Do-it-yourself machine repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of a typewriter from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Washing machines manufactured by Indesit are in high demand in the Russian market. The products of this company are distinguished by durability, ease of use, reliability, and all this at a completely democratic price.

Indesit equipment is reliable, but no one is insured against breakdowns. During operation, the user may encounter a variety of malfunctions. Often, the restoration of operability is possible only in a service center, but repairing the Indesit washing machine with your own hands can fix minor breakdowns.

Before taking on a screwdriver, it is worth soberly assessing your strength. A washing machine is a rather complex electrical appliance and you need to start repairing it only with the appropriate skills. But even if the qualifications of the owner allow you to count on a successful outcome, there are several situations in which it is better not to start an independent repair.

The machine is under warranty. Any attempt at home repairs will inevitably result in the manufacturer's denial of warranty obligations. Before the expiration of the warranty period, the correct solution to any problem is to contact a specialized service center.
Control box defective. It is unlikely that such a breakdown can be corrected on its own. The only correct solution would be to call the master or send the machine to the service.
Drum integrity violation. The drum of the Indesit washing machine is made of very thin metal. Its design does not involve repairs. In this case, only replacement is possible to correct the situation. Of course, if there is no master at hand who can weld the thin steel of the drum with jewelry precision.
Replacement of bearings. Most Indesit models are designed to make replacement of the drum bearings fairly easy. But not all of them. In some models, such repairs are simply not provided. In the event of a bearing failure, there is only one way out - you need to buy a new machine.

Video (click to play).

If the desire to do the repair is not lost, you need to prepare. It is worth starting with the preparation of the instrument. Depending on the detected malfunction, the list can be adjusted, in any case, you will need:

flat and Phillips screwdrivers (preferably several different sizes);
pliers;
nippers;
set of wrenches;
special pliers for clamps;
service hook.

The selection of the tool must be taken seriously. A quality tool is an important component of a quality repair.

Before you start repairing your Indesit washing machine with your own hands, you need to listen to it. The fact is that a large number of faults give out extraneous sounds that mechanisms emit during operation. This applies to bearings, shock absorbers, pump malfunctions.

If there are no extraneous sounds or vibration, most likely you will have to disassemble the machine. But before starting work, you should carefully study its structure, understand the sequence of actions.

It is also useful to check the integrity of the power wire and the presence of voltage in the outlet. Quite often, the causes of a malfunction lie in plain sight.

Most models of Indesit washing machines have a built-in self-diagnosis system. The system checks the functionality of the components and signals a detected malfunction. Error codes, as well as display methods, can be found in the documentation for the washing machine. The presence of such a system greatly simplifies troubleshooting, and therefore the likelihood of successful elimination.

The result of the system operation is errors of the type F01 - short circuit of power circuits, F03 - temperature sensor is faulty, F07 - tank filling sensor does not work.

A fairly common malfunction. To fix it, you should start by checking the outlet, here you can use an indicator or simply turn on some other electrical appliance into it. If the socket is working it is worth checking the plug and the power cord. The machine does not heat up the water or start washing with lukewarm water.

The reason for this breakdown is a faulty heating element (heating element). The manufacturer guarantees its operation for 10 or more years, but the service life of any part directly depends on the conditions of its operation. In the case of frequent washes at high temperatures, it can quickly fail.

Replacing the heating element can be done at home; the element itself is not difficult to buy in the store.

The heating element is located under the drum; to replace it, you will need to remove the back cover of the machine. The sequence of work is as follows:

the machine must be de-energized;
disconnect the water supply and drainage hoses;
turn the machine over, remove the back cover;
remove the drive belt;
remove the broken heating element, install a new one;
assemble the machine, connect hoses and power supply.

The process of removing the heater is not particularly difficult. It is secured with one screw and connected with three wires. It is enough to remove the terminals, loosen the screw and pry the heater with screwdrivers to remove it.

