Apr
14
Submitted by Jeffrey on Tue, 2009-04-14 23:21
Today was one of those days when everything works out alright in the end, but certainly gives you a scare!
I had a long day at work; I was up at 6:00. By the end, I was tired, but excited to go home and play with a Macbook Air I'm setting up for a faculty member.
Later in the evening, just as I am completing the initial setup, I notice an odd sound from the laundry room and go to investigate.
The washing machine sounds like it's agitating its self through all its wash cycles in one second intervals. The agitating column turns one way, the fails to turn back, while triggering the pump to come on and drain a little water. But one second later, it thinks better of that and tries to agitate again. While I'm standing there, it has turned several times in the same direction, winding the clothing up in a very, very tight mass, while the water is half-drained away—not to mention the loud racket of changing mechanisms down below!
The washing machine is broken.
I turn it off, unwind the clothing, and start experimenting with the controls. The problem is only manifest during agitation cycles. Spinning and pumping work fine. So it's not a belt or motor. Maybe a stripped gear? That would total this old washer, so I hope not. Time to examine the belly of the beast.
I turn the control to the final spin cycle. It drains and spins the water out. I remove the clothes while inspecting them for damage. None found; I caught the problem early enough.
Just to be sure, I tested the cycles again on empty. Only now, the agitation doesn't happen at all.
I manage to tilt the machine forward, access the back portal, and open up the machine. After poking around a little, everything seems fine. The suspicion I have is of the "rocker arm" that moves two electromagnets along two transmission levers, activating the four cycles (agitation, idle, spin, and pump, I suppose). I remember Dad replacing this part on our old washer when I was a boy. Maybe the electromagnet is faulty and not activating the right cycle?
How much does this part cost? I get to use the Air to search online!
In the process of searching for the right term for this part, I find this handy site for troubleshooting washing machines. But it doesn't really tell me anything new.
After family distractions, I finally returned to the washer to take a closer look and maybe find some part numbers. While inspecting the wiring, I discover one severed wire. This can't be good.
It appears that the rocker arm, by pivoting back and forth repeatedly, has worn through this wire and shorted it out every other second, until the entire wire has burned and melted in two!
A quick splice with a wire nut and everything works perfectly!
In the process, I've answered a few more questions about how washers work. And I feel empowered, capable, and oh so proud of myself for avoiding an expensive diagnosis and repair!
Just thought I'd share.
[Posted from a Macbook Air. Quite enjoyable and I hope to post a review later. I need to test its capabilities with some mathematical and engineering apps, in a windows virtual machine and Bootcamp.]
