Senior Moment

My dryer has a feature that is purely annoying: the on/off knob and other features are accessed by turning a knob that’s on a long plastic spindle. The knobs last for about 6 months before they crack, which means they no longer have a solid grasp on the long plastic spindle; hence, the operator cannot turn on/turn off the appliance, rendering it useless. Y and I have replaced the knobs several times in the past several months – and I’m now over it.

Especially since the long plastic spindle broke, rendering another knob as a useless fix for the problem. My solution for the problem: buy a new dryer and start the process over. Yes, every dryer I looked at has plastic knobs on a plastic spindle to access the on/off feature of the appliance. And, dyers are not cheap, so it’s an expensive fix for a cheap problem, but once the plastic spindle broke, we were out of repair/replacement options.

I went to Home Depot first to find a replacement dryer, but HD does not offer free delivery, so I drove across the street to Lowe’s, which does give that service. I found just what I wanted: a dryer marked to half-price because someone else ordered it and returned it within 30 days for a refund. The service rep, Carter, and I discussed the features, as well as the persistent plastic problem and whether I needed a three-prong or a four-prong cord option. I didn’t know, so he said he’ll just send both and the delivery crew can use the one I need to make the dryer operational.

All well and good, I went to the garage upon my arrival at home, to pull out the old dryer and clean the area so the delivery persons could more easily install the new dryer. Imagine my surprise to find that my dryer is hooked up to gas and not the electric dryer I thought I had – and had just purchased a replacement that was also electric. There is a moment when one feels totally and completely -- stupid -- for making such an error, which now has to be undone, beginning with the phone call to cancel the delivery.

Yesterday, I went back to Lowe’s and reversed the first purchase process and replaced it with a new purchase, a dryer not on half-price sale, but which is gas. The new dryer will be delivered and installed today, so my trips to the Laundromat to dry my clothes come to a close as I will once again enjoy having that option at home.

Yeah, I learned the lesson: check what I need to replace before I go to store in the first place. But I was certain I had an electric dryer, so didn’t feel the need to measure twice/cut once.

UPDATE: The new dryer is here, delivered, installed, and tested, so we're good to go.