply to my situation. This was not a case of something not working, but rather how to access something inside the washer tub, or between the outer tub and inner tub. I had to think about what search terms to use. My answer would be found by searching for a repair procedure that required removing the washer tub.

 I searched for “replacing the outer tub.” Bingo. Found a great how to do it video on the first try.

The Life Lesson
So if you are not sure how to do something, or are looking for information, look it up first on your own, before taking the lazy way and asking for the answer from someone. It will help you learn more things and you will become a more valuable person.

In case you are wondering, yes, I took apart my washer, got the 9mm socket out and put everything back together. No missing or extra parts. So I learned something new and saved several hundred dollars at the same time. But the best part of this adventure is the life lesson of finding information and adding some new skills and knowledge. 

Additional tags: Maytag, front load washer MHWE300VW12, Whirlpool, front load washer W10772607, life lessons, research, self-help, self-improvement

Wayne Yoshida is a technical writer and education advocate with sales management experience. Wayne currently works in the alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) industry and has worked for a wide variety of high technology companies, including aerospace and defense, photonics, lasers and opto-mechanics, two-way radio and telecommunications as well as a non-profit, educational organization. His personal passion for electronics and Amateur Radio opened many doors to some very interesting personal and professional experiences. Working as a ham radio consultant for the NASA Johnson Space Center during Space Shuttle mission STS-9 was his most memorable experience. Connect with him on LinkedIn, and for a look into his personal passions, follow his blog.