I picked up a used front loading washing machine a few weeks ago, and set about to see if I could get it to function properly without vibration. The previous owner indicated that the washing machine jumped around when in the spin cycle, and that the drum spider arm assembly had been recently replaced.
When I got the machine home, I removed the top cover and did a quick inspection. One issue popped out immediately - a detached drum weight which was resting on the door seal.
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| Drum weight missing - should be installed on the four posts with screws |
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| Drum weight reinstalled correctly, Soap Dispensor Removed for Access |
I removed the entire soap dispensor assembly to give it a good cleaning, it had some black mould growing in the top and rails of the sliding soap tray. With the soap dispensor removed, I had good access to replace the drum weight and access all the fasteners correctly. I also needed to reinstall the door seal clamping wire correctly, it wasn't in place all the way around the door seal.
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| Scrubbing clean the soap trays, receiver and cover |
With the weight replaced, and the soap trays replaced, I ran some tests to check the level of vibration. I found that the machine was hopping when spinning up and spinning down at a particular frequency, a resonance issue. So the next step would be to replace the shock absorbers underneath the drum.
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| Dryer front removed for replacement of shock absorbers |
While replacing the shock absorbers, I took the time to clean out the pump filter, and dust underneath the drum.
It was then time to install the washing machine in the laundry room. I purchased a new set of 90 degree washer hoses so that I'd be able to get the machine nice and close to the wall. I zip-tied the drain hose to the drain pipe so that there was no way the drain hose could fall out of the pipe.
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| Installing the washer. Magvent to the right. Dryer outlet moved up on the wall. Zip ties retaining drain hose. Insteon controller on the washer plug. |
With the new shock absorbers I've solved the vibration problem, and the machine runs reliably now. Excellent upgrade for the laundry room.
I have a few other articles on this project:
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