Afternoon,
My washer dryer has been working fine up until today, when on a final spin cycle it made lots of loud "crack" noises and issued a fair amount of grey smoke from the back. I switched it off at the wall and waited for it to stop, and then took out the half-spun washing.
Upon removing the top and rear covers I can't see anything obviously wrong, but when I run a spin cycle with the back removed the "crack, crack, crack" noise starts again as the motor approaches peak speed. Each "crack" is accompanied by a white flash from somewhere underneath the motor, I can see it lighting up the base plate of the machine.
I'm reasonably mechanically minded but with no particular knowledge of electrics beyond GCSE Physics 20-odd years ago - should I take the motor to bits, clean it up and put it back together? There is a fair amount of black (carbon?) on everything down there, would that signify brushes? I'd hate to chuck the machine out if it's something I can fix at little or no expense.
Model: Bosch WFT2806GB 1400rpm spin washer/dryer, purchased 2nd hand in 2007 for £45.00. I'm pretty confident I can buy something similar for the same price in 2011 but I like this one.
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Its the brushes. Bosh have good spares support, I'lll have a look.
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Sounds like new brushes needed
This should help
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceaiZGQqqxE
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Clean up the comm with very fine wet and dry or better still a comm stick and do make sure it's not burnt out and requireing a skim before you order the brushes.
As a recon motor may be cheaper.
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Thanks Zero.
Is there any reason why the parts prices vary so widely? 90% less here: bit.ly/gRSa0i
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Brushes - that takes me back.
We used to do those on dynamos more than 30 years ago.
Easy job with the dynamo on the bench.
Brushes were a few pence then, shouldn't be more than a few pounds now.
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Got the motor off no problem - two bolts, one multi plug and an earth spade connector.
I'm just wary that the £3 ebay ones will be in some way inferior to the £36 ones... Although the £3 seller has 100% feedback and seems to sell a couple of hundred items a day.
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You got nothing to loose but three quid by trying have you.
As bigtee says, if you can clean the carbon off where possible,
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Dave,
The company which did the how-to video linked by CG sells brushes for about £19.
www.apart4u.co.uk/2-pack-bosch-neff-seimens-carbon-brush.html
They all look the same.
It's not as if you have to warrant the repair for a customer, so I would give the cheapies a try.
Last edited by: Iffy on Wed 19 Jan 11 at 17:35
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The eBay ones do not have a Buy It Now price and still have 6 days left to run. They may well bid up quite a bit before the end of the auction, especially in the last few hours. But then again they may not.
I got a brand new central heating two way valve for around half shop price on eBay recently - there are bargains to be had.
Last edited by: smokie on Wed 19 Jan 11 at 17:37
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....The eBay ones do not have a Buy It Now price....
The link I'm getting shows Buy It Now for £2.99, the bid is currently £1.60.
Not that I'm any expert on eBay.
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Bought It Now for £2.99 (plus 99p postage, with a note asking nicely for despatch asap). Thanks for the diagnosis guys, I was hoping it was a wear and tear item rather than a major component failure.
I'm just glad I was at home when it started making the noise and smoking... I often set it on timer to complete a wash just before I get home and occasionally my daughter gets in from school first - I can't imagine a smoke-filled kitchen would have been a welcome sight for her.
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Good luck with it and I hope it solves the problem :).
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i re conned the heater motor in my transit last week with emery cloth and a new spring from a pen
main thing is make sure the segments are clear of debris the copper slits arent too badly marked and the new brushes sit squarely on the commutator,(i sometimes just bed them in a little with the emery cloth to help)
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>> segments are clear of debris the copper slits arent too badly marked and the new
>> brushes sit squarely on the commutator
Takes me back to the days of changing brushes on Lucas alternators -
ISTR that first set did 600 to 80 thousand, next did 20 or so, then 10....
The figures might not be spot on, but the essence of it is there
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I (alright, my dad) changed the brushes, but the motor still has the same problem - sparking and smoking at high speed. So rather than spend more time and money getting filthy and possibly still not fixing it, I'm in a position to buy a replacement 2nd hand washing machine today. I don't really need the tumble dry capability, so I'm happy to get a plain washing machine this time. My budget is £50 and I'm planning to collect it today, anywhere within reasonable driving distance of Leicester/Nottingham. I'm picking up my son from NW Nottm this afternoon so somewhere in that area would be OK.
Gumtree, thisisleicestershire and Preloved have thrown up the following:
AEG 1100 spin washer, GWO, new kitchen reason for sale, £50. SE Nottm
Zanussi washer, hot/cold fill (why tell me this?), VGC, £50, NW Nottm
AEG washer, GWO, £40. SW Derby
1200 spin washer, £40ono. NE Derby
Hotpoint Ultima Extra washer, VGC, GWO, digi display, new washer dryer reason for sale, £50. Sheffield
Can anyone recommend for or against AEG, Zanussi or Hotpoint to help me choose? I'm going out food shopping for an hour then checking back here before I decide, ring up and go.
