The washing machine belt broke

Washing machine breakdowns, when the rotation of the drum becomes difficult, occur when the belt connecting the motor to the laundry compartment fails. It may stretch or fly out of the fastening grooves. Sometimes equipment owners have to deal with repairs if the belt on the washing machine breaks. The only possible option is to replace the damaged part. Let's figure out what to do if a belt malfunctions, how to properly glue a torn one if it is not possible to install a new one.

Why does the belt break or fall off?

The causes of belt failure vary. Sometimes a part fails due to accompanying breakdowns, for example, if the pulley mount becomes loose. When it unwinds, the belt can come off. Experts also name other reasons for breakdowns. The belt needs to be changed when:

• The part wears out, having exhausted its service life,
• The torque shaft is deformed, changing the design parameters of the engine,
• The engine mount is broken, causing the belt tension to weaken,
• The pulley or belt is installed incorrectly, defective is allowed,
• The main cross connecting the shaft to the tank breaks,
• As a result of bearing wear, the drum rotates and warps,
• The loading of the drum during washing exceeds the maximum permissible,
• The drum is unevenly loaded with things,
• Individual parts of the structure are deformed.

In addition to the reasons listed, the washing machine belt may be damaged if the equipment rarely turns on and works. In such situations, the belt begins to shrink and become rough.

What types of belts are there?

Belts can be poly-V-ribbed (ribbed) and wedge-shaped (solid). The latter are more common. They have a trapezoidal shape and a one-piece design. They are made from polyester cords, chloroprene rubber and cotton woven materials. The advantages of such belts are strength and elasticity. And the disadvantages are related to the fact that with weak tension they slip. As a result, the speed of rotation during spinning is reduced. Therefore, V-belts must be tensioned in such a way that when pressed in the middle, the pullback is no more than 3–5 mm.

Poly V-belts are most often equipped with washing machines with commutator motors. They are distinguished by the presence of many teeth. Regardless of the type of belt, installation is carried out according to the same scheme, only the tensioning processes differ. Poly V-belts are placed so that the teeth fall into place.

Is it possible to restore the belt?

To repair the part, you will need two small bars that will act as a vice. They must be tightly twisted together. They should be wider than the belt. You need to prepare acetone, a screwdriver, self-tapping screws, a penknife, sandpaper and Moment type glue. To restore a poly V-belt, proceed as follows:

• Clean the part with water and acetone, especially carefully where gluing is expected,
• In places where there is a tear, cut off the uneven edge. Make sure that the cut is strictly perpendicular to the side edges of the belt,
• The part is placed with the wedges up and 10–12 wedges are carefully cut off along one edge. This is convenient to do with a sharp penknife. The cut area is covered with sandpaper,
• Then the belt is turned over with the teeth down and both edges are brought together so that 10–12 teeth are in the place of the cut teeth,
• Lubricate the area where the old teeth were located and press the ends of the belt tightly,
• Bars are placed below and above the gluing area and secured with self-tapping screws so that the belt itself is not touched,
• Leave the belt to dry.

It is better to entrust gluing work to a professional craftsman. Dealing with them with your own hands is not easy. V-belts can also be glued together. This requires acetone, a construction stapler and Moment glue. The part is restored like this:

• Cut off areas of rupture evenly,
• Both edges are cleaned with acetone, glue is applied to them and tightly joined to one another,
• Without moving the belt, secure the area of ​​the rupture with staples of a construction stapler in several places,
• When the glue is completely dry, the staples are removed.

Before installing the repaired belt in the washing machine, you need to check how firmly the adhesive has set. To do this, stretch the edges of the part. It must withstand the application of force. At the same time, the service life of a glued belt is much shorter than that of a new part. It can last for several months.