Washing machine motor struggling to spin

[banjodeano]

Guys, i have an Indesit washing machine which is a good few years old, and the motor is now struggling to spin, it does move but very slowly, and when loaded with washing it fails to spin at all..
is it just the motor that needs replacing, and if so, where would the best place to buy one be?
also from what little knowledge i have of motors, i know they have brushes in them, could thEY be the fault? the motor does NOT smell like its burnt out though...
any help appreciated.
Thanks

 

[jj4091]

If it has brushes, it is more than likely the cause. Do a google search for motor brushes with your make & model.

 

[dishman]

It may not be the motor. It could be just a loose (stretched) drive belt which is slipping as it tries to turn the drum. The heavier the load, the more it slips. f you take the back access panel off you can watch the motor and belt as it operates. This may help you work out where the issue may lie.

Either one is fixable. I replaced the carbon brushes on my washing machine a few years ago and it has been working perfectly ever since. In that instance, the issue presented itself as the drum just not spinning during the cycle. So the motor would not work at all.

Youtube is your friend, there are lots of guides.

Replacing the brushes is certainly do-able. But, if you are not technically minded, find a good youtube guide, get the right tools, be methodical and take your time. The hardest part for me, if I remember was 1) having the space to lie the machine in an accessible position and getting the motor out.

 

[banjodeano]

Thanks guys...
I took the back off to have a look, and it didnt appear that the belt was slipping at all, it looked pretty tight, it just seemed like the motor didnt have enough power in it ....very carefully i tried to give the wheel a hand to get it going (i know i was stupid)...and it didnt seem to help, so i switched it off and came to look on here, when i went back to it and turned it on, it did actualy do a wash cycle, although it struggled....
thanks for the help guys, i will order some brushes and try that first..
happy new year to you all

 

[Keithmac]

Take a brush off and take a picture for reference when ordering, there are 100's of different ones and I had 3 possibilities listed for my washer.

The carbon brushes are designed to wear out so first port of call, I bought 2 sets and taped the spares inside the washer for next time..

 

[banjodeano]

Take a brush off and take a picture for reference when ordering, there are 100's of different ones and I had 3 possibilities listed for my washer.

The carbon brushes are designed to wear out so first port of call, I bought 2 sets and taped the spares inside the washer for next time..

thanks Keith....
any idea where the best place is to look for a new set?
Thanks Dean

 

[dishman]

Agree with above. If is a fairly modern machine and a major brand, you could go to the parts site on the manufactures website. Look for the parts list for your machine. This will usually give you a parts code which other parts shops will also reference.

I know carbon brushes are relativity simple things, but I bought mine direct from Bosch. They were cheap in the overall scheme of things, but expensive compared to third party ones. I felt that as it is part of a motor, I did not want them to be crap and wear away quick, if poorer quality.

 

[banjodeano]

Agree with above. If is a fairly modern machine and a major brand, you could go to the parts site on the manufactures website. Look for the parts list for your machine. This will usually give you a parts code which other parts shops will also reference.

I know carbon brushes are relativity simple things, but I bought mine direct from Bosch. They were cheap in the overall scheme of things, but expensive compared to third party ones. I felt that as it is part of a motor, I did not want them to be crap and wear away quick, if poorer quality.

cheers for your input mate

 

[Keithmac]

I think mine came from Appliance Spares Warehouse or ebay, went with the ones showing a good clear picture of the actual part they were posting.

Wasn't a bad job, removed rear access panel, unplugged and unbolted motor and brushes are retained with 2 screws each.

 

[HERTS P&D]

See below:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=r....69i57j0l5.14067j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Andy

 

[banjodeano]

I took the motor off this morning and took the brushes out, and there seemed like there were loads of carbon still left on them, and the spring pushing them still put pressure on them, so i doubt that they are worn out, but for the price of a few pound i may replace them, but i dont think that is my problem, also had a good look at the belt, that is pretty taught as well

 

[Keithmac]

I've had motorcycle starter motors before that have shown issues due to a buildup of carbon dust between the commutator pads (the part the brushes act against).

Cleaned between with a small razor blade and buffed the pads up.