How to check bearings in a washing machine?

Failure of washing machine bearings is the most common problem faced by owners of this household appliance. However, before you begin repairs, you should be sure of the malfunction, because you will have to completely disassemble the machine. You must first check the bearings in the washing machine and determine the cause of the problem based on external signs. How to understand that this part needs to be replaced?

Superficial check

Diagnostics of bearings without disassembling a washing machine is only possible for a professional with experience. If a given part has just begun to deteriorate, the external signs will not be so obvious, so they are easy to miss. You will still have to partially disassemble the washer. However, there are specific “symptoms” that you should pay attention to.

• The presence of extraneous noise during operation of the washing machine. If it is difficult to hear them during the spin process, then during washing and rinsing it is quite possible to distinguish them. Usually these are metallic sounds, grinding and knocking.
• Poor spinning of clothes. The reason is that the drum is unable to rotate at a sufficient speed, which means that the clothes will not be wrung out in the best way.
• Vibration is too strong. Due to the destruction of the bearings, the balancing is disrupted, and the washing machine will begin to sway more intensely. Please note that this sign of part wear may be minor.
• Damage to the cuff during bearing diagnostics will help indirectly confirm the need to replace them.

You can also determine the source of the problem as follows. Open the hatch of the washing machine, having first disconnected it from the electrical network. Press the top of the drum with your fingers and rock it. It must move together with the tank, and there cannot be any play.

After this, spin the drum vigorously. If it moves freely and makes a slight hum, everything is fine. If you hear obvious noise and the drum rotates unstably, the bearings need to be replaced. The main reasons for their breakdown are manufacturing defects and wear and tear during operation.

Let us open the body of the machine.

Further diagnostics of the bearings occurs with the disassembly of the washing machine. This will help confirm preliminary assumptions about the source of the problem. But we will not disassemble the drum itself just yet; we’ll try to avoid extreme measures and draw the right conclusions.

Then follow the instructions:

• Disconnect the washing machine from the network, sewerage, and water supply,
• Place the machine in a place where you can safely disassemble it,
• Unscrew the housing wall from the back,
• Carefully inspect the rear wall of the tank, and for this it is better to remove the drive belt.

What should you look out for when diagnosing bearings? If you see a lubricant leak and rusty smudges, this clearly indicates a malfunction - when a part is destroyed, oil always leaks out. If these signs are detected, you may not even put the washing machine in its original place, because it is unsuitable for use. You will have to change the bearings before starting it up again. It is prohibited to operate a washing machine with such a malfunction.