Loud noise and vibration during washing can signal the need to replace bearings. It is worth noting here that the reason for this phenomenon may be improperly laid laundry or the presence of third-party objects in the drum. Before starting the repair, this version should also be checked.It is not difficult to make sure that the bearings need to be replaced; for this, it is enough to turn the empty drum by hand. If during rotation it dangles, and the revolutions are accompanied by third-party noise, the bearings must be changed. The process of replacing bearings requires special skills. To do this, you will have to disassemble almost the entire machine. Before getting down to business, it does not hurt to once again soberly weigh the pros and cons, and in case of doubt, take the machine to the workshop.

The drain system consists of several main parts and any of them can be clogged:

a branch pipe that removes water from the drum;
pump;
filter;
drain hose into the sewer.

It's worth starting with checking the filter. To access it, you need to remove the lower part of the front cover. Unscrew the filter by turning it counterclockwise.

If the filter is not clogged, and water flows out normally through the hole formed as a result of unscrewing it, it is worth checking the drain hose.

A fairly common malfunction of the washing machine - water does not enter the powder compartment, or it comes in with too little pressure. The cause may be low pressure in the water supply system or a clogged intake valve. It will definitely not be possible to solve the problem of low pressure on your own, but you can check the valve.

The inlet valve is located at the rear of the machine, approximately at the level of the powder container. To check and clean it, just unscrew the hose, rinse the mesh and screw it back on.

The cause of this malfunction is also the intake valve. It is worth starting repairs by checking the cleanliness of the receiving mesh, if necessary, rinse it.

If the mesh is pure, the reason may be in the solenoids that open and close the valve. To check them, the valve should be removed and, by connecting to a hose with cold water, alternately apply voltage to the coils. If one of them does not work, the valve must be replaced.

A strong hum of the machine when filling the drum or draining water can signal a malfunction or clogging of the pump. First of all, it is worth making sure that there is no blockage.

Often threads are wound around the impeller, preventing its normal rotation. To check, you need to remove the cover from the bottom, after turning the machine over. If there is no hindrance to the normal rotation of the impeller, most likely the pump will have to be replaced.

The electronic module controls the operation of the washing machine. Its malfunctions can manifest themselves in a variety of ways:

refusal to start the program;
chaotic switching of operating modes;
freezing (the system does not respond to the owner's actions);
flashing indicators;
significant increase in washing time.

In any case, there will be one solution to the problem - you need to contact the service.

One of the most reliable parts of the Indesit washing machine is the electric motor. Most often, its resource is much higher than that of other nodes, however, sometimes it also fails. The engine malfunction is determined simply - with normal display, the drum does not rotate in any of the modes.

Access to the engine is easy. It is located under the drum next to the drain and shock absorber. But for its diagnosis, special devices and knowledge are required, but it is easy to extract it in order to take it to a workshop or replace it with a new one.

In many cases, repairing a washing machine with your own hands bears the expected results. It is possible to save money on calling a specialist, while the machine works normally. True, this only applies to cases of minor breakdown or blockage. In the event of a serious accident, you cannot do without calling the foreman or visiting the workshop.

The first thought when an error code appears on the display is how much will the repair cost? In some cases, you really can't do without a wizard, but many faults are quite capable of fixing yourself. This article will talk about the Indesit washing machine - what repairs you can do yourself, and when it is better not to risk it.Objectively, Indesit washing machines cannot be classified as very reliable equipment. Budgetary - yes, good quality - too, but not eternal. Moreover, as evidenced by the data of international service centers, this is the most breakable equipment, and is second only to the ARDO brand. Compared to Germans and Koreans, this brand is used 15 times more often - the statistics are shown in the diagram below. This is the average data for Russia and European countries as of the first half of 2017.The question of why this is happening is best attributed to the company's engineers. But based on the same statistics, you can significantly narrow the range of searches for causes. And in the future, if the machine refuses to work, it will be possible to independently determine the cause of the malfunction and eliminate it on our own.So what goes wrong:Heating element is the weak point of all washing machines. But if in some it is covered with a special composition that reduces the formation of plaque, then in Indesite it is made simply of stainless steel and is not covered with anything. Lime and scale are formed already in the first 5 years, after which it has to be changed.In second place after the heating element, but sometimes there is a factory defect. On average, the normal operation of the line filter can only be expected in the first 3 years. It changes very easily.Anything that moves is easy to break, and bearings are no exception. Replacing them is easy, but very difficult to get to. Direct and belt drive Indesites have a glued drum. It is difficult to fix this malfunction with your own hands.In equipment manufactured before 2012, the control unit failed in 100% of the cases. After the upgrade was carried out, the board began to burn less often, but this is still the most common failure.Interestingly, the engine itself is very reliable; over the past 4 years, not a single official case of treatment has been recorded. But the sensor is the weak link. It will not be possible to repair it, you just have to change it.The list does not include current problems, such as: dirty filters, clogged hoses, etc. This is found in all brands, even the Germans.VIDEO: Error codes by combination of indicators

