The Queen is Sidelined...

[angus]

Well, here we are closing out the year with no functioning washer. My Speed Queen top loader is not quite 5 years old, but yesterday while trying to wade through the table linens from three dinner parties this week, as well as bed linens for some overnight guests and a mountain of towels, dishcloths and so forth, we stopped functioning. Here is how it went. Loaded and started the washer. Water going in and went downstairs to put some things away. 15 minutes later I come up and hear nothing. Thinking I either left the lid up or forgot to pull the timer knob out - but wait, do I smell something like "hot machinery" or almost a burning smell? Indeed I do!! Tried the timer dial on several different positions, and nothing. Completely dead. By now it is 4:15pm, so I called for service and unfortunately, no one can come out until Tuesday, but the owner of the service company thinks it is a belt. If that is the case, then it isn't a big deal, but I am not running a commercial laundry here so thought I could have gotten more than four plus years before that happens or is that unreasonable?

So I bailed out the machine, wrung out the towels and this morning headed to the coin laundry with everything. Must be something about New Years' Eve - the place was packed and I had to wait 30 minutes for a few washers...Very bizarre. Still drying

 

[kenmorebd]

Oh no it is never fun not haveing a working washer, Im not tech guy but it sounds like maybe the motor went bad? Or maybe the winding im not sure if speedqueen motors have that part or not?

 

[yogitunes]

First question....does it pump out?.....as in does the motor run, but no agitation or spin...this would indicate a broken belt.....you could have that put on yourself in less than 30 minutes

also...after a cool down does the motor now run...overheated maybe?

 

[nmassman44]

Wow it does sound to me that the motor is dead and not a belt. If it was a belt the washer would be able to drain since the pump is a direct drive right off the motor. And the motor has only a 5 year warranty on it and it looks like if your machine is 5 years old you may have to cough up for a new motor. Not to mention the labor involved.
Oh that just plain stinks.

 

[angus]

Well, we haven't hit the 5 year mark yet. The machine went into service in May, 2006 so if it is the motor, we may have just made it under the wire. I should have mentioned that on one of the earlier loads, when the machine was in the spin cycle, it "sounded" like it was taking a long time to reach full spin speed and the clothes emerging from the cycle were too wet. Not sopping, mind you, but I could wring some water of the dish cloths. Now this was not a full or particularly heavy load. Then it was the next load where the machine stopped dead in the middle of the wash cycle and put forth that odor.

Now for some real confusion. Yesterday, the machine would do nothing -not even pump out the water that was in the tub. I just tried now, and whatever water was in the tub that I couldn't bail out pumped right out and the tub spun.

So now I am thoroughly confused - belt or motor? Who knows???

 

[nmassman44]

Could be that the motor just overheated or it could be dying a slow death. I had that happen to a washer years ago and it was a solid tub SQ washer that was bought in 1975. The motor died on it about 6 months later and did it stink. Nothing like burnt motor smell.

 

[cfz2882]

might be belt

could be a worn belt-if the fabric "slip"coating has worn through,the
belt might not have enough slip causing the motor to overload and trip
the thermal protector when tring to spin.
'81 and newer speed queens are one of several washer designs that use a
special"clutching" belt.

 

[magic clean]

Don't

overlook the power supply to the washer. Check to make sure there is a consistent 110-120 volts to the machine while it is running under load.

Sometimes an outlet, circuit breaker or fuse holder can deteriorate; creating intermittant trouble.

 

[alr2903]

Oh no, Angus i think you and I had the Amana twins, with the center seal leak.
IMHO the Amana and SQ are pretty similar machines. I hope its a cheap fix. My craigslist tags are older than many of our members.Please keep us posted on the outcome. The "New" SQ's have been in service long enough now, to see just how great they are. I know many here like the machines. We will now see if they are all they claim to be. alr2903

 

[mtn1584]

CALL ALLIANCE

I also have a SQ washer, I would call Alliance and let them know, if there are any out of pocket expenses, I bet they will cover them! Let us know what happens, and I wish you good luck.
Mike

 

[kqkenmore]

Speed Queen

Oh I so hate to hear this because I just bought a Speed Queen washer today it is going to be delivered tomorrow. I hope that Aliance treats you right check them out on facebook.good luck

 

[danmantn]

Call Alliance as mentioned--they've always been a class act on even the smallest of my concerns.  Basically if it's under warranty, you can go on their site, locate an authorized servicer and they take care of what's still under warranty.  I would call first to make sure if your warranty is still in effect though.

 

[mtn1584]

LET'S NOT GET HYSTERICAL NOW!!!!!!!!!!

