It's amazing sometimes to realize how many of the machines we take for granted now weren't around just a hundred years ago. All the various appliances that make life less complicated, just sitting there silently, doing your bidding whenever you call upon them. Washing machines, dishwashers, clothes dryers, hot water heaters... ok well maybe some of them have been around for a while. They're still pretty darn handy.

For as long as I've had it, though, my washing machine has made an evil noise every time I run it. The previous owner of the house warned me, "Oh, it squeals a little sometimes. It probably just needs some detergent thrown on the belts." (!) But then I ran it and it sounded like an engine about to explode- the clothes came out fine, though, and who am I to fix it when it ain't broke?

Well, it's been almost two years now and it really has gotten worse. The kittens know the drill... they go hide under the futon whenever I run a load of laundry. Hell, even I go hide in my bedroom to escape the awful noise. Today I was about to do my weekly cleaning and decided instead to peek inside the soul of my favoritest of appliances.

I was too lazy to take an actual photo, so this isn't my washing machine. It looks the same as mine inside though, only mine is relatively new so it isn't nearly so foul looking. Still- I was surprised at how simple the whole thing was. (Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm squirling it away in that spot where I keep the basic schematics for sterling engines, homemade batteries and wind power generators. When the revolution comes, my steam-powered laundromat and solar Internet cafe will make a killing!)

The problem wasn't in the belts, which didn't surprise me. If they'd been rubbing and making that awful sound, they would've given out a long time ago. There's just something wrong with the pump; I can't find anything inside it that's scraping... the wheel spins smoothly, but maybe there are bad bearings or something inside it since it screams like a banshee when you turn it. Which makes sense- it's only when the pump is running to remove water that it screams. I've ordered a new pump on eBay already, hopefully by this time next week I'll be running perfect, silent washes.

Happy October! (ack!)