Investigates

Action News Jax Investigates: 'Exploding' washing machines

A Jacksonville woman said her washing machine exploded -- just feet from her sleeping baby.

Jenna Lentz said she never would have believed that her washing machine could do something like this.

“All of a sudden we heard this big explosion," Lentz said. "I initially thought either somebody drove through the house or the roof collapsed. We went in there, it looked like it had rotated about 180 degrees."

Water was everywhere in her laundry room. Her 9-year-old GE profile top-loading washing machine looked like something had exploded inside.

“And then it punched holes right here, and in the back as well,” Lentz said.

On the other side of that damaged wall, Lentz said her newborn baby was sleeping. Lentz said GE sent a serviceman to check it out. Lentz said he blamed faulty shock absorbers.

Action News Jax told you back in September about another family who claimed a 22-pound concrete block shot out of their Whirlpool front-loading duet washer.

The company sent the family a $1,200 check to buy a new one.

Action News Jax checked the consumer product safety commission website and found a complaint -- filed just three months ago -- about a 2006 GE front-loading washing machine.

The owner said it “vibrated itself to exploding.” Action News jax also found other complaints from people who reported their front-loading machines by Whirlpool had violent vibrations events.

Lentz said after reporting the damage, GE sent her family an email that said she could get a new GE washer model for about $640.

“They describe it as a discounted price, and that’s not a discounted price,” Lentz said.

But when Action News Jax reached out to GE, the company said something different. In this statement, a spokesman says they “apologized” and “were in the process of exchanging the washer,” adding “GE appliances is committed to providing consumers with products that are safe and meet our product quality standard.”

GE’s insurance did pay to repair the damage done to the Lentz’s laundry room.

Repair experts say these are experts say this is the extreme case, but if your washing machine has loud and abnormal vibrations, don’t wait to have it checked out.