Ok people, let's not get hysterical LOL. Everything, and I mean everything sooner or later will need service, if it is a motor, or a belt, Alliance will cover it.
I had the VP of marketing at Alliance personally call me when I let Alliance know how much I liked my machine, that I went out and bought one for my mom. I would feel a million times better dealing with an American company, and English speaking customer service reps who I can understand. ( No offense to anyone out there in the Middle East ) Try this with Sears, Whirlpool, and GE or LG. It just sucks waiting to get your machine looked at. Best of luck.
Mike

 

[angus]

Well the technician from the local authorized company (Ted's Appliance Service in Shelton, CT) came and he diagnosed my problem as a "stuck idler pulley". Unfortunately I was on a conference call when he arrived so i couldn't watch the whole thing, but apparently the pulley wasn't putting enough tension as the tub was emptying so it couldn't reach the full spin speed. So he cleaned and adjusted the pulley and the machine seemed to be working fine after that. Now regarding the issue where the machine simply stopped working, he couldn't find anything specifically wrong with the motor. So he advised me to "keep an eye on the machine". He surmises that the motor may have overheated as a result of the other problem and stopped.

Of course, I am no technician so I have no idea whether the idler pulley should have been replaced as opposed to cleaned and adjusted and as to "keeping an eye on the machine" for future motor issues, well I find that kind of silly. But under the circumstances, was that a reasonable approach? And for the record, I emailed customer service at Alliance to ask the same questions.

I already know that the machine is past it's three year warranty, but the motor is still covered under the 5 year limited warranty until May, 2011. And by the way, as Alliance pointed out to me, only the motor is covered, not the labor. Anyway, I will report back on how they answer my questions. I am not looking to scam anyone or get something for nothing, but if a motor problem surfaces after the 5 years is up how will I know it wasn't something that had its origins while still under warranty?

 

[mtn1584]

Alliance is a reputable company................

It's all in how you deal with Alliance, listen, you have this repair on record, sounds minor to me, glad it is, so don't worry about it. If something happens to the motor, I am sure they will replace it at no charge due to the circustances. Let us know what Alliance says. By the way how is the new ShopRite in Shelton?
Mike

 

[mrb627]

Cool

Sounds like your Speed Queen just needed a little TLC.  Makes me wonder about annual maintenance on any washing machine.  Sure seems like we ask a lot of our machines to run without ever tending to them.
​
​Malcolm

 

[nmassman44]

Well this thread had me thinking...is your washer in the basement and is the basement a bit coolish? I am doing laundry today with my SQ washer and its not extracting like it usually does. My washer is in the basement so I am wondering if its too cold down there for the washer to function properly.

 

[djmjlcst]

SQ in the cool......

Our SQ washer is also in the basement and the air temperature hasn't affected performance at all. Our basement is a bit on the cool side, but not uncomfortable. We have carpet runners in front of the washers and dryers to keep your feet warm instead of standing on the cold concrete. I don't wear shoes in the house when home from work so I just go around in stocking feet. So far since the washer and dryer were purchased in 2007 no problems whatsoever.

Mike L.

 

[angus]

Well, so far we seem to be OK after 7 loads so i am not going to obsess over it - I am banking on Alliance's reputation that if something does go wrong they will be honorable and do the right thing.
To answer your question, Mike, the machine is and has always been on the main floor so it hasn't been in a damp or cold basement. It's funny, but I thought I was so observant. I realized a little while ago that after hearing the machine spin now, it must have been several weeks that we weren't spinning at full speed. The change was so gradual, it took a while for me to notice, Oh, well back to the laundry.

 

[angus]

I guess I spoke too soon. Two small loads in a row, one of socks and lightweight colored t-shirts and another consisting of 12 small terrycloth hand type towels used for cleaning emerged wet enough where I could wring some water from each item. Again, the machine sounds like it is not reaching the full spin speed. So here we go again...

 

[mtn1584]

I would be there when the repairman comes again...

and insisit that the motor / and idler pulley be replaced, and ask what woudl cause this to happen, but first call Allliance, and let them know you are not happy with your repair.
Mike

 

[mrb627]

Motor

Does the motor run throughout the final spin cycle? Does agitation appear slow? If the motor is running, what makes you think it is bad?

Malcolm

 

[nmassman44]

With mine the motor is running fine but I dont think that the idler is clamping too tight on the belt so it isnt spinning as fast as it usually does. Agitation mode there are no issues, but spin is a different story. Some loads extract fine others not so much. Towels it seems to have issues and then jeans. With mine it just started doing that so I am wondering what the hell. All I could think of is that the basement in my situation might be the issue. It could be too cool.

 

[yogitunes]

With most machines I have that use a spring tensioner, I usually either add another spring, or pull and secure the original to add a little more tension for a quicker spin/agitation

 

[combo52]

SQ TL WASHER

If the idler pulley had a problem the belt should have been changed as the extra slipping is hard on the belt. The weakest part of the SQ TL washers is the belt. Your problem is not likely the motor. We are an authorized SQ service dealer but keep in mind it is very hard to repair machines over the internet.