In Indesites, the drum is glued, which makes the process of replacing bearings very difficult

The process of dismantling the bearings is a laborious undertaking requiring the dismantling of virtually the entire Indesit washing machine. If there is no relevant experience, it is recommended not to take risks and entrust the task to a specialist.

In Indesit washing machines, an electronic motor breakdown occurs in rare cases, often in more budgetary modifications due to non-compliance with operating rules. For example, a similar problem can occur with the W84TX model. To remove the engine for repair, put the washer on its side, remove the cover from the bottom. If access to the required element is difficult, it will be necessary to remove the end panel. Next, the electrical wiring is disconnected and the fixing elements are unscrewed, after which the electronic motor is taken out of the case.

The design features of the Indesit washing machine are so basic that you can deal with problems such as clogging of the drain system, replacing the pump, heating element or hoses on your own. It should be remembered that when identifying more global problems, it is better to contact the wizard, otherwise you can lead to more serious problems. We offer to consider the cost of repair services in specialized companies.

The first category of complexity of repair

The popularity of the tyralny machines Indesit received due to the low cost.But for the initial cheapness you have to pay extra with repairs - the reliability of the brand is in question.

But you can repair the Indesit washing machine with your own hands and eliminate many breakdowns if you have basic knowledge of mechanics, electrical and electronics.

First of all, you need to determine what kind of breakdown occurred. Initial diagnostics will help you decide if it is possible to fix the problem yourself or if you still have to spend money on professional repairs.

The right step would be to have a preliminary acquaintance with the scheme of the washing machine in order to have an idea of where everything is.

Sometimes, to determine the cause of the failure of household appliances, it is enough to read the instructions for use, which, among other things, contains recommendations for eliminating breakdowns.

The first step is to take a look at the display. If it is impossible to complete the specified process, the washing machine issues special codes on the display.

Error codes in the operation of the washer are given in the instructions that the manufacturer must attach to his own product:

With the help of a very useful multimeter device, it is possible to check various contacts, wiring, sensors. The device will show if there is power everywhere.

Sometimes it is enough to listen to the sound emitted by the unit. When the washing machine starts to creak, make excessive noise, and sometimes rattle, then, most likely, there are problems in the bearings or the drum, the oil seal is damaged, the counterweight fasteners are loose, the shock absorbers are in poor condition.

Calling the wizard is the only correct solution when:

the warranty period has not expired - if the operating rules are followed, the repair will be free;
threatening smoke came from the car.

In other cases, there are said to be options. But always the first stage of repair begins with disconnecting the faulty equipment from the mains. For negligence, electricity will punish necessarily and severely. An indispensable rule of a home master: do not act at random, use the instructions.

When the display does not report a malfunction, there are no leaks, smoke, burning smell, then usually the problem is easy to fix:

If home laundry won't turn on, first you need to check if the plug is firmly inserted into the outlet. Occasionally, the washing machine can shut down due to power surges. It is also necessary to make sure that the operating mode is set correctly on the control panel;
When water does not flow into the tank, it is recommended to press the button responsible for starting and stopping the unit again, make sure that the door is closed tightly. Sometimes the fault is insufficient pressure in the water supply system, perhaps the tap was simply turned off, the hose was damaged. The reason may lie in the failure of both the program and the control system. Elimination occurs by repeated access to the "Start / Pause" button;
When the drain is not working first you need to check the filter - sometimes it is enough just to clean it.