TIA.
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Our experience with AEG washing machines is: good but not as reliable as Bosch.
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I would go AEG, not zanusi or Hotpoint
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...hot/cold fill (why tell me this?)....
Hot/cold fill indicates an older machine, although some of the others on the list might be the same.
I would go for one of the simpler ones, which rules out the dryer/digi display.
How much time do you have to go chasing around?
As with a car, weighing-up the seller might tell you almost as much as weighing-up the machine.
If you can only look at a couple, pick the ones in the better areas.
And if there's a sofa in the front garden when you turn up, drive on by. :)
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I've never heard of anyone having any luck with a second-hand washing machine - there's always a reason they're getting rid of it, usually because it leaks and it's too expensive to fix.
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When needs must the Devil drives....and it's better than none at all!
Just ask them to let you hear a spin cycle Dave to check for bearing rattle.
Pat
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...I've never heard of anyone having any luck with a second-hand washing machine...
I've never had much luck with anything secondhand, apart from cars.
There's a place near me which sells 'reconditioned' washing machines and fridges with a short warranty.
No good for Dave, but I wonder if there might be such an establishment near him.
Would mean upping the budget, of course.
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All other things being equal (hard to tell, I know) I would go for the one with the fastest spin. That means that a) it will get your clothes drier, and b) the main bearing will be beefier.
We bought a 1600 rpm Ariston (now Hotpoint) six years ago and haven't regretted it yet.
As with cars, 'reason for sale' makes a difference, too!
Last edited by: J Bonington Jagworth on Thu 27 Jan 11 at 12:18
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perhaps the 38 pound brushes would work?
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"motor still has the same problem"
Bet you're glad you didn't buy the £38 brushes, then!
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>> Bet you're glad you didn't buy the £38 brushes, then!
Too right!
That's two votes for AEG then. I reckon the "new kitchen" one is probably a better bet, as someone who can pay for that is less likely to have a sofa in the garden. Thanks guys (and girl!) for your advice.
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Keep us posted. My guess is that the fault is in the motor control circuit, which may be a separate, replaceable card, but probably more than £3. AEG's are usually well screwed together, so fingers crossed (assuming it's not 20 years old already!)...
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Another vote for AEG - ours is 14 years old and although the bearing is noisy, its been like that for over a year (with unbalanced loads) Still going strong though.
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We have an AEG for quite a few years and in recent years has been quite good.
However
Recently the gland on the pump failed causing a leak. I was well miffed when I had to buy a whole new pump and motor assembly IIRC £75+ rather than just the impeller part.
Our AEG was a nightmare for about the first five years of its life. New motors etc. etc.
Not nice when it tried max spin with a full tub of clothes and water.
Eventually it was discovered that the main circuit board did not handle mains spikes well.
With a MKII board fitted that problem went away.
The machine seems well made and judging by all recent references it now seems a good choice.
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Is it worth trying to get a professional fix. May save a fortune and/or an unknown second hand one.
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>> Keep us posted
Well I went straight over to collect it after that last post. Big detached house, enough driveway space for me to turn the Escort round without hitting the Q5, the Boxster or the kitchen fitter's van, and definitely no sofas outside.
Got the new machine home (I remembered to take a blanket in the car to protect it from scratches), checked the drawer and drain filters (both clean), connected it up, ran it through its paces and slotted it into place once I was happy. It's now boil washing the towels I used to mop up during the removal of the old one, in virtual silence.
Problem solved, I hope!
Last edited by: Dave_TD {P} on Thu 27 Jan 11 at 16:52
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Glad to hear your problem is solved. I reckon you have saved approx £200 vs the price of a new AEG.
My consultancy fee is - as standard - 50% of all year 1 savings so I would like to thank you in advance for my cheque for £100...
:-)
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>> for my cheque for £100... :-)
I shall write it out for you madf, the very next time I get myself a chequebook.
:-) :-)
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>> >> for my cheque for £100... :-)
>>
>> I shall write it out for you madf, the very next time I get myself
>> a chequebook.
>>
>> :-) :-)
>>
I.m not fussy . A CHAPS transfer will do..
:-)
And based on the analysis above £150 seems more appropriate....
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"you have saved approx £200 vs the price of a new AEG."
Nearly double that, I would say...
Bangernomics for washing machines - yay!
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>> Bangernomics for washing machines - yay!
Bangernomics for everything!
TV - 32" 100Hz Toshiba CRT with subwoofer - free from Gumtree.
