Question about a direct drive washer

[norgechef]

in 2010 my great grandmother bought a DD Roper washer for her cottage, it was used for 5 months then winterized for the winter. That winter her cottage was flooded and the washer (in the barn) was likely almost fully submerged in the water until the water subsided (im guessing 5 days or a week?) after they cleaned up the cottage and the barn the washer was moved to my aunts basement and has been sitting there for 2 years now. Anyways, I have a Norgetag washer on its way out and though I can't imagine ever throwing this one away for good I was wondering what you guys think about the Roper? would the parts inside still be good or could water have got into the gear case or something? and if it did still work would it even be safe to use? seeing that the timer, motor, lid switch, wires and all other electrical components got soaked in water for days would there be a possibility it could catch fire? I will probably just end up fixing my NorgeTag anyways but I was just wondering if anyone thought the Roper might still be good....?

 

[mrb627]

Water Depth

I guess it all depends on how deep the flood waters rose. There is a strong possibility that there is water in the gear case. And if the water was a muddy mess, the motor windings could be a short waiting to happen.

Has the machine been run at all?

Malcolm

 

[norgechef]

No

But of course I would be trying it out before I bring it into the house. I might be willing to to buy a new gear case for it if there was water in it but I doubt it, I never much cared for direct drive washers with the clunking agitation and the roaring sound they make while draining but I have to admit they are very reliable if you take care of them...

 

[kenmore71]

I would give it a try. I rather doubt that water go into the gear case. The gearcase is designed to keep oil in and water out. If it wasn't leaking oil I would rather doubt that water got in. The motor could be fine, it could be completely dead or it could fail rather stunningly. The most finicky thing would be if the water got up into the console. There it could have wreaked all sorts of havoc with the timer contacts. Expect that first few spins and subsequent breaking to be noisy as I am sure the inside of the spin clutch and brake are quite rusty. This should quiet down after a few uses.

 

[thefixer]

The gearcase has a small vent hole in the top of it. Only the bottom half of the gearcase has oil in it. I would suspect that with it underwater for a long period of time, the air would have leaked out being replaced with water.

Eric