I am so frustrated.....Any advice?

[bingwsguy]

I currently have a Bosch Axxis laundry pair. At age 2 the washer motor gave up. Service came, ordered, and installed a new motor under warranty. Yesterday, I discovered that the washer motor is dead again...1 year since replacement. Service is coming again today and says that it is still covered under the original mfg. warranty and will be replaced. I am happy about that....but.....
I had a mid 90's ASKO washer basically giving me the same problem several times over a 6 year period which is what forced me into a different brand....hence my Bosch. Many people I knew had the same problem with their ASKO's at that time, so I didn't feel like it was an isolated incident with mine. My Mom was one with the recurring motor problem and went to a DUET and has had that for 6 years...no problems.
I like what the European machines provide...Internal Water Heaters with the ability to heat up from cold, High Spin Speeds, "Piggy Back" plugging (washer into dryer-dryer into receptacle), etc....but I have had bad luck.
Are the compact European machines supplied with motors that are known for this? Are the warranty replacement motors re-manufactured? Am I just overloading my machines? Or is everything today just a "hit and miss" with reliability?
Thanks for any advice.

Joe

 

[fredriksam]

About the Asko washer: Its very true they sadly often fails after 3-6 years of use. The most common reasons is:
1: The electronic card fries or stop working
2: The motor fails (carbon brushes needs replace)
3: The bearings go haywire.

About your Bosch machine: Have you checked the carbon brushes? They might need replacement

How much clothes do you load the machine with? Tight or "loose"?. Whith loose means you might get something more into the machine.

 

[bingwsguy]

fredriksam

Thanks for the reply. About the carbon brushes...that may be the issue, as I noticed that during the spin, that high pitched sound coming from the motor was getting "choppy" instead of consistant over the past 2 months or so. I am wondering why are motors like this with brushes still being produced? I heard that ones without are more reliable. Is this true? As for loading, I always leave a little extra room in the tub & don't pack it full, but am wondering if weight is an issue. I have really thick towels and sweaters/sweatshirts, etc... Manufacturers say that you can really fill those machines and still get good results, but I am wondering if the motors are strong enough to handle it?
P.S. Checked your profile...we share the same b-day

 

[the7]

"I heard that ones without are more reliable. Is this true?"
Yes, in general because there is no brushes to wear.

How many loads do you do each week?

 

[chachp]

I have the Bosch Axxis pair.

I bought them in April, 2002 and to date no problems. My sister bought a set about a year later no problem and a friend of mine bought a set about the same time I did and the only issue he has had was with the boot tore a couple of times. I'm not convinced that wasn't related to washing the dogs leash in there by itself but you can't tell him that LOL.

I do about 10 loads a week or so and pack them pretty well. So much so that I sometimes have to dry in batches because they dry better and faster when they have more room to move around. I get great results out of my machines.

 

[bingwsguy]

Thanks for the replies so far. I had a service tech here this AM and he showed me that there is a problem with the wiring harness...part was scorched and that the ground wire was broken. He is ordering a new harness and motor under warranty but suspects the faulty wiring harness probably caused the motors to burn out. I should know next week.

 

[cbosch]

Over loading your machine

I was always told that whenever you wash bath towels you should always only wash half the weight i.e. 3kg's from a 6kg machine. This is due to the large quantities of water they absorb

 

[Cybrvanr]

I've never looked inside one, but I have heard LG uses brushless, direct drive stepper motors in their machines. I imagine a few manufacturers out there may do the same. Due to the cost factor however, I imagine this is not something installed on cheapie machines. Stepper motors have electronics that switch on and off the individual windings in the motor, versus doing it mechanically. Even if LG's are equipped with this technology however, I would not buy one due to their track record on reliability and customer service.

Varibable speed motors are typically DC motors, and will inevitably be equipped with brushes. Speed is controlled by a PWM controller that switches the current to the motor on and off at extremely rapid rates. It's a technology that's been used in subways and other trains for the past 30 years or more. Typically, what happens is that when brushes in motors fail, the power connection to the motor becomes intermittant. The motor can damage the PWM controller too. This is because the motor can "surge" the controller, when collapsing magnetic fields get shunted back through the controller in erratic spikes, versus a smooth voltage.

One thing to look at, is if you are having that much of a time with machines failing, check into some other type of issue. I would check the wiring to and from the machine in the wall. Maybe there's an intermittant connection in the wall socket screw terminals that's making the power erratic. That will DEFINITELY destroy electronic components! I imagine that ground wire within the machine being a big part of it, but I would still be suspicious of outside wiring since you had problems with other machines too. Vibration can do some strange things, and washing machines vibrate!

...still, just give me a good 'ol fashioned AC induction motor! Those things last for years!

 

[bingwsguy]

cybrvanr

Thanks for the education...I needed that. As for the wiring in the house...both washers plug into the dryers and the dryer directly into the 220 outlet so I figured if it was in the house it would have gotten the dryer as well, but still I had an electrician check the house wiring when the ASKO burned its second motor, suspecting that the problem was external. He found everything to be ok. The service tech that came to diagnose on Wed. this week informed me that while the Front Load washers in general clean better and are more efficient, they are also in general more trouble prone. The amount of heat created inside the cabinet from high water temps, the close quarters (motor to tub), the defiance of gravity and greater vibrations all may actually speed up some failures especially in motor and bearing. UGH