Frigidaire GLTF1040SA Washing Machine Review

I bought my washer at a scratch and dent sale place off ebay - PUMA industries. My washer has been great, I am in a condo with hot water issues, so I have installed a electric 4 gallon water heater (ariston) to provide hot water to my sink, dishwasher, and my washing machine. With the Frigidaire Gallery washer using so much less water, 4 gallons of hot water is enough to wash clothes, and since it uses so much less water I am able to discharge the waste water to the kitchen sink, instead of having a "permanent" hook up in my condo. Of course, I use 7th Generation liquid laundry detergent, so nothing "caustic" is in the sink, and I keep dishes away from the side of the sink the wastewater discharges into - with also is the garbage disposal side, which I run when the washer rinses.

I also installed the shake-a-way pads listed at repairclinic.com, and on Frigidaires web site. My condo is on the 2nd floor, and the shake-a-way pads reduce the vibration of the washer dramatically. I also installed a washer tray under my washer to protect against leaks, and installed stainless steel hoses, which I will replace every 10 years or so, or sooner if I see a slight leak. I also installed good water shut-off's (not the cheap ones most people use), and turn the water off after I use it. As I get more money, I will install a Floodstop unit to shut off the water to the washer in case of a leak, I already have one on my refrigerator water line, and love it - also available at repairclinic.com, and other places. These are available for toilets, washers, water heaters, etc.

I have heard much about mold problems, but I haven't had any. I leave the washing machine door open for a while after using, and my washer sits across from the a/c in the living room, so good airflow goes into the open washer after use. Otherwise, I would recommend a fan perhaps be ran for a few hours after use, to dry the washer interior.

I have seen a lot of complaints on user forums about bad bearing, and about the spider arms breaking which support the washer drum apparently.  One source stated that these arms are made out of aluminum, which bleach attacks and corrodes badly.  This was forwarded to Frigidaire, which stated it would let its engineers know.  Of course, their engineers should have already known to make this part out of a material not known to be eaten up by a commonly used laundry aid. This may explain why some report such problems - I don't use bleach, and as I have psoriasis try to use gentle products. I have not had such a problem. I also hear a lot about bearing failures, which is a very expensive repair. I contacted Frigidaire, they deny knowing of any problem. This is obviously b.s. on their part - I have read too many complaints for Frigidaire not to know. On the Samurai Fix-it-man website, or something similar to that, their is a way of replacing just the bearings, instead of the whole expensive part - but it is not a particularly easy job. It may well be worth it though.

What gets me is that if this is a problem, then Frigidaire should redeisgn the part so that once repaired, it would not need repairing again.

I do find myself wondering if bearing failures are in any way related to not always using the proper (low suds) detergent? I use 7th Generation liquid, and I try to use it a bit sparingly.

Overall, after using my washer for several years, very satisified. But I expect Frigidaire to stand behind its products - once this one needs repairing, we will see what I report.