Washing machine pump teardown.
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- čas přidán 22. 02. 2018
- Although it's rare for pumps in front loading washing machines to fail, they do occasionally clog up and then the machine may throw up an error code because it couldn't drain within a set time.
In most machines it's easy to access the sump filter from the front of the machine from behind a pop-off kick plate. Note that when the sump cover is removed all remaining water in the machine will pour out of it. Make sure that the seal is correctly seated when putting it back in.
If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:-
www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm
This also keeps the channel independent of CZcams's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. - Věda a technologie
The most important design element of this pump is that the rotor of the electric motor is on the other side of a non-magnetic barrier [the plastic cylinder around which the electromagnet poles were clamped] so that there is no need for a fancy seal on the shaft of the motor. Yes, the rotor and its bearings are immersed in the fluid being pumped - this provides cooling. This design was a top secret invention of the WW2 American Manhattan Project, the so-called 'seal-less' pump, used for circulating gaseous uranium hexafluoride without risk of the radioactive material leaking from a shaft seal. Very clever idea, and now used in many routine applications as shown here.
"Smells like tea"... Well it IS from a washing machine that was likely operated in the UK...
Over the pond here everything taste like chicken, prolly simelar to, smelling like tea.
@@johndro3014 I o
@@johndro3014 ok i
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That “little” port is for spray function when washing clothes using another similar motor. I think it helps distribute water and detergent mix more evenly. Some Electrolux washers have this.
The smallest port is for small hose drain, channelling water to a small bucket or tray when the filter needed cleaning, so the water don’t spill on the floor when you open the filter’s door.
Thanks for posting the video anyway, very helpful!
I love watching BCDC's videos, because things are either "strange", "interesting", "impressive" or "not good". I've actually learnt quite a lot over the last 2 years, I enjoy how he draws electronic schematics and explains them (not in this vid obviously). I also like the vids when he's messing with high voltage......and drinking beer.
Thank you for having a video for the obscure answers that are exactly what I needed, and not for the first time.
How timely! My interest in electronics has been reignited thanks to your videos. And just last week I fixed our washing machine which uses the same pump module you’re pulling apart here.
BTW, one of the those forward outlets is for drainage. When you unscrew the big insert a bit it releases water in to the front of the housing and out through the foremost spigot. In mine it's attached to a rubber hose that is pulled out the front by the access door.
3:16 - "They seem to be getting popular again...strange." Not strange..I have a feeling your videos are partly behind the sudden rise in popularity.
haha how did you guess :)
The video is over a year old but you've just helped me fix my washing machine! Thanks Big Clive 👍
You're welcome. Happy to help.
Useful video Clive.
Mum's 1971 AEG washing machine is still going, has been in use since purchase. Only new part fitted was a replacement drum lower hose, this was just a few years ago. AEG still stocked them (not cheap!). The main motor in this machine is an induction motor, more reliable than the universal motors that are supplied with most machines, other than top of the range ones.
Having said how good the old AEG is, it'll probably fail now!
A pre drain hose goes on the smaller one, allows ya to drain out all water before ya unscrew the filter and the flap helps stop back syphon on drain hose
HDXFH you *hope* your machine has the pre-drain hose. Ours doesn’t. And is, interestingly, one with an integrated dryer. So that could be why, I suppose.
yes thats what i was going to say saves a lot of flooding
What he said
correct
are ya aussie? just curious
I actually had a sock stuck once in the filter. And the washing machine was completely full with water when I found out what the filter is and opened it. Wish I saw your video a year ago! :D
You're so clear and orderly with how you describe your process, the parts and function
I find that you are very comical when you take things apart. I don't know why, but I chuckle. Educational and funny.
Clive, you need a pair of huge slotted screwdrivers called "Brute Force" and "Ignorance"
The slight resistance you get when you manually turn the impeller is the built in anti tangle feature. If the pump feels any resistance it will go into reverse to try and free itself from anything that may be obstructing the impeller. Quite a clever but simple design feature 👌 😀
Funny as hell that of all the videos I have watched of yours, I came across this one today. Replaced my washing machine pump motor about 2 hours ago.
Thanks, you saved my day! Without exaggeration, you saved my whole year!
