Wma10 Belt Slipping Towards Drum
A couple of years ago we bought a Hotpopint WMA10 with no extended cover. For the last few months it has shaken fairly noisely whenever on a high spin and we've ignored it hoping it would go away. However, this weekend it stopped spinning at all. After removing the top I found the belt had fallen off the top larger wheel attached to the drum. On further investigation I found the belt was worn on the second V in from (ie the belt is shaped like VVVVV and the second was almost entirely worn away.
After buying a new belt today and eventually put it on I found the belt had crept towards the drum on the top wheel. On even closer inspection I noticed that the edge of the wheel, closest to the drum, was raised but appeared to be rough as though it had been worn away. No matter where I place the belt on the bottom spindle, the same thing happens with the belt moving towards the edge.
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.
Hotpoint WMA10 belt running off drum pulley due to drum bearing failure
- The problem
- The washing machine had been noisy on high spin for some months, then stopped spinning. The drive belt had come off the large drum pulley and the old belt showed heavy wear on one rib. After fitting a new belt, it repeatedly crept towards the drum edge on the top pulley.
- Likely cause
- Drum bearing failure causing the drum to drop and the drum pulley to run unevenly, which made the belt track to the edge and come off. The discussion also notes excessive up-and-down play at the front of the drum, supporting this diagnosis.
- What fixed it
- The accepted advice was to check for noise when turning the drum by hand and for vertical play at the front of the drum, as this indicates collapsed drum bearings. The confirmed repair was replacement of the washer drum by Hotpoint.
- Checks to try
- Checked that the belt had come off the large drum pulley
- Observed heavy wear on one rib of the old belt
- Fitted a new belt and found it still moved towards the drum edge
- Inspected the drum pulley edge and found it appeared rough/worn
- Checked for up-and-down movement of the drum from the front
- Parts or tools mentioned
- New drive belt
- Replacement drum
Safety: Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
3 Answers
When you spin the drum by hand from the front is it noisy? Can you detect excessive up and down play when you lift the drum at the front? One of the main causes of a drive belt coming off a washing machine is the front drum bearing collapsing after the bearings go. If this happens the drum drops and the drum pulley (where the belt runs) will run unevenly causing the belt to run to the edge and come off.
The WMA washing machine range are notorious for drum bearing failure. If you find it is this, then search the forum for WMA +"drum bearings" - Copy and paste this exact phrase including the speach marks, you should find all you need to know there.
( related advice - washing machine drive belt keeps coming off )
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Thanks Andy.
That appears to be the problem as the drum moves up and down when I move it from the front. I'll now get onto Hotpoint and try to negotiate a good price for the labour charges.
Many thanks.
________
Added days later -
The washer's drum has now been replaced by Hotpoint and because of the washer's age (I gave a purchase date of (01/02/02) I was only charged £49 instead of £90.
The engineer knew what the fault was very quickly but denied it was a very common problem with my model!
Many thanks for the advice Andy.
This has been a design fault on these washing machines. Hotpoint have redesigned the bearing seal. They usually won't admit liablility. There's been thousands of cases of premature drum bearing failure on Hotpoint WMA (and similar) models.
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