A dishwasher fill valve consists of a simple plastic body, to which are attached a solenoid and an inlet coupling, and a few plastic interior parts.

Mine conked out recently, and here is what it looks like, in its disassembled state:

Yes, I did clean it up and reassemble it, but the solenoid remained dead.

I suspect that these cost a few dollars to manufacture in China, where nearly everything like that is now manufactured.

So what I want to know is how in blazes it cost me $55.65 at a local appliance parts store? And why does the new one look like a shoddily made piece of crap compared to the old one? (The new one is an el cheapo crimped unit -- clearly designed so that it cannot be taken apart.)

I could have saved twelve dollars or so and bought the same part on ebay, but then I'd have had to wait a week for it to arrive, and it's very aggravating when you wait and look in the mail every day, and each day it's not there you start to worry that you might be up against one of those flaky or crooked sellers. Not only that, but the hot water shutoff also means shutting off the hot water to the kitchen sink -- which also means that the kitchen sink can't be used because the cold water runs out the disconnected dishwasher line so unless I were to disconnect the line entirely and cap off the shutoff valve (all of which is irritating and time-consuming), I wouldn't be able use the kitchen sink while waiting impatiently for the ebay part to arrive.

So I'm willing to pay more to have it now, and avoid stress.

It wouldn't be worth a post except that this is the third time in a year that I have had to replace a water valve. First was a sink valve, then the washing machine fill valve, but they all have the same problem; they become clogged with the calcium and crud that's in the water until finally they're non-functional.

Still, fifty bucks is an extortionate amount of money for a simple fill valve. A normal person would call a dishwasher repair service. That adds another hundred dollars. A new dishwasher like mine costs about $300.00.

An expensive part here and an expensive part there, and pretty soon your average homeowner might find himself questioning the whole idea of appliance repair.

And why is the new valve a piece of crap compared to the old one, and why is it designed so that it cannot be taken apart? I don't know much about the appliance repair industry, but I do remember when things were "built to last" and I found an appliance repair site with a shockingly honest (if somewhat speculative) explanation of what may be going on:

Today many shoppers are finding that their new appliances are only lasting an average of five to seven years. My one word explanation for this short service life is that the), bought "Junk."

Why did this happen? Did a gang of criminals take over the .appliance industry, or what?

'Today, although there are more than twenty-seven major appliance brands on the American Market, ownership of the entire industry are controlled by just five companies. I have a chart telling you who own what in an Appendix at the end of the book.

Another result of this policy was that the management of many of the remaining companies had to find new ways to inject profit into their companies. One technique was changing the parts and changing department, from a "necessary evil" into a profit center.

When a manufacturer turns to parts replacement as a major profit source, there is little or no incentive to improve product quality or longevity. In fact, if you are bottom line oriented, and business management has to be, it would seem the temptation would be to go the other way. I can not say that this is the reason for the apparent lowering of quality in many companies' products. But anyone in the appliance repair industry could tell you that many manufacturers continue to use components that have a high failure rate year after year. The parts are almost never improved and tile parts and service departments just keep getting busier. This might seem short term smart, but it is long term stupid.

I hate to say this, but I can sometimes understand why the "little guy" might sometimes be susceptible to Michael Moore's bullshit.

MORE: Might there be something inherent in the MBA orientation which does not lend itself to considering the more practical aspects which drive the businesses they are supposed to run?

Here's an MBA critiquing his own profession:

...whereas a youth training scheme in car repair or a plumbing apprenticeship might actually teach you to repair a car or fix a leak, the MBA does nothing more than give you some ideas for how to approach a problem. Which is why so many of the most successful business people, Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch to name just two, never bothered with a formal business education. Their success derives from their experience and their nature ­ not from sitting in a classroom with a group of aspiring management consultants.

MBAs in the public mind have become expert at extracting value from an economy, through fees, bonuses and exorbitant salaries, without knowing how to build value. They use their management voodoo to suck the blood of the real value creators in an economy. But really they are of less practical use to society than a decent carpenter or accountant.