Anyone know anything about washing machine repairs?
Anyone know anything about washing machine repairs?
Author
Discussion

Acuity31

Original Poster:

58 posts

3 months

Monday 2nd February
quotequote all
Symptoms are the drum wobbles back and forth a lot and it can knock on high spin. Not sure if that's just the way it's made or something has failed (as it came with a recent house purchase).
Turning the pulley by hand with belt removed has no grinding or play, bearings feel fine.
No obvious suspension/spring failure either, at least to my eye.
It's just a cheap Candy machine so I dont mind replacing it but thought I'd have a go trying to investigate myself, with limited knowledge.

https://streamable.com/up0rea


tgr

1,209 posts

193 months

Monday 2nd February
quotequote all
Are you sure the bearings are fine? If the inner drum is rubbing on the outer one sounds like classic bearing failure to me.

Alternatively the dampers aren't working.

Finally a free check might be to balance it using a spirit level

5s Alive

2,648 posts

56 months

Monday 2nd February
quotequote all
As above it looks like the dampers are shot. It's a bit tight to get at the mounting points of the dampers (3 in mine) but doable with care. Replaced ours recently.

Sheepshanks

39,085 posts

141 months

Monday 2nd February
quotequote all
I changed the dampers on a previous machine we had, but it was really easy, as they were bolted in place. I think the plastic pegged ones can be awkward.

The dampers were completely knackered - no damping effect at all. But I don't remember the drum moving like your video shows - the only problem was the machine throwing itself about as it started to spin, once it got going it was fine.

Acuity31

Original Poster:

58 posts

3 months

Monday 2nd February
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
I changed the dampers on a previous machine we had, but it was really easy, as they were bolted in place. I think the plastic pegged ones can be awkward.

The dampers were completely knackered - no damping effect at all. But I don't remember the drum moving like your video shows - the only problem was the machine throwing itself about as it started to spin, once it got going it was fine.
Yea that's what I'm confused about. Do the dampers play much of a role in preventing forward and backward motion? I suppose the next thing to do is lay it on it's side and pull them out and inspect.

Sheepshanks

39,085 posts

141 months

Monday 2nd February
quotequote all
Acuity31 said:
Yea that's what I'm confused about. Do the dampers play much of a role in preventing forward and backward motion? I suppose the next thing to do is lay it on it's side and pull them out and inspect.
I suppose there's not much holding the outer drum - it's dangling on springs and only being held by the dampers and various bits of rubber (hoses and the door seal).

5s Alive

2,648 posts

56 months

Monday 2nd February
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
I changed the dampers on a previous machine we had, but it was really easy, as they were bolted in place. I think the plastic pegged ones can be awkward.

The dampers were completely knackered - no damping effect at all. But I don't remember the drum moving like your video shows - the only problem was the machine throwing itself about as it started to spin, once it got going it was fine.
Plastic pegs were the easy part on ours, removed with finger pressure alone. Lack of room around one of the bolts made ratcheting awkward - watch out for nearby sharp edges!

Acuity31

Original Poster:

58 posts

3 months

Tuesday 3rd February
quotequote all
At £7 a pop I'll try new shocks then. At least the spares for these Candy machines are quite cheap (apart from the motor and drum).
I went back to it and tried to lift the drum up and down putting each of the 'spider legs' at 6 o clock and torquing it but it didn't move and it feels smooth on rotation. The machine is only 2 years old. So I think that rules out the spider and bearings.

megaphone

11,457 posts

273 months

Tuesday 3rd February
quotequote all
It must have had a hard life if the shocks have gone after just two years.

I replaced them on my Siemens machine, pretty straight forward to do through the bottom of the machine. But that was after 12 years of use.

Edited by megaphone on Tuesday 3rd February 09:32


Edited by megaphone on Tuesday 3rd February 09:33

Acuity31

Original Poster:

58 posts

3 months

Wednesday 4th February
quotequote all
megaphone said:
It must have had a hard life if the shocks have gone after just two years.

I replaced them on my Siemens machine, pretty straight forward to do through the bottom of the machine. But that was after 12 years of use.

Edited by megaphone on Tuesday 3rd February 09:32


Edited by megaphone on Tuesday 3rd February 09:33
Either a hard life or Candy just make st machines.

Collectingbrass

2,667 posts

217 months

Wednesday 4th February
quotequote all
Acuity31 said:
megaphone said:
It must have had a hard life if the shocks have gone after just two years.

I replaced them on my Siemens machine, pretty straight forward to do through the bottom of the machine. But that was after 12 years of use.

Edited by megaphone on Tuesday 3rd February 09:32


Edited by megaphone on Tuesday 3rd February 09:33
Either a hard life or Candy just make st machines. built in obsolescence
Fixed that for you