Belt drive Kenmore washer off-balance switches

[tbolt25]

Anyone remember those belt drive Kenmore washers with the off-balance switches equipped with buzzers?When the washer was off-balance, the washer would stop, and a buzzer would sound nonstop until the timer knob was pushed in.The switch was located on the left rear of the washer, as the tub baseplate would come back and hit this red arm on the switch and operate it when the washer was off-balance.I've seen on an appliance repair website that those arms that operated these off-balance switches were bad to get bent and give troubles.Is that really true, has anyone had this problem with their belt driven Kenmore washer's off-balance switch?

 

[fixerman]

I think most here remember them. There are very common machines. The early ones had a switch with a wire arm. These may have been prone to bending but I would think the plastic ones would break rather than bend. The most common problem I have seen is the switch contacts burn out causing the machine to do nothing since power is routed through it. The cause of the machine going off balance, besides an off balance load, is usually the machine is not level or solid on the floor. Other causes are the the rubber suspension balls worn or bad tub bearings.

 

[kenmore1978]

off balance switch

mine burned up after many years, and it had a plastic trip arm. They rarely fail, I've only replaced one on any KM I've repaired, and I suspect most of them last the life of the average machine. Since it's the last component in the neutral side of the line before going back to the outlet, it totally disables the machine when it fails.