And the source of the frightening rumble can be any object (for example, a coin) that accidentally ends up in the drum.

This is a fairly frequent breakdown, although the declared service life of the heating element is 10-15 years. However, numerous washes in very hot and hard water, constant overloading of the tank, and low-grade detergents do an evil deed.

Over time, a kind of "coat" of various salts is formed on the heating element. It breaks down from overheating, it is no longer possible to restore it. A heater malfunction is indicated by a cold hatch when the wash mode is on and, of course, laundry that has not been washed in cold water.

Replacing a damaged part is quite simple: the manufacturers have placed the heating element in such a way that it is easy to get to it by opening the back cover of the case. The only inconvenience is that the car needs to be disconnected from all communications in order to turn the right side for repair. The heating element is placed under the drum pulley.Care should be taken when disconnecting and replacing the wiring board.

A minimum of tools will be required: a flat and curly screwdriver, a key with a head are enough. You will also need a multimeter or tester to check the heating element. It is wiser to buy a new heater, the original Italian one.

Disconnect the unit from all communications.
Unscrew the bolts around the perimeter of the cover.
Further, under the tank, you need to find the contacts of the heating element and attach the multimeter probes to them. Normal resistance is 25-35 Ohm, other indicators indicate a malfunction.
The next operation: disconnecting all wires with terminals, fixing their position in memory.
Then the nut is unscrewed on the bolt, the end of which is located in the center of the heater base.
In order for the bolt to go into the hole, it should be gently knocked over it.
Pull out the heating element base by picking it up with a flat screwdriver.
Move the thermal sensor from the damaged part to the new heating element.
Clean out the formed debris from the seat for the electric heater.
Leave the new heating element in its intended place, fasten it with a bolt.

Then it remains to return the wires to their original position, close the rear cover of the machine and restore the connection with communications.

This is also a fairly common problem. The pump is a weak point of automatic washing machines. In addition to a blockage, when it is enough to clean the hose and filter, the impeller can jam. It is located behind the drain filter, which must be unscrewed and removed.

To prevent the impeller, you need to try to rotate. It should not be too light: in the normal state, the impeller rotates with certain delays due to the magnet in the coil. Sometimes threads, hair, laces and other similar debris wrap around the impeller so that they even block it. All these interferences must be removed.

It happens that the plastic body is deformed and begins to clamp the blades. When there is no possibility of replacement, the blades must be cut with a knife by no more than 2 mm, and the washing machine can still be used.

If after that the work is not restored, then the breakdown is more significant and requires a detailed inspection - the pump will have to be disassembled. The machine is laid on its side, the screws that fix the pump to the body are unscrewed, the electric cable and 2 hoses are disconnected.

Clean the hoses if necessary. The tester checks the motor windings to eliminate the possibility of breakage. Typical resistance values here are 150-300 ohms.

Without hoping for memory, it is worth noting the orientation of the pump relative to the engine I. Then the pump motor is disconnected from the housing, the rotor is removed from the stator. Often everything inside is clogged with dirt that interferes with the rotation of the rotor. In such cases, a thorough rinsing is required.

The rotor axis bearing is lubricated with lithium, the oil seal is adjusted. Subsequent assembly is carried out using a sealant to prevent leaks.

If you follow the instructions for caring for your washing machine and clean the drain hose every 6 months, the likelihood of breakage of the drain system will be greatly reduced.

Indesit's motor is well-designed, reliable and durable. However, nothing is eternal, and at one not very beautiful moment, the "heart of the machine" may fail. The reason can be not only wear of the mechanism, but also excessive overload.

First, the outer panels are removed from the machine, usually the top and rear.
O Disconnect the supply wires.
Remove the belt from the pulley.
Screw the fasteners, remove the motor.

After diagnostics, the final decision is made to repair or replace the engine. Usually they tend to the latter option - it is difficult to restore the engine, it is easier to completely replace it. The installation of a new engine is carried out in the reverse order.

