John Stark and Barry Pyle never imagined their laundry room would look like a war zone.
"We were shocked at what we saw," Pyle said. "It was like a sonic boom."
One night this week, they were at home watching television with their two dogs, running a load of linens in their Samsung top load washer.
"It was set on warm, it was set on normal," Pyle recalled.
But there was nothing normal about what happened next. They say they heard an explosion in the laundry room. When they approached the door, they had to push it open, because the dryer had been forced against it.
Once they got inside, they saw the top of their washer had blown off, the steel sides were bowing out, and debris was littered around the small room. The force of the explosion was powerful enough to cause real damage.
"It dented the icebox. It dented the dryer. Knocked a hole in the wall, and then it was still sitting there spinning and filling up with water," Pyle said.
"I'm just glad no one was in the room, cause there would have been some serious injury," said Stark. "I called customer service, and I said, 'This is going to sound crazy, but my washing machine just exploded.'"
You might have heard reports of Samsung's exploding Galaxy Note 7 phones, but it seems some of their washing machines have also become a problem.
Multiple reports similar to to Stark and Pyle's have been sent to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. The agency is now working with Samsung on a fix for certain top load washers made between March 2011 and April 2016.
"I have not heard anything about them, so I think they've doe a pretty good job of not publicizing [the incidents]," Stark said.
Samsung issued a statement to News 8, saying it is now working with Stark to resolve the issue and urges any other customers who have potentially affected washers to contact the company.
Samsung and the CPSC also say that anyone with a top loading Samsung washer should take care to use the delicate cycle when laundering bedding, water-resistant or bulky items.
Pyle and Stark and now warning others and hope Samsung will make their laundry room right. Until then, they'll be doing the wash elsewhere.
"Probably Sunday, I'll go over to my son's house and do laundry in his Samsung washer. On gentle!" Stark said.
Full Samsung Statement to News 8:
Samsung is in active discussions with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to address potential safety issues related to certain top-load washing machines.
In rare cases, affected units may experience abnormal vibrations that could pose a risk of personal injury or property damage when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant items.
Samsung is recommending that consumers use the lower speed delicate cycle when washing bedding, bulky or water-resistant materials. There have been no reported incidents when using this cycle.
Customers can determine if they have an affected washing machine by visiting: www.samsung.com/us/support/tlw.Safety is our top priority. If you have any questions, please call Samsung at 1-844-483-3881."