We used to have a front loader with this kind of pump in it. I had to replace it at one point because a coin got stuck in it and chewed up the impeller. The whole washer ended up only lasting about 8 years before the tub support fell apart. We now have a 30 year old top loader that was given to us. much more reliable lol
womens hairpins love getting down and getting caught up in the impeller
G'day, Clive! Wow! I really enjoyed seeing your hole process of taking, this washing machine pump to bits! Thank you so much for not simply giving up, or abandoning all hope, in disassembling this pump! Nice job! By the way, haha! [thats humorous] The inside of this pump smells like tea! Lol!! Well done!
Cheers! :-)🛠😊❤️
Hello, my front door washing machine drain pump run without laod (makes griding noise) however, when i want to drain water through it, it won't run at all. Do you think the pump is faulty ?
Check it hasn't got objects like coins or pins in it. Make sure the power is off, and on some machines there is a flap at the front and a twist off cover for cleaning the pump and its filter. There may be water in the machine, so have a tray or towel ready and be careful to release the cover slowly.
I changed out lots of those pumps on my job taking care of laundry at a college. That seal always leaks and the magnet is always full of disgusting stinky glop. The motor runs even with that area flooded. And the thing that fails on them is usually the shaft where the impeller is attached wears out so the impeller gets all wobbly and starts making noise. Also what happens is either coins get in and plug up the inlet , or stuff like hairpins can work their way into the impeller . Though that was the older style pump that did not have that filter on it - those are nice and catch a lot of stuff that used to get into the impeller. And yes you aways have to pry hard to get that coil off - I used to just put them in the vice and whack them with a hammer cause they were already junk anyway and I just recycled the copper and metal . As you said there is no repairing those unless it is just plugged - otherwise you replace when they get worn out . The coil never fails . I always kept those magnets - they are useful for other things. Oh and the commercial washing machines had 5 year parts warranty so for five years when ever pump fails - free to put in a new one .
Recently I replaced the very same pump on my 10-year-old washing machine. It's awesome when you can find replace parts for your machine after this long time.
1:11 a useful little wrinkle, taught to me by an experienced serviceman: Tilt the machine backwards against the wall before unscrewing the filter trap. Then clear it, replace the trap, and you don't have water pouring anywhere.
Service engineer here. That pump wasn't going to last long. Once you've got water through that seal (or smelly gunk) it's days are numbered. I usually give them a shake, if there's water sloshing around it's time for a new one
The outer section with the crud (solidified detergent) was not sealed well, but the centre motor rotor was sealed OK.
Every single one of the pumps in laundry I took care of leaked into that area and they will run for a long time actually. The failure is not because it is full of water , it is because of all the crud helps wear out the bearings . I was always surprised how long they worked considering they were always flooded and gunked up around the magnets. You would think they could design a seal that worked to keep that area dry but I never saw one that wasn't full or water around the magnets.
The last one I took apart had a magnetically coupled impeller (i.e. the impeller on the pump side was just floating with no bearings / no direct coupling to the electrical side) It was actually a very clever idea. In my case, the impeller was completely jammed up by some string that got lodged in it, but you could heat that the motor on the rear side was still turning freely without damage, I imagine that would be a very long life pump, with no seals to go bad and no negative effects on the motor from the impeller stalling
Could you use the motor windings as a magnetiser / de magnetiser as seen on other CZcams videos with bigger motors?
Thought Clive was going to go into Electroboom territory for a moment there. But somehow he managed to avoid it.
As someone who scraps from the ppl who toss good stuff I understand the concept of patience when it comes to breaking parts. I feel your struggle getting that coil out.
Eeew it's wet... other peoples yuk!!
he says it's from ebay
egh crusty bits *stick finger in it* classic bigclive
*SNIFF* "Smells like tea."
Jesus clive...
but what about your friend in America you mentioned at the start??
What happened?
I can't sleep until i know...
Ah, I got distracted as I usually do. He took most of his machine apart to try and get to the pump to clean it out.
Super Dooper Clive .
luv watching your destructive bear dis- Assembly routines ...