Before disassembly, the assembly should be photographed, then there will be no problems with what to screw in.

When in a working washing machine, especially during spinning, unusual sounds appear, and not episodic, but gradually increasing, this is a clear signal of a malfunction of the bearings, which indicates the ease of rotation of the drum.

Do-it-yourself repair in such a situation is possible, but you cannot call it simple - you need extreme care, strict adherence to the sequence of operations:

Remove the top and rear panels.
Remove dispenser, control unit.
Twist the cuff clamp, remove the cuff itself and the hatch locking device.
Remove the front wall and counterweight.
Remove the tubular electric heater, noting the sequence of connecting the wires in memory.
Disconnect the parts connected to the drum tank, dismantle the drive belt and motor.
Remove the tank, place it on a flat place with the pulley up, then unscrew the pulley bolt, remove the pulley itself.
Using a mallet (you can use a simple hammer and a wooden gasket) to sink the shaft down, untwist and divide the tank into two halves.
Remove the bearing with a special puller, dismantle the old oil seals.
After installing fresh oil seals, press in a new bearing.

The assembly of the washing machine is carried out in reverse order with strict sequence of operations. To prevent the tank from leaking, all seams must be sealed.

The main thing when replacing a bearing is care and adherence to the sequence of operations.

A flabby hatch lock can cause another nuisance - the washing machine will stop turning on. The shut-off device is also equipped with contacts, and when something prevents complete closure, electricity does not flow to the units of the unit.

Failure is usually caused by the accumulated dirt in the lock. After its elimination, the normal operation of the device, as a rule, is restored.

And the mortiser s dampens excessive vibrations that appear in the washing machine. This is especially necessary during spinning, when the rotating drum is at the highest speed. Over time, they diminish in effectiveness.

As a result - excessive vibration, atypical noises, knocking during the spinning process. An ordinary cause of failure is the wear of the gaskets and separating the piston and cylinder, which subsequently deform.

The shock absorber cylinder contains a rod consisting of a rod and a gasket treated with a high-friction lubricant. Oscillations are damped by moving the piston.

A sharp jerk on the tank forces the piston into the cylinder, reducing vibration. There is also a spring in the cylinder that returns the piston to its original position - it is called the return one.

To get to the shock absorbers, you will have to remove the back panel (in some modifications, the side or front cover can be removed). Having unscrewed the nut at the bottom of the shock absorber, it is disconnected from the body. In the same way, the part is released from above. A new shock absorber is installed in place of the old one and fixed in the reverse order.

In the latest models, instead of shock absorbers, dampers are used, where the return spring has been replaced by a whole spring system attached to the upper area of the tank and providing it with a "suspended" position. This design is more reliable, better dampens unwanted shocks.

To check the performance, the damper must be removed from the case by unscrewing the bolt in its lower segment, and try to press on it so as to compress and then unclench the mechanism. If the result is minimal, the device is in normal working condition. When the piston easily changes position, the damper needs to be replaced.

It is removed from the case in the same way as conventional shock absorbers, although in some models the mounting bolts are replaced with plastic pins with latches. Install the new damper in the usual way - in reverse order to the assembly.

It happens that the detergent does not want to leave the tray. This usually happens when he is poured there without measure. The problem disappears with the correct dosage.

Low water pressure can also be to blame. It is worth trying to clean the filter where the washing machine connects to the inlet hose.

Another option is to increase the pressure at the tap supplying water. Sometimes water cannot enter the tray due to a blocked valve. Then you should pull out the tray, find the valve in the form of a key and carefully clean it.

These are the most common causes of improper detergent powder behavior and are easy to deal with without the help of a professional. A more difficult case would be a problem with the water inlet valve, where powder does not leave the tray at all. Valve replacement is already required. The same can be said about the solenoid valve, which is responsible for filling the cuvette with water with water.

The control unit in Indesit washing machines does not have reliable protection against moisture, as a result, the condensate gets on the contacts, short circuits occur, removing the device from the working state.

