Why is the drum of the washing machine dangling and what to do?

Breakdowns often occur with washing machines. They can be serious and not very serious. On minor malfunctions can be until the time to ignore, as major troubles they do not entail. But serious problems require immediate intervention, because if you delay with the repair, the washing machine can break down permanently.

If you notice that the drum has started to dangle, wait until the washing has finished and do not start the machine until the problem has been solved. It is recommended to immediately carry out a diagnosis of the machine: this can be done by contacting a service center, or solve the problem yourself.

It is better to carry out diagnostics immediately after the next washing. First of all, you should determine the cause of the breakdown.

To do this, perform the following steps:

• Look under the bottom of the washing machine. Leaks of water and puddles on the floor indicate that the device depressurized. If the process of washing and spinning was accompanied by a knock, after which we found a leak, most likely the problem is in a worn bearing. This is signaled by such a sign: the drum of the washing machine rotates with difficulty, as if something prevents it. If the floor under the machine is dry, the problem is different.
• Open the door of the washing machine, grasp the drum with both hands and start rocking it from side to side. The drum should give way, but there should not be any extraneous sounds. If you hear a knocking sound, this means that there is a malfunction in the system, and most likely it is a shock absorber.

Having found the reason that the drum is dangling, you can try to repair the washing machine with your own hands. Changing the bearing or shock absorber is quite easy, you can do it, even without any special knowledge in the repair of household appliances.

Instructions for removing bearings and shock absorbers:

• Disconnect the washing machine from the mains and move it away from the wall;
• remove the back panel, unscrewing all fasteners with a screwdriver;
• remove the detergent feeder from the front panel;
• Remove the control unit, having previously photographed the location of wires, then secure the wires to the side of the appliance;
• Remove the clamps that hold the rubber cuff.
• Pull down the collar itself;
• Unlock the hatch;
• unscrew the fasteners that fix the front panel and remove it;
• remove the drive belt;
• disconnect the wires going to the heating element (don't forget to take pictures of their location);
• pull out the pipe that connects the tank to the pump;
• Remove the engine by unscrewing the bolts holding it in place;
• remove shock absorbers and return springs;
• working with a hammer and chisel, remove the pulley of the drum from the screw (it is necessary to loosen it slightly);
• using suitable tools, knock out the tank and pull it out;
• now we need to remove the drum from the tank: if the tank is detachable it is not difficult, but a solid tank saw along the weld, and then carefully pull out the drum from it;
• We also carefully knock the bearings out of their seats and pull out the seals;
• Before replacing worn or damaged parts, clean the fasteners from dirt.

See in the following video the whole process of disassembly of the washing machine and installation of the shock absorber.

The following video will help you to remove and replace the bearing on the tank of a washing machine, for example Samsung. Vedyoruke on replacing bearings on machines of other brands, you can see in our article "Replacing the bearing in the washing machine with their own hands.

It is better to change bearings and shock absorbers all at once, because there is a high probability that one failed part will soon pull its "partner". In addition, if you already disassembled the washing machine anyway, it is recommended to replace the glands as well, since they also have a limited lifespan and wear out quickly.