Drum bearings failed after 30 Months
Hi All,
When I bought a (integrated) washer dryer 30 months ago, I chose to shell out extra (£600) and buy what I thaught was a reputable brand - AEG. Several weeks ago the machine has started to make grinding sounds during the spin cycle and having spoken to 2 independent engineers over the phone, they both suspect it is the bearings.
The model appears to have a welded drum assembly which means the entire drum will need to be replaced. Parts alone will cost £190... and by the time I have paid labour, I suspect the final bill will be closer to £300...
There are only 3 people in my household. However, with a 5 year old, the machine is probably in use everyday if not 5-6 times a week. I still do not expect the bearings on the machine to be shot after 2.5 years of use! The machine came out of warranty 6 months ago so I am now left with the option of a very expensive repair, or a brand new unit.
Is there any recourse with AEG, in particular from a sale of goods perspective?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
Solution Summary
AI-generated from this discussion
This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
AEG washer dryer noisy on spin, possible drum bearings after 30 months
- The problem
- An integrated AEG washer dryer bought for £600 developed a grinding noise during the spin cycle after about 30 months' use. Two independent engineers, spoken to by phone, suspected drum bearing failure. The owner believed the model had a welded drum assembly, making repair expensive and potentially uneconomical.
- Likely cause
- Drum bearing failure was suspected, but the accepted reply noted that grinding noises are often caused by an obstruction, while failed drum bearings are more commonly described as a rumbling noise. Bearing failure was not confirmed in the discussion.
- What fixed it
- The accepted advice was to check the diagnosis by removing the drive belt and spinning the drum by hand to compare the noise with failed bearings. If the bearings were confirmed failed, the welded drum design would make repair effectively uneconomical. The legal route suggested was to pursue the retailer, not AEG, under the Sale of Goods Act, as a £600 machine lasting only 2.5 years might not be considered a reasonable lifespan.
- Checks to try
- Grinding noise occurs during spin cycle
- Two independent engineers suspected bearings over the phone
- Remove the drive belt and spin the drum by hand to help identify bearing noise
- Parts or tools mentioned
- Drive belt
- Complete drum assembly
Safety: Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
1 Answer
Grinding sounds are more often caused by obstructions inside the machine, "rumbling" is more often the way drum bearing noises are described but we often tend to describe sounds using differing words. If it is the drum bearings they should make a similar sound to this when you take off the drive belt and spin the drum by hand what do noisy drum bearings sound like?
If the drum bearings have failed then as AEG are one of the increasing numbers of manufacturers who now weld their drums so they can't be repaired it makes drum bearing repair virtually fatal to the machine as it just costs so much it's not worth doing.
If the washing machine is beyond economical repair after just 2.5 years and cost £600 I would think it hasn't lasted a reasonable amount of time. However, AEG do not have any responsibility, you can only claim against the retailer who sold it to you under the Sale of goods act. They are likely to just tell you there's nothing that can be done because it's out of guarantee but this is not true if you have valid claim under the sale of goods act. Whether you have or not might depend on a small claims court judgement but I would think they ought to agree that a £600 washing machine should last longer than 2.5 years.
Check out my articles here for more information -
Out of guarantee – even by a long time doesn't always mean you should pay
Is manufacturer or retailer responsible for faulty appliances?
Sale of Goods Act gives us 6 years to claim for faulty appliances?
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
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