Repair requires subtle diagnostics in the "Autotest" mode, serious knowledge in radio engineering, masterly possession of a soldering iron, skills in handling microcircuits, boards, semiconductors. This is usually the area of expertise of skilled professionals.

For the rare daredevils from the army of home crafts, the most general tips:

remove the cover from the control unit;
remove the module;
inspect faulty contacts and connections;
evaporate damaged parts;
solder conditioning elements in their place.

But work with electronics is far from being for everyone, so we recommend that you abandon experiments and turn to professionals.

You can get acquainted with the practical application of tips for repair and replacement of spare parts by watching educational videos.

Quick replacement of heating elements in the Indesit washing machine:

How to change the bearing yourself:

From the bottom of the tank, you will see 2 contacts sticking out of its wall. This is the shank of the heater - the heating element itself is located under the drum. Remove the wiring from the heater and sensor (located inside the heater).

Take a tester and take measurements - lean the probes against the contacts. If the device shows a value in the region of 20-40 ohms, then the heater is in order. If the value is 0, then the heating element is closed, and 1 or ∞ indicates a break in the heater.

At the same time, check if the heating element does not pierce the body. To do this, turn on the buzzer mode on the tester. Attach the probes as follows: one to the contact, the second to the body. If everything is in order, then the tester works quietly, if there is a breakdown, it will beep.

Next, remove the old heating element, even if the tester's readings are normal. To do this, unscrew the central fastener by unscrewing the nut. Take out the seal.

Examine the heating element. If there is a thick layer of scale or dark spots on it, then 100% of the element needs to be replaced.

Important! Buy a new heating element together with an elastic band-seal in order to tightly install and fix the heater.

Before installing the heating element, clean the place where it is attached from scale and debris. If it is difficult to do this with your hands, use a wire hook or bottle brush.
Install a new heating element, connect the wires and assemble the machine.

Malfunctions of Indesit washing machines and their elimination are a problem for many users, especially due to a factory defect. But if the filter is not defective, then it was "finished off" by unfavorable operating conditions - high humidity in the room or constant voltage surges in the network.

While the company "Indesit" is thinking how to protect the filter from unstable voltage in our houses, we will tell you how to carry out repairs yourself. Follow this scheme:

Remove the top cover by unscrewing the screws that secure it.
The filter is located on the back of the power cord, like a plug - only inside the machine.
Once you find the filter, unscrew the screw that holds it.
The part cannot be repaired. It is necessary to replace the element by purchasing the original part.

The owner of SM Indesit came to the workshop, already desperate to change anything: in his words, he changed the filter 3 times already. His working capacity was enough for 5 months at most. The foreman examined the machine and said that the filter was burning out due to high humidity. He installed a new part, and treated the contacts leading to it with silicone sealant. The lucky owner has been using the machine for the second year.

Important! If you decide to follow this experience, dry, clean and wipe before pouring sealant on the contacts.

There are jobs that require effort, time, tools, and most importantly - experience and knowledge. But we cannot but talk about them: a failure in the controller and wear of bearings are also possible malfunctions of the Indesit washing machine.

The most difficult job is with bearings.The difficulty lies not so much in disassembling the case, but in the tank. The manufacturers have made the tank as reliable as possible, so it is designed in such a way that it cannot be disassembled.

Therefore, the masters of the service centers got the hang of this issue, and they simply saw the tank into 2 parts along the weld. The solution is efficient - it helps and saves finances, since it is cheaper to cut a tank than to change half a car.

Of course, not all home craftsmen can handle such work, but you can try. Arm yourself with tips from the video:

As for the control unit, in 9 out of 10 cases it is enough to simply re-solder the contacts.

The scheme of the Indesit washing machine is such that the contacts are located in unfavorable places and are exposed to moisture. Due to condensation, they oxidize, close, and the control unit refuses to work.

Theoretically, it is easy to repair the control unit, but in practice it takes a long time and tediously, armed with a tester, to check in turn all the elements of the board and contacts. Only there it is possible to find and localize the breakdown.

Video (click to play).

It is better to entrust the repair of this part to a good master, and you will handle the rest yourself.