Bearings in AEG washing machine

[Timothy Murphy]

I think the bearings in my 15 year-old AEG washing machine are getting worn - it seems to vibrate much more than it used to.

Is it possible to get the bearings replaced or restored?

[tony sayer]

In article , Timothy Murphy scribeth thus

Umm ... at 15 years done, you think its about time you retired the poor old girl?...

[Ian]

After buying the bearings and a bearing puller it will be cheaper to get a new washing machine with manufacturers guarantee. It's not a job I would try again. It takes too long.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Dunno about AEG, but new bearings for my Hotpoint are under £5 (CPC), and that includes a new bearing seal too.

[T i m]

Hmmm, I did it on our (then) ~12 year old lavamat and it didn't take

*very* long nor cost much to do. But then I already had some pullers, a 10 tonne hydraulic press and a bearing stockist round the corner.

The tricky bit was getting the bearing - drum seal but luckily a local parts supplier had one in his generic parts book and that was quite cheap and was identical to the one that had failed.

It's still going 5 years later ... good value for 25 quids worth of parts. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[<me9]

I scrapped one just a little older than that recently. I had wanted to replace the bearings a short while earlier. They were unobtainable. Fortunately I didn't because the (also unobtainable) controller (mechanical) started playing up.

I have a much older Hotpoint (electronic controller type) which I have just refurbished with easily available parts.

AEG's spares let them down, possibly as the original machine was quite reliable.

[<me9]

It's not difficult on an AEG. The bearings are on a removable spider. The trouble is getting the bearings /and/ /seal/.

I was quoted something like £150 for bearings, spider and seal. I couldn't get the sub components.

[<me9]

I had until recently an AEG and an older Hotpoint (as a spare but regularly used machine in case of breakdown of the AEG). I've scrapped the AEG due to high cost drum bearings (and other faults). The Hotpoint, following recent cheap bearing replacement etc (new belt and door seal as well) is 21 YO and almost as good as new.

[F]

Try asking in

very helpful.

[Timothy Murphy]

Don't you think rescuing old equipment is one small way of saving energy?

[Bob Eager]

Except that you reach a point where the old equipment actually wastes energy.

[Skipweasel]

I've replaced a couple of sets of bearings over the years. Took a couple=20 of happy hours (I actually like doing that sort of thing) and cost under=20 =A320 each time. Didn't need a puller either time.

Personally I'd do it again - in fact I just replaced a washing machine=20 that had died of old (non-replaceable) bearings with one that had=20 replaceable bearings with just that in mind.

--=20 Skipweasel. Never knowingly understood.

[Dave Baker]

Pah - it's hardly run in yet. I don't recall the date when I bought my Hotpoint but I do remember the car I collected it from the shop in and I ran that between summer 1989 and summer 1991 so it must be about 17 years old. Never had a day off sick in its life. Mind you with only me living here it doesn't get hammered twice a day like a washing machine in a family with umpteen kids would. Once a week is enough to keep my kecks clean.

[Timothy Murphy]

I think the energy used by this machine must be more or less determined by the temperature it is set to - I imagine the energy used by the motor is negligible by comparison. You can set the machine to use less water. I doubt if there has been much improvement in this technology during the last 15 years.

[Andy Champ]

*Some* machines allow you to use less water. I'm fairly sure the one we had 15 years ago had a "half load" button for just that purpose. The one we have now uses magic or something to work out how much water to use - so it can be a 1/4 fill, or a 3/4, or something. That *will* save energy.

Andy

[Bob Eager]

New Hotpoints (for example) use less water, and have more options for lower temperatures, as well as additional wash methods that appear to require lower temperatures. Also, a half load option and other things I forget. I'll tell you more when the replacement machine has run for a bit...

(the old one died beyond economic repair after 14 years, being run an average of eight times a week).

[T i m]

Hmm, I did (on our AEG Lavamat). The bearings were fairly easy from a std bearing supplier and the 'special' (large rubber flanged) seal was found via a local appliance shops generic parts catalogue (for about

12 quid if I remember).

All the best ..

T i m

[DIY]

"Timothy Murphy" wrote;

Yes, to being replaced. However, there are several causes of excessive vibration.