Oh I loved this video! I am just as curious, and just can't stop 'taking it to bits'. I think it would have worked good enough if I were to have unclogged the eaten up terry,.. but NOO I had to see everything! Thank you for sharing! I really wish I video taped my ' I can use this for something' 2-ton printer dismantle. My mother in law still hates me every time she sees the stains on her garage floor,wall and, yes ceiling! Andi Stewart
Good description I am using the exact pump on my Fishtank as an emergency pump Nice one
Thanks mate, your video got me out of trouble
9:50 - we passed "fixing the machine" at 5:40 we're now deep into "idle curiosity"
I enjoy your videos
2:44 That smaller hole would be connected to a small straw and it will be used to drain the water sitting in the pump, rather than it flooding out when you remove the large filter cover (usually on higher end washing machines). Also the washing machine drum exit will have a small ball in it. It will drop to let water out but if water enters the drain hose the ball will float, stopping the water from entering the drum for the drain hose.
I love these videos
Just wondering about those holes in that flap. Would they be necessary to keep the pump primed on a front end loading machine? All the washing machines that I've taken apart are top loaders and the pump is totally different, with most driven by a belt or a direct drive off the main motor. Interesting that this design has a separate moter for the pump.
When you test the resistance what range should the reading be in ?. Is there a specific number to look for or are the readings different for each make of machine ?.
The will be variation depending on power of pump and the local voltage.
It always amazes me how simple and low cost they can make things like these
Maybe you could leave a link in the description that links to the Quick Test Clive??
There's a dedicated video about it with links.
Andrew Petrie
Here’s the link to BC’s video on it...
czcams.com/video/_DTmL73th7Y/video.html
Thank you so much for this!
I liked the idea of the quick test, but when I looked it up online it was way too expensive, so I made my own out of wood. I even put the little neon indicator on it and everything. Not counting materials I already had on hand, it only cost me 50 cents.
"Everything" includes a hidden switch inside the wood. When pulled up it goes unpowered. A lot of old small fuseboxes were like this. Ave put out a vid, gotta split!
Yes, at over $50 on eBay, they are rather pricey. I'm surprised the Chinese haven't made any knock-offs - although I haven't checked in a few months. Hmm ...
I just use Wago 221 series connectors + usually end sleeves
Yes, the price is ridiculous. Its just a folding plastic lid with wire connections. It can't cost that much to manufacture. If I had a 3D printer, I'd design and make my own.
Can you upload a photo/video of your DIY one and link to it please.
£35 is the VAT inclusive (or £30 ex.VAT) price in the U.K. if bought from CPC cpc.farnell.com/cliff-electronic-components/cl1853/quicktest-block-with-1-5m-lead/dp/PL10638?st=Quicktest
the blanked off spout that looked like it had 2 holes in it was used in older Indesit machine to drain the water from the door seal. it was blanked off as it used to block with the usual crap in washing machines & needed cleaning often, so it was deleted i'd say about 15years ago when Indesit used metal outer drums. the rubber bit reduces the 'chug' when the pump is empty & helps eliminate airlocks. the version you have there is a watercooled pump hence the side bits eitherside the windings & the water inside.. interestingly I've found that they go noisy more that the nonwatercooled, more room for the crud to get into the 'clutch' of the impeller/magnet maybe?
Now I know why my pump wont start up after gluing the impellor on!, Thanks Clive, great videos
I had to replace one recently. I saved the old one thinking I could make use of the motor... thanks for the info.
Funny thing. I replaced the waste-water-pump in my washing-machine last week. It looks very similar. I got the replacement from ebay. :-)
I disassembled mine together with yours. The only significant difference is a thermo-fuse in my motor.
Also it's very interesting how the windigs are made. You can pull of the windig-pack and "flip" them together. this way a spooling-machine can simply wind up all the wire in one go. There are special tabs for the transition between both windings.
Interesting example of highly optimized production. Everything is reduced to the bare minimum. No skews and no glue. Every thing is held together with two clips.
This is so weird. I just got a new washing machine pump delivered for my machine today.
Timely video. Our front load washer is fairly new so have not had the fun of replacing the pump. Ours has a drain hose so you can drain trapped water before removing the filter access port.
