The debate over using OEM parts vs aftermarket on washer pumps

I got into it with a guy named Dave at a supply house in Nashville last spring. He swore that aftermarket pumps were just as good as OEM for Whirlpool top loaders and that I was wasting money. I took his advice on a job and the pump failed after 3 months. Customer called me back, I had to eat the labor and swap it with an OEM part for free. Now I'm stuck wondering if I just got a bad aftermarket pump or if Dave was full of it. Anyone else had better luck with aftermarket pumps on certain brands? Or is OEM always the way to go for you?

3 comments

3 Comments

alicer5313d ago

Honestly, sounds like Dave never tested his pumps in a real hard-water situation.

fisher.thomas13d ago

Yeah, @alicer53, it's just like people who complain about their cars rusting but never bothered to wash the salt off.

wade_kelly7713d ago

Understand what you're saying. It's like the whole "test it in perfect conditions and call it a day" mindset. I see it everywhere. People buy a new phone and only test it in their living room with perfect signal, then wonder why it drops calls in a basement coffee shop. Or they buy a jacket that's waterproof until they actually sit in the rain for twenty minutes. It's like nobody wants to push things past the easy setup anymore. This Dave guy probably ran his pumps through city water once, saw it bubble a bit, and said "good enough.