How to replace a washing machine motor?

The engine is a key element of the washing machine, without which the machine will not be able to spin the drum. If it breaks, the equipment fails, and to restore operation, it is necessary to repair or replace it. In the service, such a procedure will not be cheap, and it is better to first try to fix the problem yourself. It is not difficult to remove and replace the washing machine engine yourself. The main thing is to know the step-by-step algorithm and remember the safety rules.

What kind of engine are we dealing with?

Before you start disassembling and repairing the washing machine motor, you should determine the type and design features of the engine. The sequence of actions and duration of diagnostics will depend on these parameters. As a rule, automatic machines are equipped with three types of engines: asynchronous, collector or inverter.

• Asynchronous. It has a simple design, low cost and ease of maintenance. It consists of a stationary stator and a rotor that spins the drum through a belt drive. It can be two- or three-phase, depending on the number of winding layers on the body. The main "minus" of this motor is insufficient power, which manifests itself in weak shaft rotation, a sudden drop in speed, and incomplete revolutions. All this has a negative effect on washing, so now asynchronous motors are extremely rare in washing machines.
• Collector. It is a structure consisting of a stator, rotor, winding and tachogenerator. Current is supplied to the anchor by a pair of electric brushes, with the help of which an electromagnetic field is formed, and the shaft begins to rotate. The speed of spinning depends on the voltage in the electrical network. The collector is located under the washing tank, and the impulse is transmitted to the pulley through a belt drive. This type of engine also has its disadvantages: brushes that wear out over time and a drive belt that flies off.
• Inverter. The most modern engine, the main difference of which is a direct drive. Such motors are reliable, have high efficiency and a ten-year manufacturer's warranty. But they also have a weak point: the mechanism is installed next to the bearing unit and if the latter breaks, it is often flooded with water and fails.

Asynchronous motors are almost never found in modern washing machines; machines are often equipped with an inverter or collector motor. If the latter rarely breaks down, then the carbon brushes on the collector need to be checked regularly. In any case, it is important to know how to diagnose and dismantle the motor.

Dismantling and installation of various motors

Most budget washing machines have a collector motor - it is several times cheaper than an inverter one. The collector has to be removed and repaired more often to monitor the condition of the carbon brushes. Dismantling begins with partial disassembly of the equipment. The instructions are as follows:

• Disconnect the machine from the power supply,
• Wait until the equipment is completely de-energized,
• Ensure free access to the engine (remove the back panel on washing machines from Ariston, Zanussi, Indesit, Beko or the front panel on Bosch, Samsung, LG),
• Pull the drive belt off the drum pulley,
• Find the electric motor under the tank,
• Disconnect the wiring (phase and ground) from the engine,
• Use a suitable wrench to loosen the bolts holding the motor,
• Loosen the engine body (it often “sticks” to the seat),
• Remove the engine from the socket.

This completes the dismantling of the electric motor and begins its repair. It is not difficult to return the engine to its original place with your own hands. It is enough to repeat the described actions in reverse order.

Dismantling the inverter motor

An inverter motor breaks down extremely rarely. It is strongly not recommended to “open” a machine with a direct drive, diagnose and replace the electric motor with your own hands - it is safer and easier to call a professional repairman. But if you want, you can dismantle the engine at home. The algorithm for dismantling an inverter electric motor looks like this:

• De-energize the machine,
• Remove the front or back panel from the washing machine body (depending on the brand of the machine),
• Take a photo of the location of the wiring connected to the engine,
• Disconnect the wires from the terminals,
• Loosen the motor holding fasteners,
• Unscrew the bolt securing the rotor, holding it with your hand,
• Remove the rotor assembly, and then the stator,
• Unhook the remaining wires.

You should be extremely careful: the direct drive is extremely sensitive to mechanical damage. Ideally, all your actions should be filmed on camera to avoid mistakes during reassembly.

Dismantling the engine on cheap activator equipment

It's a different matter if you need to get to the engine in the washing machine or similar compact "verticals". Such equipment is called activator - here an activator is installed on the shaft of the electric motor, spinning the water with things. Due to the special design, the machine is disassembled in a different way:

• A plug is removed from the housing, under which the engine is “hidden”,
• The activator is turned by hand so that the hole in the impeller aligns with the groove in the rotor,
• The rotor is locked with a screwdriver through a nearby hole,
• The activator is removed,
• The drive is pulled out,
• The motor is released.

Replacing the engine yourself is quite possible. You just need to strictly follow the instructions.