A few months ago the drain pump on our 10 year old Bosch dishwasher failed. The replacement pump was $72 US. Same type of permanent magnet motor as in your video. Water had gotten into the bearings and the thermo overload tripped. I'm surprised you did not find a thermo overload in the washing machine pump you took apart. The dishwasher was interesting as the pump mount was a simple rotate and clip, no fasteners involved.
Bearing leaks are a pretty common failure mode that is what killed the pump on our previous washing machine so I'd be leery about buying used parts.
Should rewrite this title "washing machine pump smelldown".... Tea, really? What do you normally drink Clive, Jasmine Tea? Cause undoubtedly that crust is probably hard water deposits w a smidge of scented soap thrown in. Here's hoping your next cup of tea doesn't smell like the inside of a washing machine!
Maybe fromunda tea, scented with detergent?
That gunk is a combination of residual detergent, water deposits, and filth that has been washed out of clothes.
Joe Camel: Funny icon. I've got a bunch of Camel Zippos and ashtrays still from when that was my brand.
Doesn't look very filthy and obviously that's leakage into the pump so bigger bits can't get in. I still couldn't believe how quickly Clive smelled it. Ick!
It's definitely filthy... Some of the worst smells I've ever experienced were from washing machine pumps. That said, if you don't overdo it with the detergent, the smell won't be nearly as bad.
I remember a pleasant smell I smelled as a kid when smelling the rubber seal between the drum and the door
My Candy washing machine pump doesn't have a plastic cover over it, just rusty laminations! 😂😂😂
good explanation👍👍👍👍👍
At least I know what our washing machine pump looks like now if it ever breaks! Thanks :)
still wondering how to remove that gray propeller-like element from the metal axis without destroying it - no matter how much force I use and how I try to pull it out it won't budge is it fused or something?
Are the core laminations stacked up so their slightly knifey side (from being stamp cut) acts as ratchet teeth against the pump body?
Not sure which edge was sharpest, but the rear one did fold down enough to make extracting the coil difficult.
So I happened to find one of these pumps today in a discount bin at a local store. I bought it without really knowing what it was, had no idea it was for a washing machine, but hoping to have fun playing with it. My question is, any idea how good these types of pumps would function as a synchronous generators?
Also, on the one I bought, the copper windings are encased in ceramic so that I cannot even see them. Do you think this us purely a cosmetic difference or does it help the motor be more efficient or something along that line.
I'm not sure how well they would work as a generator. They may be potted in resin or moulded in plastic for waterproofing.
I removed and rinsed my GE washer water pump few times and removed sand that blocked spining, put it back on, and is working now just fine (it was not spinning nor draining), so I saved some money.
I once repaired one of these pump motors many years ago. First time I used it, it set on fire and filled the kitchen with thick black smoke. Showing super human strength I pick the washer up and chucked the bugger still burning out the door. I have since stopped interfering with white goods.
Thank you so much for making this video! Our washing machine has been clogged for 2 months now, and after opening that cleaning slide there was an entire sock, along with some change and a nail file in there. No wonder it wasn't working! That fixed it right up though.
That was a super impression of a pump! Brings back memories of when I was an appliance repair bloke.
"an impression of a pump". wasn't it a real pump ;-)
I've repaired white goods for years and they're not made how they used to be! The modular parts allows the prices to be very low - £200 for a half decent new washing machine is unreal. They were once far more than that and add inflation etc..
What I will say about machine failures now is it's mostly the plastic components - your vid showed a lug failure.
I know for sure that plastic should outlive the machine itself but for some reason the plastics they use in them fails early. It's as if they've engineered in failure rates. Surely a manufacturer wouldn't stoop as low as to engineer their goods to fail when they shouldn't?
Yes the coil - can be swapped for various world voltages.
Hey, I'm a service engineer too. My experience seems weirdly different to yours. I'd say plastic failure was fairly rare. Most commonly I see bearing/spider failure (on newer machines usually), relays burning out, blockages (obviously) and electrical components failing. Plastic breaking is mostly on the buttons and door handles, I'd say I see that about once a month.
Hi all can anyone let me know what is the electronic device on the left called? at 0:27
the one that gives power and the cables that go with it.
