Tricity Bendix Aw 1460W Bearing
I inherited a Tricity Bendix AW 1460W from Granny. I don't think she had it for very long and would certainly only have had light usage. I have had it for 2 years and it does at least one load a day and I have found it very good. A month ago it got very noisy. Father-in-law had a look and reckoned it was damage to the bearing set which he was surprised by. I was less surprised as I had idiotically pulled the washing machine out by the drum and fear I may have caused the damage then. We are moving in August so as FIL told me it was safe just noisy I thought I could carry on using it until I moved and then look to replace or repair then. Last night it left a series or greases spot marks on a duvet cover as if the cover had got caught on the outside of the drum (don't know if this is possible but it is a big greasy imprint of the drum holes).
My husband is away until the end of the week and uncontactable and I will need a solution by the weekend....I have found this site very useful. Initially I had thought for about £250 I could get a decent new washer and be done with it. However I see there is a lot more to consider and I am not going to get a decent washer for that price. Having read your opinion and daughters review on the Tricity Bendix I am wondering if I am better off repairing this one. It seems the parts are still available and my FIL and husband are pretty good at DIY (though FIL didn't think he was up to bearings) so is it worth trying to keep this one going - I reckon it could get repaired for under £250. It is 6kg, 1400 spin and 15 options including wool. The question is are they reliable? No one posting on here about them so guess they are? Or not many about now discontinued? I have read on your site that they are the budget end of Electrolux which I believe is a reliable brand. I am loath to dispose of it but don't want to spend money getting it repaired only to break again. A washer in my house is going to have a tough life but I promise to look after it better next time.
I have emailed a repair company through your links and will wait to hear from them. I would really value some opinions on whether this Tricity Bendix is worth saving?
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.
Tricity Bendix AW 1460W noisy drum and grease marks likely from failed bearings
- The problem
- The Tricity Bendix AW 1460W became very noisy, then started leaving greasy drum-pattern marks on washing. The machine had been used for about two years by the poster and was thought to have had light use before that. A family member suspected bearing damage.
- Likely cause
- The accepted reply said the drum bearings had completely failed. It was also stated that pulling the machine out by the drum would not have caused this. Once bearings collapse, the inner race can seize onto or damage the drum shaft, making repair more expensive.
- What fixed it
- The accepted advice was that the machine was unusable in this condition. Repair might be worth considering only if the cost was reasonable, but once the bearings had collapsed the repair could be uneconomical. The poster cancelled a repair-policy appointment after being warned the cost for bearing-related work could exceed the policy limit, and was advised by the repair centre to replace the machine instead.
- Checks to try
- Machine became very noisy
- Greasy drum-hole pattern marks were left on clothes
- Family member suspected bearing damage
- Accepted forum reply diagnosed completely failed drum bearings
- Parts or tools mentioned
- Drum bearings
- Drum shaft
Safety: Do not continue using the machine in this condition. Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
2 Answers
Hello and thanks for your comments about my site. You'll be pleased to know can't damage the bearings by pulling the machine out by the drum. That's how most engineers pull the machine out. From your description of the grease spot marks on clothes, the drum bearings have completely gone now and the machine is unusable. If it can be repaired for a reasonable price it may be worth doing. However, had you got it repaired when the bearings first started to rumble it may have been more repairable. Once drum bearings have collapsed the inner race can seized onto or damage the drum shaft causing a more expensive repair. I wouldn't advice a diy repair unless someone is a seasoned and competent engineer or diy enthusiast.
Tricity Bendix were a great washing machine for the price and my recommended budget machine until they stopped making them. Maybe they were too reliable for the cheap prices. If you need to replace it and want a similarly cheapish machine I would look at a Zanussi.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
Thank you for the quick answer Andy. And thank you for saying I didn't break it! Just for your info I went through your site and contacted 0800 repair by email. They called me back and were very nice but had no engineers in my area so couldn't help. I then rang D and G repairs and took out a policy with them and got put through to a Tricity Bendix repair centre and made the earliest appointment with them for next Wednesday (a week and a day away). Then I got some washing done at a neighbours calmed down and had some time to think and research. Again D and G were very nice and the idea of paying £120 for call out, parts, labour and 3 month warranty sounded good the policy also states that if the repair is going to cost more than £250 they won't do it. So as this is bearings.....plus a bit more for using it when there was a problem I reckon I could have waited a week only to be told they wouldn't do it. I have just rung D and G to cancel and again they were very nice and understood that the time was just too long and then I rang the company who I had the appointment with and explained that I was concerned that as it was bearings the cost would be too high for the policy. She completely agreed and recommended I got myself along to John Lewis!!!
Thank you for all the help, I am sure I will be back to the site.
Hazel
Your Answer
Sign in to share your expertise and post an answer.
Related Questions
Washing machine grinding sound before drum spins- is it definitely the bearings??
1 answer • 2 replies
EWD81483WUKN 869991618990 Drum Bearing Failure
1 answer • 1 reply
Bosch serie 8 bearings
1 answer • 1 reply
Bearings?
1 answer • 7 replies
New World WDHT714W Bearing problem / Belt
1 answer • 5 replies
Hotpoint Aristo Model WMG 823B EU.C. bearing replace
1 answer • 1 reply
Bearings failed after just 15 months
1 answer • 6 replies
Ball bearing replacement top loader
1 answer • 16 replies
Welded sealed tub/drum bearing replacement - options for fixing it back together
1 answer • 2 replies
Hoover HWB 814 DN1 new bearings
1 answer • 3 replies