Repairing the Washer and Dryer

Years ago (somewhere around 30 years), my house was struck by lightning. The final toll was a pressure regulator on a propane tank (where the lightning found its way into the house), two appliance cords, a high temperature pilot, a door switch, a microwave, and a circuit breaker.

The damage was something to see, since it was far from what I expected. The path of the lightning, which took milliseconds, was into the propane tank, through the ground, into the dryer, from the drier to the wall plug, into the washer, to the circuit breaker, and finally across the air, into the water heater. It was apparent the paths to ground changed, when the appliance cords were shredded, the circuit breaker blew apart, and the final ground was the grounding circuit of the water heater. My ex-wife, who was home, said it was a terrifying thing to experience.

After my ex-wife wife called, and I arrived home, the first thing I noticed was a hiss from the propane tank. Inspection revealed a regulator leaking at the threaded connections. The heat of the lightning must have melted the threads. I turned off the regulator and entered the house. A quick inspection revealed the damage in the utility room.

The cords for the washer and dryer were shredded, although not burned. The water heater had a burn on the side, as though someone tried to strike an arc with a welding rod. The microwave was not on, and I went outside to inspect the breaker box.

What was left of the breaker was hanging in pieces. I started a mental list for things needing replacing, and went back into the utility room.

I pulled the washer and dryer from the wall. Removing the appliance cords was easy, so I went to town for the cords, the breaker,  a pressure regulator, and crossed my fingers.

The regulator was an easy fix. So were the breaker and appliance cords. Turning the breaker back on didn't cause a trip, so I knew either the circuit was completely open, or things weren't as bad as I envisioned.

The washer started right up, and appeared to be working correctly. The dryer didn't, so it was time to take it apart.

After examining the dryer, the only thing I could find was the high temperature pilot in the plenum was open. That, and the door switch didn't have continuity. It was time for a trip to the appliance parts store, which had what I needed.

After I finally had the replacement parts back on, I reattached the propane fitting, and pushed the start. It worked, the burner lit, and after a few minutes, I knew it was good.

The microwave was the last project. Opening it up revealed a burn mark in the circuit board. Since such things cost more than a new appliance, the microwave was tossed, and a new one replace it on the counter.

I called my insurance agent. After a few minutes of conversation, we agreed the sum of around two hundred dollars for repairs was much lower than my deductible. So, there was no claim, and life went on.

I eventually sold the washer and dryer for $100 at a garage sale. They worked, even after over twenty years of service. The replacement dryer was electric. After seeing how lightning can travel through a propane line, I decided propane had to go. I had only used the propane for the dryer, and everything else was electric.

Both washer, and dryer, were old school. There were no electronics, the timer were manual, and the mechanics simple. I doubt a similar incident would yield the same results today. With all the electronic horse crap installed, the only repair would probably be replacement.