'Ullo, Clive, got a new motah?
I've worked on this stuff and that is a very common design used on almost all washers and dishwashers now at least in the US. What usually happens is the seal between the rotor and housing wears out. Water (and lovely essences) migrate back into the magnet compartment. Also the impeller breaks off form the shaft, usually from an item getting caught in it. Result it runs but doesn't pump,
Thanks for sharing 😀👍
Thanks for explaining so well why the impeller is not fixed to the rotor (at 10:59), but has some slack! That helped me realize that glueing the impeller to the rotor is not a viable fix really, as it would cause the pump to occasionally stall.
Thanks. Glad the video was useful. You should be able to buy a spare online.
I imagine you could do a secondary test by spinning the rotor and inducing voltage across the coils.
This was a really useful article as my washing started leaking again. Last time it was the drain pump. Sadly, this time the door seal has perished - not bad for a 19 year old machine to last this long.
The door seals are not that complex to change on some models. It might be worth looking on CZcams to see if there's a video that covers your model. It's often a single rubber sleeve retained by two spring tensioned wire loops.
I think that flapper on the flow out port might be to help the pump take initial prime. Once primed and at full efficiency the flapper is simply pushed aside. Those impellers can act funny at startup, I used to have to prime them on old turret lathes to get the coolant system flowing (yes, impeller system pumps).
What is this coil wire made of ? Is it something different from copper because it's cheaper ?
Possibly aluminium.
As you mentioned that it works in both direction does polarity matters for it's wiring?
No. It only works with AC so the wires can be connected either way round.
Nice one mate ive 'liked ' and 'subscribed' the thing i want to know is is the pump bidirectional. I mean does it matter what wires go on what connection. It does seem to matter when pump isnt in place/position?
You could do video about the defrost timer found in fridge freezers. Started to find ice in the back of the freezer and it wasn't that cold anymore (soft fish fingers). After removing all the ice twice (with the help of hair dryer) decided to Investigate. Found a wire attached to the cooling serpentine, understood it was a heating element to melt the ice, followed the cables to the back (where compressor is) and found it connected to a timer (8 hours timer). Said timer it's tiny mains motor with gears and every 8 hours or so, changes the Live from the compressor to the Heating element. Bought s generic timer from eBay for £4 and fridge freezer has been working ok for the last 4 years !
It's kind of amazing how reliable refrigerators are. Mine is almost 30 years old, and the only thing I've ever had to change was the icemaker, because the release heater failed. Oddly, the Amazon replacement was almost exactly the same design, but had a different connector. Oh well, easy enough to fix with a bit of solder and heat shrink.
Hi Big Clive,
Would you mind doing a tear-down/explanation of the main washing machine motor e.g.Welling HXGK1I 240V 50Hz 300W Universal motor?
Thanks
Hi Clive, the small aux. pipe out is for a drain pipe. Used on our Samsung machine.
I think the flap is perhaps just to help prevent the waste water flowing back into the drum between pump-outs?
The water is allowed to flow back in more slowly, so the bulk of water in the outlet pipe doesn't just flow straight back through the pump again when the motor stops.
(since the loose end of the waste pipe is often positioned higher than the pump end, and sometimes higher than the entire drum.)
I don't think the flappy valve would help keep the pump primed, but maybe?
Straight from a hotpoint/indesit machine, spent many years changing them !
LG front load washer (in US) have a tube to drain the filter before opening.
Pond water pumps are similar interesting because that completely isolate the electrics from the water using sealed coils and an induction driven disk impeller. Such pumps are designed to handle dirty water with lots of solids in it. The pumps also deal well with a stalled impeller.
If that pump is a bigger version of aquarium pumps I service sometimes - it is perfectly possible to service the rotor and its magnet axis JUST BY PULLING THE ROTOR after taking out the filter part. It seems like it is hold in place only by an O-ring. Does anyone know?
