Broken washing machine bearings: repair it or buy a new one

Broken washing machine bearings: repair it or buy a new one

A washing machine bought four years and four months ago for 300 euros has started sounding like a truck during the spin cycle. The most common diagnosis is bearing failure, the parts that support the drum shaft. The question that trinc is whether it is worth calling a technician or accepting that it is time to buy a new one. The spare part costs between 20 and 40 euros, but the teardown takes an entire day.

How much it costs to replace washing machine bearings

The price of the replacement part is not the problem. The bearings cost between 20 and 40 euros depending on the model. What drives up the bill is the labor: the tub has to be removed, split in half and the old bearings extracted, sometimes with a puller. A technician takes around three or four hours and charges about 30 euros per hour, plus the part. The quick estimate comes to around 150 euros, with no guarantee the drum has no other damage.

Those who have done it at home talk about two weekend mornings. It is not complicated, but it is laborious. The advice repeated most often is to check first whether the tub is sealed: in that case it cannot be peine and the repair is impossible. It is also worth checking the belt and the motor mount before assuming the diagnosis.

Why they fail prematurely

The most cited cause is not the quality of the appliance but how it is used. Washing blankets, duvets and mountains of towels together loads the drum with a lot of weight and water, and all the strain falls on a single bearing. Some argue that today's bearings are cheaply made and designed to last just long enough. The maximum load label is frequently ignored.

Spinning at 1,200 or 1,400 rpm with seven or nine kilos of wet laundry accelerates wear. In machines with inverter motors the problem is not the motor but the bearings. Planned obsolescence is cited as the underlying explanation: the appliance works, but the critical part fails before the rest.

Brands with sealed tubs and repairable brands

Not all washing machines can be fixed. Some budget brands sell models with a sealed tub: if the spider or the bearings break, the entire appliance goes in the trash. Others keep a removable tub, which makes it possible to replace the bearings. The check is simple: tilt the machine or look through the top if the cover is off.

Among the brands mentioned as problematic is Indesit. Among those that allow repair, Vestel and the ones it manufactures for own brands are mentioned. The price difference between one and the other is not always large, but the possibility of repairing changes the long-term calculation.

What to do when the noise comes back

Some people replaced the bearings three or four years ago and now notice the same noise. The advice repeated most often is to check the condition of the shaft and the spider before reassembling. If the shaft has marks or the spider has play, replacing only the bearings will not solve the problem. It is also recommended to use bearings with rubber seals instead of metal ones, which are more resistant to moisture, and to grease the seal with vaseline so it does not get pinched during assembly.

Reassembly requires striking the correct race. If the bearing slides easily into its housing, the fit is on the inner race and force must be applied to it. If it is the other way around, on the outer race. A mistake here shortens the life of the replacement part.

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The final decision depends on two variables: the price of a new appliance and the value of your own time. With washing machines from 269 euros, a professional repair can approach the cost of a basic machine. Doing it yourself cuts the bill, but it consumes a weekend. The question that remains unanswered is how long a repaired washing machine really lasts.