WHIRLPOOL DUET AND SAGGING SPRINGS!

[stevet]

We have a 2.5 year old Duet Washer model WFW9150WW00 which has begun to make all kinds of noises and gyrations when it is time to spin out the water after every fill. It does it regardless of cycle and spin speed selected.As it happens, we almost never use the highest spin speed anyway as the clothes come out pretty well dried after the low or medium spins.
The machine just bangs against the right side (looking at the front) and seems to be dipped down towards the front right if you pause the action. Eventually it will spin out enough water at a slow speed so that it can resume the normal selected speed but it then vibrates the machine so badly that it will walk the floor and cause anything on the top top vibrate off the machine.
I have readjusted the feet and re-leveled the machine and locked the feet as well numerous times but to seemingly no avail.
I took off the cover the other day and the suspension springs seem like they are stretched out and way too weak. I did not check the shocks yet but what actually goes wrong with them? Are they oil or gas filled or just some sort of dashpot type of dampening device.

WP has already changed the part number for the springs but the shock number is the same.Maybe they improved on them?

Does anyone happen to know if this has been a problem area for these machines?

Thanks
Steve

 

[rp2813]

This is the first I've heard of such issues.  Maybe John L. (combo52) will enlighten us.

 

[arbilab]

The hydraulic dampers CAN fail early. Springs tend to age well. I mean, the railroad industry ran on them for....... how long? But if the spring and the damper are the same part number, guess which one actually went bad.

 

[coldspot66]

Sometimes the end of the shock absorbers disconnect from the outer tub frame. IF they are not broken you can reattach and twist to lock in place. If they are broken at the tub end, they will need to be replaced.If the bottom panel is removable, you will be able to see all 4 shock absorbers.

 

[combo52]

Duet Supension problems

Yes as John in Mass suggested check the shocks first, I have never seen a problem with the springs [ but this could be a first ]. My partner has had a Duet for 8 years and we always use the highest spin speed possible unless you are not using the dryer, your washer will likely last longer with the faster spin speeds [ to say nothing of your dryer or power bill ].

 

[stevet]

Not much of a shock!

John,
I just took off the lower panel and there are actually only 3 shocks on the unit.. 4 would have been a much better idea as it would have balanced the tub in another plane, but the 3 of them are still connected at both ends, but seem to be very lacking in any dampening ability. They call them hydraulic shock absorbers but they just seem to be some sort of spring loaded device. I know that my sister in law's machine is another dancing machine and I am now checking with my cousin in Arizona who also has the same machine to see what has been the story with her machine. She probably does as much laundry as us if not more.

So thanks for the input so far and I will keep you all informed.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Blown shocks?

I've replaced a few shocks on the W/P machines. The give away for me has been to look at where the upper and lower parts of the shock where they meet. If there's a fair amount of grease showing, I replace them and the issue is solved. You can get the shocks one at at time as they do not come in combo packs. It's possible you have a bad spring but, as John said, I've never had to replace one...

RCD

 

[mattl]

I'm not a Duet expert, but I have 3 and have tore 2 of them down to the basics and they all have 4 shocks.  I can't imagine how the units would function with only 3.  all of mine have one anchored at each corner, take a closer look, the missing shock may be your issue.  You may have to remove the back panel to get a good look.

 

[rp2813]

Maybe there's an on-line illustration that shows where all four shocks are located.

 

[stevet]

Three's (looking for )Company!

Ralph, I had checked the parts manual first to see about part numbers and quantities and it shows only 3 shocks which I thought was odd too. I then pulled off the bottom panel to check to see if they had broken or detached and only saw the three of them exactly where the parts breakdown shows them.
This unit is a bit over 2 years home and made in Mexico. Weren't the older ones made in Germany which may be the case with yours?

 

[pierreandreply4]

model must be defective

I think your washer model might be a defective model depending on the year it was build as i have a 2004 generation 1 duet washer thats going to be by summers end 9 year old and i have no such problem, it do bnot mean that it will be problem free eternaly as its will soon be a 9 year old model. You will be lucky if you can find the actual part but some parts might not be compatible as parts go depending on the washer model and serial number.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

The springs and struts(shocks) are very much still available. I, too, thought it strange the first time I saw one with only 3 springs.

 

RCD

 

[stevet]

Very Strange!

Yes,Andrew,
I thought it strange to see 3 shocks on the parts list and then on the machine.

Also, I noticed when I had the top off, the plastic blocks thgt the suspension springs go through had started to wear a bit where the springs go through the holes. Not a very sturdy set up for the long term.

And Pierre, what model machine do you have? I would like to check out the differences between your machine and mine.
Steve

 

[rp2813]

We bought our Duet HT in early 2007.  We had to leave it behind when we moved because it and the matching dryer were too big for the new laundry room. 

 

Glad to hear there are three-spring models out there and that you're not imagining things -- except if yours had four springs you'd know what was wrong!

 

[pierreandreply4]

my model number is:

Model:GHW9150PWO

Serie:CSS1710194

not a full pic of washer but a money shot of the controls sorry if picture is a bit blurry i was not in a good angle

 

[super32]

shocking

Whirlpool is not the only one who has/had 3 shocks. We had 2 springs and 2 shocks to start, then added the 3rd rear shock, and towards the end we added the 4th shock to the front.

 

[combo52]

WP Duet Sport

Many of these have only 3 shocks, WP upgraded and changed the shocks several times in response to various vibration and noise complaints. If you get us the model and Serial #s we can check if there is an upgrade for your machine, other than that I would replace all three shocks.

 

[stevet]

Model and Serial numbers

John, glad to see you may have a solution.. Model is WFW9150WW00
Serial:HLY4590937

Hopefully, they made a change for the better!
Thanks
Steve

 

[stevet]

Any Luck, Combo52?

John, I was wondering if you had found anything on the springs or the shocks that whirlpool may have upgraded. This past weekend, I had the top off to clean out the cold water valves which are piddling the water into the machine and will probably replace them, but I did notice that the tub does not sit level in the machine. It is nearly 1/2 inch lower in the front than in the back and tipped towards the side that only has the one shock(right side from the front view). You can watch the clothes move up towards the door and rub all over the glass and can see an empty space develop in the rear of the drum and then rock and bang when it is time to spin.

If the drum is heavily loaded with whites like towels and socks and such, it won't be so bad balancing itself since there are more than enough clothes to go around. On the load of my work uniforms, 4 pants, 4 shirts and one jacket, it moved the machine from side to side and banged like crazy. I had to pause it and then let it re-balance and it was okay after that.

There has to be some solution short of chucking the machine and getting a top-loader of vintage proportions!