Good video
they have refined that over the years, the wonky pump i bodged a repair on an old washer relied on seals to keep the motor dry, and did not have that starting loose spinner design or a filter at all
Have you ever thought about putting your multimeter on the terminals ? And spin the impeller just to see how much voltage is created ? After all it's laid out like a antique telephone magneto , only in reverse. I'd be interested in seeing just how much energy that pump could produce. Thanks
Here's my thought on the rubber 'non return' flap... the flexible pipe coming out of the pump normally comes out the back of the machine at the bottom then goes up to discharge into a higher level pipe behing (or under) the sink... what you sometimes hear after the drum empties is a slug of waste water bouncing up and down in the vertical hose till the pump switches off. I guess the flap slows the backflow down enough to stop that happening - probably it prolongs the life of the impeller blades and reduces the annoying noise.
wow, good explanation of impeller pumps, good to know that funny noise when my dishwasher starts to pump isn't a dying pump! (shouldn't be, since it's new)
Andy Plater well. Its drying the water from the drain lol
I always thought it's cool that it starts up like an engine or something.
could this pump be used as a bilge pump for a boat? or is it an AC only type deal?
It's AC only.
i made a windmill from one of them, the motors are very good generators and will give a very high pulsed voltage even at low rpm
I was just thinking about making one. Do you remember how many volts and amps it made?
Nice design. My U.S. frontloader (made by Electrolux, BTW) requires I remove the pump in order to clean it out.
One of the more useful accessories they can connect to the pump is a little rubber hose that you can pul, out the front and that allows you to drain water off gently, as opposed to “very carefully” trying to open the entire pump housing.
Yes, but is it as exciting?
bigclivedotcom I suppose you need to find excitement where you can, when you live in the Isle of Man!
(I have my washer freestanding, I usually just tilt it back in cases where I need to clear the pump. At least once I remember that’s the way to do it.)
Jasper Janssen the only excitement they get there is a bunch of 1000cc on two wheels, that are riden by the biggest balls on the planet...
but they need fresh big balls quite often if you know what I mean
I took care of a laundry and I made a pan with notch that would slide under the lip of that filter so you could unscrew and pull it so all the water and gunk ( they always stink ) would go into the pan instead of all over the floor. I had to clean those pump filters out two or three times a year .
Hey Big C, interested in a Hardi 14412 fuel pump?
It has a little circuit board in it and works with up/down motion.
It doesnt work, but i think its an easy fix.
Grtz
385 likes and zero dislikes. Keeping it real, Clive!
And now it's up to 13 dislikes. I have no idea what would prompt somebody to dislike one of Clive's videos. Accidental click, maybe? It's just odd.
Thanks you, your videos help me out so much and your voice is perfect for doing this. I wound if you can sing?
czcams.com/video/tX0lKqguw7s/video.html
Perhaps few have noticed a detail: this is a magnetic motor powered by alternating electrical power (50 or 60 Hz). Note that it does not have a starting coil, which would make it always rotate in the same direction. Conclusion: This motor will turn to a random side when starting. This turning side may be different on the next connection!!!!!! Brazil Sp
"but then again.... *I REGRET NOTHING* " 👌😂👌😂👌
Hi! I need to use a little water pump to circulate water in a heat exchanger, so the water could become a little hot, like 60°C. Do you think a pump like this could withstand that temperature? Do you think it could work for 3 or 4 hours continuously? Thanks for your advice.
You might be better using a heating circulation pump.
@@bigclivedotcom Aren't those pumps large and heavy? My heat exchanger is relatively small (two car heating radiators, and a 12 liter tank), so i was looking for a little pump that could withstand some temperature. Thanks for your advice!
Ave would have told us the plastic. ;)
Also off the pump there's often a short large pipe. That acts as a sump, for heavy pump damaging objects. Such as we have in our pockets, pound coins, nuts etc.
It's the first thing anyone collecting old machines goes for.
"Smells like laundry detergent..." "Smells like tea."
I don't think I've busted out laughing so hard at work before. ;)
You need a green mat for when you do your AVE'ish releasing of the schmoo ;)
I would guess that the little flappy rubber valve in the pump is there to just provide enough resistance to back flow when it switches off to prevent any loud gurgling noises.
It would also make the speed that water drains out a bit more manageable if you need to open it up to clear a blockage.
I changed a similar pump a few years ago (Hotpoint make machine), the windings had shorted causing it to overheat and melt the grey plastic housing so that it leaked water.