 

[angus]

Here's one for you... As an authorized Speed Queen service dealer, have you ever heard of a timer problem because some of the timers from earlier models were made in Mexico? I stopped at the place that serviced my machine and talked with the owner (who was not the guy who came out to the house). He mentioned that perhaps the belt may need replacement, but also said he had some issues with timers that he replaced and sent back to Alliance. He suggests that the problem may also be the timer since it controls the agitation/spin speed. Possible?

Or am I going down a dead end with these guys and should I just find another servicer?

 

[mtn1584]

I used to own a Kenmore TL, I washed a full load of towels and forgot to raise the water level. The result was that the coupler broke....I called a local repairman, he replaced the coupler, the machine worked and stopped again on the same day. I called again, told the repairman the problem, and his response was...it must be something else, he came back and sure enough it WAS the coupler he replaced. My advice, get a different repairman, like angus said why didn't he replace the belt? I didn't even think about that. Most likely that is the problem. But again, call Alliance, explain your problem, ask their advice..have you ever had this happen before etc....STAY WITH THE REPAIRMAN, NO CONFERENCE CALLS! Your first visit by the repairman did not sound right to me. A&E is also an authorized serivce provider for SQ as well. Let us know what happens, good luck and be patient.
Mike

 

[mrb627]

Worn Belts

I have always believed that belts on any machine should be changed on a regular basis. As a belt wears, it will ride deeper in the pulley channel resulting in a loss of performance. I used to change the belt on my grandma's kenmore annually. Grandma liked to load up the kenmore so things could hardly move. But that is another story. Since the belts on a Speed Queen do the clutching of the spin as water is pumped out, they should be changed on a regular cycle.

Malcolm

 

[danmantn]

Does anyone know how to change one on a modern SQ? Please post if so...I'm a maintenance nut on just about anything.

 

[angus]

OK - round two is over and I am officially at my wit's end. This is a bit long so if you are short on patience, skip this post. The same guy came out today. He called first to ask if i could have clothes in the machine so he could see what was happening with a load of clothes. So I put in a load of towels. Based on my discussion with the company owner last week, I thought this guy was coming with a new belt and idler pulley and was to check the timer. He did none of this. He took the front off and played with the idler pulley for a while. Then he supposedly checked the motor draw and concluded it wasn't the motor. During this time, the machine had finished its cycle which included an extra rinse. He refilled the machine at least twice and let it run through again. During the spin cycles, the machine again sounded like it wasn't getting up to speed until almost the very end of the spin cycle if it did it at all. His conclusion was that there is nothing wrong with the machine and that the reason the machine never reaches the full spin speed is that I am using too much detergent.

How did he arrive at this conclusion? The washer empties into a relatively deep slop sink and there is always a little water left in the bottom of the sink after the machine spins. So for example, when the rinse water comes flying out of the machine and with the force it does so, there is some foam on top of the water in the sink. He determined that means I am overdosing. Now it should be noted there are no visible suds in the washer or on the towels at this point. He went on to grill me about how much detergent (Tide with Bleach powder) I use, so i showed him the scoop and the fill line I use - less than a full scoop (not quite to line 2) with a full towel load. He actually went as far as to pick up the Tide box and read me the directions since I apparently don't know what I am doing. Of course, when he picked up the box, he tilted it back to better see the instructions and since it was almost full, dumped about 2 cups of detergent on my floor. No apologies, not even an acknowledgement that he did this, just kept insisting there was nothing wrong and it was all the detergent and I should probably use something else.

So to cut to the dismal end, the machine finishes spinning and I have had enough of his detergent lecture. I also got a look at the service report he prepared that literally said that the malfunction was caused by the fact that customer needed to be instructed to use less powdered soap and that after the three additional rinses, the machine is extracting normally. To prove his point he pulled a towel out of the machine and shows me that he can't wring a drop out of it. I couldn't take it anymore and told him that I disagreed with his finding, that I believed there really was something wrong with the machine that had nothing to do with detergent and that anyone could tell the machine was still not spinning fast and smooth . I took the same towel and proceeded to wring a good 1/4 cup of water from it. Then I went to a face cloth and did the same thing. Well, that sealed my fate - he grabbed his tools, and literally barked at me "Well, I guess I will just have to talk to Ted about this, sir" and took off slamming the front door in the process.

You know, I realize we all have our neuroses. etc... but I am trying to be reasonable. I am completely certain something is wrong and it mystifies me that no one is interested in diagnosing. I have lived with this machine for 5 years and know its sounds and rhythms. I know I had that issue when the machine stopped completely and wouldn't agitate, drain or spin. I realize I am not an engineer or technician but when does an appliance have to explode for someone to take an interest in it?

Who knows, maybe I really am imagining this whole thing - but that load of towels that was supposedly perfectly extracted took almost two hours to dry. I didn't imagine that!! I just don't know...