Installations

So we got home from The Big City with our new washer and our new toilet. Hooray!

On Monday, they were still in the van so they came to town with me and the boys.

On Tuesday, I took them out of the van, all by myself, just in case Number One might have time to install them between rounding up cattle and heading in to town for H-Bomb’s soccer game. He didn’t. (and I did it ever-so-gently. I am strong from lifting boys.)

On Wednesday, Number One stayed down from the mountain in order to install the washer and the toilet. By the time we were ready to leave for school, Number One had the old washer removed, the disgusting floor underneath the washer swept and mopped, and unpacked the new washer. There was absolutely no visible damage on the outside of the washer box. Upon removing the box, Ranch Hand, who was helping with the washer moving, noticed that both back bottom corners of the washer were dented. I emailed Home Depot, hoping for some money back. We live in the middle of nowhere, and without a washer, decided to install it anyway and hope for the best. They had the new washer in place before the boys and I left. And that’s when the hot water valve started leaking. I added “washer valve thingie” to my town to do list, and Number One put a bucket under the valve.

While the boys and I were in town, Number One successfully installed the toilet. Happy Day. We came home to a shiny, new toilet that even flushes!

I brought home the new valve, and Number One put it all together. We leveled the washer, adjusted and tightened the feet, and voila!

The washer was so completely out of balance that it thrust itself across the floor, banging horribly the whole way until it slammed into the water heater and/or dryer. Seriously, it was lodged diagonally between the two other appliances. We checked the level again; perfect. I ran a desperate load of jeans through, wedging my body between the washer and the water heater during the violent spin cycle.

Today, I called Home Depot. I explained the horrendous knocking and banging from our brand new washer, and suggested that the box had been dropped somewhere along the line. They said they would “make it right” and suggested I first contact Maytag to see if that company would do anything about it.

Maytag, I’m sure you’re familiar with the company with the infamous repairman? The one who is so NOT busy he can help everyone else out? Well, yeah. Right. THAT guy wouldn’t help me. He must be too busy helping everyone else. Anyway, the lady who answered the Maytag line said we were going to have to “find a place to take that washer to and have it repaired” because “we don’t have any service centers in the area.” I totally could have told her that. I told her what was going on, and that we had purchased the washer at Home Depot. She basically told me that Home Depot wouldn’t do anything about it because it had been more than 48 hours and we had transported the washer ourselves. The Maytag Lady told me Home Depot would NOT take care of it.

“Oh. Really,” I said. And I told her what the Home Depot manager had told me about making it right and even “if Maytag can’t help you or even if their timeframe doesn’t work out for you, call back.”

And the Maytag Lady said, “Well, if they offered to help you, you better take them up on it.” She said she was surprised. I didn’t tell her I was glad I hadn’t purchased my washer from an actual Maytag STORE.

So I called Home Depot back. Turns out the guy I had been speaking to was just “acting manager” and really works in the Garden Dept. But he had spoken with two or three other managers, so everyone who is anyone at the store was briefed about my situation. He said there was an appliance repair place one town away (63 miles from our ranch) but when I didn’t sound thrilled about that, he said we deserved a new washer that works and said he would work it out so someone would drive a washer down and install it for us. He would have done it tonight, but tonight didn’t work for us since it’s our stay-in-town night and Number One is on the mountain.

I am not kidding. One of the assistant managers at a Home Depot store more than 4 hours away from our ranch is personally driving a brand new washing machine down to our house. He will install it, make sure it works, and then take the malfunctioning washing machine back with him. On a SUNDAY.

Take that, Maytag. Home Depot ROCKS.