Washing machine not spinning

leaskovski

leaskovski

leaskovski

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Joined
22 Oct 2004
Posts
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Berkland
Hi guys,

The saga of Leaskovskis washing machine continues.

Last time, it turned out that the heating element was broken, thus it kept blowing fuses.

This time the drum is not spinning. I have taken the back off and the belt is still on. I have checked the connections and the wires have not snapped like last time. One thing to not, is that there is some black splash marks up the back of the machine (towards the motor), plus when i manually turn it, it sounds like there is a grinding sound coming from the motor area.

Any ideas? I think it might be the motors bearings that have imploded?

Cheers
 
It sounds like it's time you got a new washing machine. They're not really worth fixing nowadays.
 
Empty it, and check the drum for play (from the front) any movement, other than rotational is bad. Sounds like the bearings though, although many machines will not spin if not enough water has been removed so check the pump for blockages
 
brushes are a possibility, if the machine has them. Generally its the drum bearings that fail, hence checking it for movement (even a slight knock). Does the motor turn when the machine should be washing?
 
Nope, no turning of the motor at all. When turning the drum manually it sounds like it is a the motor that is making a dodgy sound. The machine does have brushes, but i would have thought that it wouldnt make a grinding noise from the motor if it was them?


So what are zanussi machines like then?
 
yep the black stuff is carbon from the motor bushes (hotpoint by any chance)
change them and it will work.

come in pairs and cost about a tenner.
 
The brushes are about 50mm long when new and slowly wear down to stubs and stop working. £5 part and it will be resurrected once again :cool:
 
Usually if the drum turns (EMPTY) but it can't spin, then it's the brushes. If it refuses to turn the drum at all, I'd check the bearings before replacing the motor.

Which model and make machine do you have?
 
Might want to avoid Zanussi, BTW.

They made such high quality machines at one point, that they made hardly any money from servicing. So what do they do to increase income from servicing? Lower the build quality... .

I've heard Bosch are decent. If you can afford one, go for a Miele.
 
Deffo sounds like it's the brushes gone, they are cheap enough to replace.

I'd avoid zanussi as parts are service engineer only and very difficult to buy as an end user.

Hotpoint and indesit are probably the best to get spares for and cheaply.

My WE16 programme selector played up and I replaced it for £12. Well, I bought a new one, stripped the old one, cleaned the contacts and put it back in and it has been working fine ever since. Now I have the new one as a spare.

Had the washer for about 4 years now and it gets used a lot, and that is the only trouble I have had with it, nowadays I just make sure I give the programme selector a quick spin everytime I use it to keep the contacts clean.

Here's an example of prices for spares and availability.
http://www.espares.co.uk/parts/washing-machines/indesit/we16uk/p/1085/805/0/431700?page=1

When I bought it I paid about £280 for it so it has done me well as far as I'm concerned.

Or you could go for a Miele at over £1000 which does exactly the same as my WE16, it washes clothes well but would have to last around 16 years without any significant problems to be worth the same as my Indesit.

If I replace a main bearing, a door seal and a set of brushes in the next two years I'll still be very pleased with my Indesit, but then again I will be doing the repairs myself which makes it so cheap to own.
 
Okay, i have just had the brushes off and they still look okay to me. What should i be looking for? They are making good contact to the motor and i have just wiped some of the carp off of them.

Looking more like a new machine! :(
 
Might have burned a winding out I guess, or maybe one of the relays that switch the motor has gone. Bosch normally have a very good reputation on washing machines, sounds like you might have got a duff one. What model is it?
 
My family really hammer all white and brown goods, so we normally go for the cheapest one that does the job we want and then we don't mind so much when they eventually go. In 24 years, we've had 2 fridges, 2 freezers, 4 washing machines, 2 tumble dryers, 3 dishwashers and more vacuum cleaners than I care to think about.

Friends of ours with similar size families have had similar experiences and some of them have had really expensive washing machines.
 
amaru said:
Hotpoint are pretty decent aswell ;)
Click to expand...
Not sure if that's sarcasm or not, but I have a 5 year old Hotpoint in my kitchen which will still happily wash a heavy load and spin it at 1,400rpm without a twitch. Only thing replaced on it, was the rubber seal.
 
basmic said:
Not sure if that's sarcasm or not, but I have a 5 year old Hotpoint in my kitchen which will still happily wash a heavy load and spin it at 1,400rpm without a twitch. Only thing replaced on it, was the rubber seal.
Click to expand...

No sarcasm :D, I had an indesit machine which was only being used for light loads and the bearings went after 13 months :( after a lot of messing around and the use of the sale of goods act got a brand new Hotpoint which i have had nearly a year now and it has been great.;). My parents have had theirs for close on 10 years with no probs and it is still going strong. Hotpoint for the win :D
 
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