How to repair the shock absorber of an Indesit washing machine

Buying new spare parts for household appliances can seriously hit the family budget, so many users try to independently restore key components of their “home assistants”. Repairing the shock absorbers of an Indesit washing machine is exactly the same process that you can easily handle at home without calling a specialist, if you know the correct procedure. We'll tell you how to quickly and efficiently fix a problem with a shock-absorbing unit, so as not to waste money on buying new parts.

Let's look at the detail first

To repair shock absorbers yourself, you need to have a good understanding of these parts. Unlike washing machines of many other brands, equipment from Indesit is equipped with dampers, not shock absorbers. They consist of a plastic cylinder, a small metal rod, two bushings attached to the cylinder and rod, and a special gasket that acts as a piston. Most often, the gasket needs to be replaced, which actively wears out during the operation of the SM, as a result of which it completely loses its properties. This happens even in a situation where there is still lubricant inside the cylinder, creating additional friction.

The problem with a faulty gasket is that after it is deformed, the damper begins to work without a piston, which means that the rod no longer holds in the cylinder, begins to actively move in it, and sometimes flies out of it. Let's consider a hypothetical situation where the gasket has already begun to deteriorate, but still performs some of its functions, so the rod cannot yet fly out of the cylinder.

In this situation, the user should carefully remove the damper and disassemble it in order to remove the rod with their own hands. To do this, just grab the rod with your hands and pull it out of the groove. This is often very easy to do, since the rod loses resistance and therefore can be easily removed from its seat.

When you cannot remove the rod with your bare hands, you need to wrap a small rag around the cylinder, hold it in a vice, and then try to remove the part again. Pull it carefully without brute force, otherwise you risk damaging the plastic elements, which will have to be purchased separately in case of deformation. Once the rod is removed, the shock-absorbing device is considered disassembled.

Removing and repairing the shock absorber

In this section, we will study in detail the process of dismantling the dampers themselves, which in no case should be delayed if you find that the shock-absorbing system is faulty. If you simply ignore the problem and leave everything as is, then over time the bearings, as well as the washer tank, may suffer. Moreover, if you replace shock absorbers in time, the risk of this will be reduced to almost zero.

The repair itself is quite simple. Even a person without experience in repairing household appliances can handle it. This is due to the fact that usually only the deformed gasket needs to be replaced. What should I do to partially disassemble the unit, remove the dampers and replace the damaged spare part?

• Disconnect the Indesit washing machine from the power supply, water supply and sewerage.
• Move the unit away from the wall to gain easy access to all sides.
• Remove the bolts holding the cover of the machine, and then remove the top panel and set it aside for a while.
• Take out the powder receptacle.
• Carefully remove the control panel.
• Remove the UBL.
• Loosen the clamp on the rubber seal of the hatch, and then thread the cuff into the drum.
• Remove the front panel CM.
• Remove the dampers
• Disassemble them and carefully examine the gaskets.
• If they need to be replaced, then prepare spare parts made of textolite or rubber.
• Install the elements into place.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to simply change the gasket in order for the damper to work normally again. In this case, it will not be enough to just replace the broken one, so you will have to purchase two dampers at once so that they evenly dampen the vibration of household appliances. If you change only one element, the shock-absorbing unit will only wear out faster and then again need repair.

To replace dampers, you must first remove them from their seats. Depending on the device, they can be tightly attached to the washing tub, or they can be easily detached from it. The second option is preferable, because in this case you just need to remove the front panel of the case, take out the old dampers and install new ones. However, if the parts cannot be disconnected without the washer tank, then you will have to partially disassemble the SM.

• Disconnect the device from all communications.
• Remove the housing cover, household chemical cuvette, control panel, upper springs and front panel.
• Remove all pipes, sensors and devices from the washing tub.
• Carefully remove the reservoir.
• Disconnect damaged dampers to replace them with new replacement parts.

Do not rush to assemble the machine after restoring the shock-absorbing unit, because in a disassembled device you can still study other key elements, for example, bearings, a crosspiece and a drain. This will allow you not to wait for the moment when the part completely fails, but to study and replace it in advance. If you find a serious blockage or the formation of scale with rust, then you should use WD-40 technical lubricant, which helps in this and a dozen other unpleasant situations. After the preventive maintenance, all that remains is to assemble the Indesit washing machine and check its performance with a test work cycle.

Does the shock absorber need repair?

It is not always worthwhile to immediately start disassembling the “home assistant” and replacing key elements, even if you are sure that the dampers are faulty. Just in case, it is better to first check the shock absorbers using a basic test. How to do it?

• Disconnect the machine from the power supply.
• Detach and set aside the housing cover
• Gently press down on the washing tub with your hands to lower it down about 5 centimetres.
• Raise your hands and see how the tank behaves.

When everything is in order with the dampers, they will immediately return the washer tank to its place. But if the tank does not instantly return to its normal position, but instead swings in different directions, then the shock absorbers really need to be restored or replaced. At the same time, such a conclusion can be made without checks, but based on a number of characteristic features:

• The machine began to creak or hum strangely while working.
• The SM bounces, especially during the spin phase.

An obligatory stage of repair is to determine the cause of damage to the dampers. This will avoid problems in the future, because forewarned is forearmed. Typically, shock absorbers suffer due to the following reasons:

• Wear and tear due to heavy use of the washing machine.
• Damage due to manufacturing defects, problems during transportation or user errors during operation of household appliances.
• Wear of fasteners holding dampers.

Do not try to restore elements with critical damage - it is better not to save money and immediately buy new shock absorbers so that the washer is more intact. Resort to repair only if problems with shock absorption appear due to a damaged gasket or weak fixation.