tiny gray granuals in outlet water

[washerfetish]

Hi all. New here. Fascinating site. I just started up my mom's late 80's or 1991 Beaumark Heavy Duty Washing machine. I replaced the pump. It was one of those old style GE pumps. The machine was not used at all for about 10 years. I ran a program with some water and tons of this grey colored, tiny balls like grain came out with the water. Looked like the color of pencil lead. Very tiny like sand grains. All almost exactly the same size. If i squeezed them long enough they would break down. Less and less is coming out with each flush. Also some tiny rust bits of metal too but not all that much. Mostly the gray grains. I also noticed a small tub boot leak.

Do you know what those granuals could be?

I could get a picture if it helps.

Thanks.

 

[easyspindry]

My first thought . . .

. . . is that the gray grains are part of a seal breaking down. If the machine has been sitting unused for a long time, put some VERY hot water in it to allow the seals to expand.

Just a thoght.

Good luck.

Jerry Gay

 

[cfz2882]

could be corrosion particles that came off the cast aluminum basket hub after
drying out and falling off as the washer sat unused for years.

 

[washerfetish]

photo included

Here is a photo of the tiny grains still coming out with the flushed water. The water is pretty clean coming out except for this stuff.

I just removed the agitator and found a white plastic cap at the bottom of the metal bar. have to get that off somehow.

The inside of the laundry tub looks very clean so far. just some corrosion on the holes of the rub.

Still have to get the tub out to see what's behind it.

 

[cfz2882]

Hehe,that isn't off the hub like i thought it might be-too dark,big, and too many
must have came from whatever was being washed and i have no idea what they could
be...

 

[washerfetish]

Can't be from what was being washed because initially I was just running water through the machine without any clothes.

The machine has not been touched for about 10 years.

I replaced the water pump. At the same time I looked and noticed the tub boot was a bit leaky on the outside.

This stuff keeps coming out even with clean clothes.

Still don't know where it's from. But once I figure out how to romove that plastic cap that is left underneath the agitator that I removed, I will be able to remove the tub and probably see what is the cause of this.

It's very curious.

 

[washerfetish]

I actually asked my mom if she remebers anyone dumping anyting into the tub on purpose and she doesn't think so.

 

[cuffs054]

Any chance it could be ballast to balance the tub during spin? Maybe balance ring is cracked?

 

[nmassman44]

I was thinking the same thing ...your washbasket balance ring is cracked open...that's where all the pellets are coming from.....and I bet there s a ton of it too....those Beaumark machines that I saw in Toronto at The Bay were GE built machines aka Camco.

 

[washerfetish]

Oh Oh , I think you are probably right! If so, what am I going to do? Can I save this thing or replace the balance ring?

 

[washerfetish]

I was just reading that these machines sometimes did not have a balance ring in them. Instead "These washers are quite different from others in that the tub is attached to the cabinet, rather than the transmission. If there is an imbalance, only the basket and drive train wobbles; not the whole tub".

I read this on appliance repair dot net section 5-3 (link below)

So this means it just might be something else.?

I guess I will have to take it apart more and look at it more closely to see if there is a ring there or not.

http://www.appliancerepair.net/washing-machine-repair-5.html

 

[eddy1210]

It's the OUTER tub that is stationary and attached to the cabinet.  The inner basket needs to have a ballast or weight of some kind for balance reasons.  That's why when an older GE goes out of balance, the tub crashes into the side of the outer tub.  You can often see the scrape marks on the sides of the outer tub when you take the basket out.  I concur with the others,  the ballast is cracked open.