Piano - £20 from Gumtree, borrowed a 7.5t taillift to move it. £40 for daughter's teacher's husband to tune it.
3 sofas - free from family.
Dining table and 4 chairs - £1.17 from eBay.
Double 4-drawer bed - free from a canteen noticeboard at a factory I used to deliver to.
Swivel/tilt computer chair - free from Gumtree.
Mountain bike - £15 from Gumtree.
Sofabed - free from Gumtree.
In fact the only item in my house with a significant material value is the laptop, which was obtained through the previous government's Home Access Grant scheme.
I'm on the lookout for an 8' x 6' garden shed and a hedge trimmer next... :-)
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>32" 100Hz Toshiba CRT with subwoofer
I've got my eye on one of those, belonging to a friend who thinks that a flat screen will be an upgrade. Our old Grundig CRT will have to do for now, but it's pretty good and the picture quality is still wonderful.
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Some useful reviews on this sit and lots of useful information;
www.washerhelp.co.uk/
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And I was just going to tell him to log in my local freegle where one's come up:
Due to berievemnet i have the following household items .
i will be making arangements with who ever has these to collect on monday , the
heavy items with need two people to collect as i'm unable to assist , all items
left after monday will taken to the tip
Electric cooker
washing machine..............
(sic)
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Thanks looseat, always the way isn't it? Ah well.
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Late evening update: Some wailing and gnashing of teeth* due to operator error.
Just noticed the shimmer of standing water on the floor down the gap at the side of the new machine. Pulled machine out and it seems I haven't pushed the drain hose far enough into the drain pipe on the wall. The drain pipe ends only 3" from the underside of the worktop so the washing machine drain hose has to make quite a tight bend to go into it - there is a plastic U-shaped clip-on caliper to guide the end of the hose and it's tightly squashed against the worktop above. The splash marks indicate that a little water has escaped from the hose end and run down the wall to the floor. I've pushed the drain hose a few inches further down into the drain pipe so hopefully that should solve the problem.
However... I've done three full loads of washing in it since this afternoon.
The water on the floor has capillaried between the lino and the tiled concrete floor and about 4m² of it is now wet. The usual remedy for this** is to take the lino into the garden for a hose-down and dry in the sunshine, but that's not practical in January in Leicestershire. Yet more towels to the slaughter methinks, and hang the damp lino over a chair back overnight to dry out.
Gah.
*May actually be swearing.
**I don't make a habit of it, but more than once my offspring have opened the fridge door with gusto and deposited 4 pints of semi-skimmed on the floor.
Last edited by: Dave_TD {P} on Thu 27 Jan 11 at 22:41
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At least you know the pump works...
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That will be a blocked drain pipe*
Did you know blocked drain pipes short out motors?
*seriously, check it. Mine was clogged with a thick residue of almost concrete like soap.
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Z- Thank you. I'll pull the drainpipe to bits over the weekend. I don't believe you about the shorting out motors bit though.
>> three full loads
I haven't had a working washing machine for a week. Even with only two of us it mounts up pretty quickly, and I'm slightly obsessive about clean clothes. Another few days and I'd have regressed to the bloke method of making pants last 4 days*.
*Right way round, back to front, inside out, inside out back to front. :-)
Last edited by: Dave_TD {P} on Thu 27 Jan 11 at 23:09
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Or used a laundrette. :-)
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Dave,
A broken washing machine is a metaphor for life.
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>> Dave,
>>
>> A broken washing machine is a metaphor for life.
All washed up
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>> >> Dave,
>> >>
>> >> A broken washing machine is a metaphor for life.
A lot easier to deal with if you've got a few quid spare??
>> All washed up
>>
Or not, as the case may be. :-)
Last edited by: Dave_TD {P} on Thu 27 Jan 11 at 23:38
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>>A broken washing machine is a metaphor for life.
Isn't that a quote from Dirk Gently, if not, I'm sure it should've been.
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...I've done three full loads of washing in it since this afternoon...
The coach normally only has to wash the home kit, not the away kit as well.
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I thought the lineswoman did that?
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If you get up here Dave, I have a hedge trimmer you can have. It works fine but no long cable. I used to use an extension.
I've no hedge....don't really know why I've got the trimmer !
Ted
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Ted,
Thanks very much. I was in your neck of the woods on Tuesday but didn't have time to take you up on the offer of a cuppa. I will do soon though.
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>> I've no hedge....don't really know why I've got the trimmer !
>>
>> Ted
If someone has a hedge they can give Dave as well, he will be a like a pig in shi... Err I mean a happy bunny
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 28 Jan 11 at 08:34
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It's a privet matter between me and Dave.
Ted
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Bosch washer dryer motor problem - easy fix? - Zero
