Printable Version | Subscribe | Add to Favourites
New Topic New Poll New Reply
Author: Subject: Washing machine help
nick205

posted on 7/1/11 at 10:41 PM Reply With Quote
Washing machine help

SWMBOS main tool has thrown a wobbly and refuses to spin after a wash!

Tried all the different programs/settings, but no joy. It still rotates during the wash/rinse cycles so I'm guessing it's maybe an electrical issue rather than mechanical. It's 8-9 years old (Indesit) so is it worth investigating too far - unless it's something I can sort myeslef I'm inclined to add it to my scrap pile and get a new one.

Any suggestions...?

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
MakeEverything

posted on 7/1/11 at 10:49 PM Reply With Quote
Does it drain? Its normally the pump that fails.





Kindest Regards,
Richard.

...You can make it foolProof, but youll never make it Idiot Proof!...

View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member
austin man

posted on 7/1/11 at 11:11 PM Reply With Quote
blocked pump, impellor knakered would be my first area to look at. Some washers have a pre filter this could be blocked





Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Thinking about it

posted on 7/1/11 at 11:15 PM Reply With Quote
We once had a problem with our whirlpool washer. After the wash cycle the drum would just go round and round but never get up to spin speed.
After doing all the normal checks and then resorting to searching the net. I found that some washers have a load sensor that measures the current drawn as the drum rotates. If this is not constant through the full revolution of the drum it does not allow it to spin, indicating an unevenly loaded drum. In this case my wife was trying to wash and spin a heavy jumper. Took it out and the machine spun fine. Put it back in with a couple of towels and it worked fine.

View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member
Dusty

posted on 7/1/11 at 11:48 PM Reply With Quote
I once removed a hair grip from the pump impeller blades. Had somehow got through the filter. Indesit motor bushes can wear down fast.
View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member
morcus

posted on 8/1/11 at 07:09 AM Reply With Quote
If you buy a new one go and get it yourself.





In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Peteff

posted on 8/1/11 at 09:19 AM Reply With Quote
Motor brushes or pump are both pretty easy jobs for a locoster. Sometimes there's a trap on the pump which you can just open and pull the obstruction out and for brushes try espares.





yours, Pete

I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
britishtrident

posted on 8/1/11 at 11:40 AM Reply With Quote
we had exactly this 9 years back on a Service washer dryer it is all to do with the machines anti-vibration routine, the machines electronics has to test the clothes in the drum are balanced before it will allow it to spin. The rough and ready "cure" of the washing machine repair guy was to fit a drive belt that was way too tight --- which worked for 18 months or so until it overloaded the bearings. i presume a proper fix is availble now.


In the end we switched to Hoover washer dryers which are very easy to DIY fix.





[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
nick205

posted on 9/1/11 at 11:22 PM Reply With Quote
Right had the machine apart and checed the following...

Pump, impeller intact and spinning freely, all clean inside and no blockages in the hoses.

Motor, spinning freely, brushes in good order (15-17mm of carbon left and springs moving freely)

Belt & Bearing belt inplace and in good order, bearing no play and spinning freely

Motor tacho PCB, looks fine, no burnt out components or failed connections - there's an IC and regulator which could have failed, but I can't test them - £77 for a replacement PCB.

This leaves the main switch assembly which again I can't test. £56 for a replacement unit


My guess is the main switch - any comments of further advice before I shell out £56 on a replacement unit...?

Cheers
Nick






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
westf27

posted on 9/1/11 at 11:27 PM Reply With Quote
make sure the pressure switch is resetting for spin...chamber may be blocked.This switch sends signals to the timer to advise empty/full status of water.If this sorts the spin fault,continuity test the heater.

good luck





555

View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member
nick205

posted on 9/1/11 at 11:32 PM Reply With Quote
Just found the pressure switch listed on espares @ £27, but no image of what it looks like.

Would it be a small potted component fitted on the back of the drum? Can't see much else inside the machine.

Cheers
Nick






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
nick205

posted on 10/1/11 at 01:46 PM Reply With Quote
Bought a pressure switch to swap out and see if that sorts if - fingers crossed!






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
BenB

posted on 10/1/11 at 02:06 PM Reply With Quote
They normally look like this



Good luck

[Edited on 10/1/11 by BenB]

View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
nick205

posted on 10/1/11 at 07:05 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
They normally look like this



Good luck

[Edited on 10/1/11 by BenB]



That's the chappie - part should be here tomorrow so we'll soon see.






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
McLannahan

posted on 10/1/11 at 07:22 PM Reply With Quote
Have you checked the filter - often accessed from the front panel at the bottom? A grub screw might be holding in turn knob in.






View User's Profile Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
nick205

posted on 12/1/11 at 06:38 PM Reply With Quote
Well it's not the pressure switch, I checked the existing one and it's working just fine. Luckily I can return the new one to espares.

Haven't checked the filter yet, but it fills and drains OK and the water is being heated. I had to step it through the program by turning the knob to check each stage. When it gets to a wash or spin stage it just makes a noise like it's about to spin but never starts.

The only bits I can see left are the tacho PCB and the timer switch itself. Tacho board is £77 and the switch is £56. Will try the switch first I think.

SWMBO is getting her sister to do all our washing and drying for the time being. My tight arsed BIL has already mentioned the cost of running a tumble dryer






View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Peteff

posted on 13/1/11 at 10:54 AM Reply With Quote
Change the brushes anyway while it's in bits, it still sounds like the main candidate and the ones on our old Hoover were way longer than 17mm.





yours, Pete

I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
nick205

posted on 21/1/11 at 10:56 PM Reply With Quote
Hacked off now!

Tried replacing the...

Pressure switch
Timer
Brushes

No joy!

eSpares have been good as gold and taken all the parts back, but I don't want to take the mick.

Manually stepping throught the programs the machine fills with water, heats it and drains it. It just refuses to spin!

The only bits left I can see causing this is the motor tacho PCB (£76) or the motor itself (£50).

SWMBOs getting desperate and we're wearing thin on friends and family to do our washing.

Is it worth trying either of the above or give in and buy a new one

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
*AL*

posted on 22/1/11 at 12:32 AM Reply With Quote
We recently had a problem with our washing machine, would not spin as water was left in the drum. Removed pump had it tested and the replaced with a new item.All is good, if you've had a few good years out of yours then look to getting a new one?
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member

New Topic New Poll New Reply


go to top






Website design and SEO by Studio Montage

All content © 2001-16 LocostBuilders. Reproduction prohibited
Opinions expressed in public posts are those of the author and do not necessarily represent
the views of other users or any member of the LocostBuilders team.
Running XMB 1.8 Partagium [© 2002 XMB Group] on Apache under CentOS Linux
Founded, built and operated by ChrisW.