New World WDHT714W Bearing problem / Belt

[adrianallen]

Hi all

i have a new world NWDHT714W machine. Fairly sure the drum bearing is on the way out. It spins freely , doesn’t seem too worn but definitely very noisy on fast spin

question is, is the bearing available to change out on this machine or is it a machine that the bearing can not be replaced because it is part of the actual drum assembly 

thanks in advance

[Whitegoodshelp]

Hello Adrian. To be properly sure that it is the drum bearings causing the noise you need to disconnect the washing machine from the mains, and take off the drive belt. Then, spin the drum by hand to see if the noise is still present or not. This is because the bearings inside the drum are exactly the same as the bearings inside the motor (apart from size) so they can make the exact same noise.

I know of at least two engineers that completely misdiagnosed a washing machine as suffering from worn drum bearings because they just spun the drum by hand. In both cases, the rumbling noise turned out to be coming from the motor and drive belt. In the overwhelming majority of cases know it will be the drum bearings.

Having said that, if the motor bearings have gone (which to be fair, is much less likely to be the case) then it is still a serious fault. You cannot replace the drum bearings in most modern washing machines, and the same applies to the motor. You would usually need to fit a complete new outer drum, or the entire motor, both of which are very expensive indeed.

What do worn drum bearings usually sound like?

[adrianallen]

hi all, help please.

In a previous post, I asked about a possible worn bearing problem ? 

thanks to a reply from Andy, ( thanks Andy ) an update is that I notice that when the motor " kicks in " for the spin, there is a definite " slip " of the belt, - ( it sounds like the good old days of a fan belt slipping on the car, ) - but when spinning, the slip noise disappears, but the machine makes one heck of a racket, - another clue is the vibrations are so bad that the machine , over time, will move away from its normal position, question, is, does this sound more toward the bearings of the drum , and - or , the motor... or could it simply be the worn drive belt.

thanks for any ideas

adrian

[Whitegoodshelp]

Hello Adrian. The only way you can determine if drum bearings have gone is by disconnecting the drive belt and spinning the drum separately by hand from the front. Otherwise, when you spin the drum by hand the belt attached you are spinning the drum bearings and also the motor bearings. These bearings are usually identical apart from size so it's possible for them to make the exact same sound. It is much more likely to be the drum bearings, because the seal that protects them from water commonly fails. But you cannot afford to assume.

The only other way to tell, is if you are able to lift the drum up and down on its shaft from the front and can see that the drum bearings are breaking apart. Another tell-tale sign can be brown rust marks on the floor. This can indicate that the drum bearings seal has let water into the bearings causing grease and rust to run out.

Regarding the slipping drive belt theory. You just need to physically check it. I have advice here about the drive belt and how tight it should be

However, a slipping drive belt will just prevent the washing machine from spinning, especially with a heavy load. Or if it's not too loose, can cause it to slip as it builds up speed to spin, but once up to speed it shouldn't really cause any noise. It certainly shouldn't cause any rumbling noises.

[adrianallen]

Thanks so much Andy for your useful advice. If I do take it apart and examine the machine.

Do you know if the drum bearing and motor bearing are available, - is the drum bearing part of the drum though so i would have to buy a drum WITH bearing. 

Thanks

Adrian

[Whitegoodshelp]

Hello Adrian. I answered that question in my first reply to you above. 🙂