Things I learned today.

If you need to have your front loading GE washer repaired because it’s not draining nobody in town wants to work on a front loading washing machine.

You can slip aquarium tubing past the drum to siphon much of the water out. Later you discover this isn’t necessary; the drain pipe takes a route that assures it can be used to drain the entire tank. (update:  Do not try to route a tube past the front door gasket, you’ll pop it off and then you’ll be sorry!)

There are a few hundred screws to be removed to get the back off the washing machine. That’s a hint. Don’t remove the back. The problem is in the front.

The hose claps are cleverly designed to require very large pliers to remove them. Happy day, I have large pliers. Better yet, I can find them.

The pump motor assembly is held together with torx screws. I’m a geek, I have a torx wrench; wrong size. Wait! I bet this is a hint. Remove entire assembly instead.

If your hard up for cash there is two or three dollars in change in the trap of your washing machine’s drain.

The pump doesn’t work if you inject a large paper clip into it’s works. Removing paperclip and all is good.

Did I mention that you shouldn’t remove the back panel of the washing machine. If you do the entire sheet metal box goes very very slightly a-kilter; none of the screws line up. It takes a few hours and various bits of lumber to convince box to return to approximately the right shape. Then you force the screws in one at a time.

Clean clothes for Christmas, and an education, and $2 dollars and 43 cents!

Oh, I also learned that the first thing they ask when you go to the Macalester interview is what your SAT scores are. There is a lot of market failure in the college admissions process.