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It fills and drains but the drum isn't moving at all (and no noise coming from it either so I don't think a belt has broken/come loose).
The odd thing though is that although it drains, water appears to be getting stuck somewhere because when I took the filter off loads of water gushed out (ie, enough to soak several big towels).
I haven't had a chance to look at it closely yet (it only happened late last night). I was wondering if perhaps there is something stuck in the outlet pipe (hence the water coming out from the filter) but I am confused as to why the drum isn't spinning either as I would assume it would fill > spin > drain so if there was a blockage it would spin first before failing.
Any ideas where I should be looking?
Cheers
Stick your hand behind the seal and check for something wedged stopping the drum from spinning - rogue sock perhaps....
I'd try and spin the drum by hand, too. any odd noises?
I have tried spinning the drum by hand and it does it freely and without any unusual noises.
(Sorry, from my OP I can see that it sounds like the drum is stuck when I meant it won't spin by itself).
Drum: I'd still bet on it being the belt (not that hard to check if you have it out anyway)
Drain: if the filter is clear then squeeze along the length of the outlet pipe to feel for blockage. Some machine have a little drain hose next to the filter that lets you drain it off before taking the filter out. Check the manual.
Any ideas where I should be looking?
In the Yellow Pages* under Appliance Repairs?
*Keepin' it oldschool. Yes, I do know about Google.
You're not really allowed to let your fingers do the walkin these days perchy.
The motor may need new brushes. Easy enough to DIY.
You're not really allowed to let your fingers do the walkin these days perchy.
It's okay if you get a signed permission slip first. i'm not a monster.
Washing machine breakage to manual diddling in eight posts. Good work STW.
My money would be on motor brushes. Replaced 3 sets on our old machine before it finally died.
For some reason, the wife seems to dislike it when I keep old kit going longer for little cost.
Yes there does seem to be much to suggest it is the brushes but I remain confused as to why water came out of the filter despite it apparently draining correctly. And it just stopped (no sparking/intermittently stopping) which Google tells me is a common symptom.
If you hadn;t had the drum problem you'd never have noticed the filter one. I'd fix the drum issue and if the machine washes ok and the clothes come out spun properly ignore the water in the tubes one. As long as the filter's clear then it's likely there's just a residual amount of water in the pipes due to the location of the outlet hose.
Motor brushes sounds a good bet. What make/model is it?
Residual water in the filter is normal in my experience.
Cheers - I shall dismantle tonight then....
I do our filter a couple of times a year, i usually get somewhere around half to three quarters of a litre out.Residual water in the filter is normal in my experience.
It looks like a lot more as i always forget and pour it all over the floor.
When I've had worn out brushes in the past, it tends to show itself on the spin cycle first as not getting up to full speed. I assume this is because the springs don't have enough tension to stop the brush stumps bouncing off the contacts at high speed. Complete lack of rotation and no noise sounds more like something unplugged or winding failure, that kind of issue.
sorry, didn't see this thread or I would have joined you rather than having one of my own.....
it tends to show itself on the spin cycle first as not getting up to full speed.
Given that I never get involved with the washing, I wouldn't notice this 🙂
Update - took the motor out and checked the brushes and yes one is worn down (Google says it is common for this model to unevenly wear each brush) so new ones ordered for delivery tomorrow. Fingers crossed - could do without buying a new washer in the run up to Christmas.
Ok, I repair electric motors all day long, so I may have something to add. The brushes sit against the commutator, which is the ring of copper segments on the end of the rotor (the spinny bit). If the brushes, or one of them (due to an imbalance in spring tension) is too short to reach, or is stuck, you would expect to see burning on the commutator, looking black and melted/scored rather than clean smooth copper. If your commutator is clean and coppery looking then the chances are the PCB (cicuit board which controls the machine) has died, which was my first thought when I read your initial post.
I did give the commutator a look over and it seemed okay however one of the brushes (the fully worn one that wasn’t actually touching the surface of the commutator) had pitting on the surface which suggested sparks/arcing across which further suggests the worn brush is at fault. Fingers crossed.
Update - all back together, no ‘spares’ left over and all working by the look of it. Thank you all.
We will be having Christmas this year kids!
+10 Man Points.