# Washer is giving me problems



## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

Just the other day I noticed that my clothes were coming out wet from my washer. I've been needing to wring them out and drip dry them before I tossed them in the dryer. I noticed tonight that the motor is going, but the agitator won't move. There is also a rubber burning smell coming from the washer. I'm not using the washer anymore until I get my problem fixed. 

Reading up on my problem, there are two possible fixes: 1. Motor coupling 2. Drive belt

My kenmore is model #: WCSR2070TCWW

I can't tell from the plans I've found if there is a motor coupling and a drive belt in my machine, or just a drive belt. Any one care to help me figure this out? I hope in the end that it's not the motor itself that's going, or I'll be pulling my hair out! :gaah:


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

The burning rubber smell tells me that it is most likely a belt.

When the washer is empty, tip it up and look underneath, on many washers the belt is visible looking in from the bottom. If you see it move it with your hands and see if their is excessive play in it.

In the washers I have had, changing the belt is a simple task and if you have mechanical skills, it should be easily done.


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## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

Davarm said:


> The burning rubber smell tells me that it is most likely a belt.
> 
> When the washer is empty, tip it up and look underneath, on many washers the belt is visible looking in from the bottom. If you see it move it with your hands and see if their is excessive play in it.
> 
> In the washers I have had, changing the belt is a simple task and if you have mechanical skills, it should be easily done.


Oh you're a doll. I'll check it out in a little bit and get back to you. I'm a DIY'er. I might not know much about mechanical things, but I prefer to learn to do this myself.  It's empowering. Lol. Especially when I'm working on my vehicle... all I can think of is, "TAKE THAT! MONEY STEALING MECHANICS!" Haha!


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

Davarm pretty much hit it on the head.
With a washer, there's usually only a few things that can break:
1. Belt
2. Water Pump (water stays in tub and won't drain)
3. Motor
4. Safety latch (the little covered hole that the stub on the lid goes into)


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

I'm with Davarm on thinking it's a belt.

If it is the belt and you have a matching dryer, you should consider getting a new dryer belt as well. When mine went, the other went shortly afterwards.


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## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

ZoomZoom said:


> I'm with Davarm on thinking it's a belt.
> 
> If it is the belt and you have a matching dryer, you should consider getting a new dryer belt as well. When mine went, the other went shortly afterwards.


Thanks for the input ZoomZoom. I'll take your advice seriously and get the dryer belt too. :kiss:


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## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

Marcus said:


> Davarm pretty much hit it on the head.
> With a washer, there's usually only a few things that can break:
> 1. Belt
> 2. Water Pump (water stays in tub and won't drain)
> ...


It was the belt. I'll be hand washing my clothes until I can get a new one. :2thumb: Practice for SHTF I say!


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## RoadRash (Sep 29, 2010)

Just make sure you have gloves and long sleeve shirt on the edges are pretty sharp inside washers and dryers ...


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

Salekdarling said:


> It was the belt. I'll be hand washing my clothes until I can get a new one. :2thumb: Practice for SHTF I say!


Where's your Wonder Washer
http://www.amazon.com/Unknown-Wonder-Washer/dp/B000BTDNEK


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## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

ZoomZoom said:


> Where's your Wonder Washer
> http://www.amazon.com/Unknown-Wonder-Washer/dp/B000BTDNEK


Sadly, my family has hit a personal economic shtf. I would love to have something like that, but money is literally non-existent in my household. I gotta do what I gotta do with my own two hands. :2thumb:

That being said, I learned something today from washing my clothes by hand for the first time ever.

1. It takes a lot of muscle. Good thing I got some guns and a good back. 
2. It takes a LOT of water.
3. Detergent leaves film. More water to rinse.
4. I need a washboard for situations like this. 
5. I need a wringer.
6. I need a drying rack to drip dry my clothes on rainy days. I had to pull my clothes inside because I didn't know it was going to rain.
7. I need to quit being lazy and actually make my darn homemade laundry detergent. I bet that doesnt leave a film.

That's what our dear Salek learned. She misses her washer. :lolsmash: I don't think washing clothes is going to be a lot of fun in a big SHTF when you live in an apartment.


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

The water pump on our washing machine decided to start dribbling water out in the floor a while back. Took all of about 30 minutes to remove/replace, but another two hours of moving this and that to manuever the machine out and then back in.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

the water pump just went out in mine also! but it took the belt and motor pulley with it
All parts were available on Ebay(yeah).


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Where the water supply goes into the machine there is a plastic box, take it off and clean the filter.


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

Salek,
I can't find the blog, but last winter I was reading that a lady's children were changing clothes several times a day, throwing all clothes on the floor, etc. and she decided to teach them a life lesson about washing their own clothes. She used 3 five gallon buckets and a new toilet plunger with a few holes cut in it. One bucket for soapy water and two to rinse. The wash bucket had a lid with a hole cut in the middle for the plunger handle. I haven't tried this, but the two buckets of rinse water made sense to me. After I made my own laundry detergent, I also realized that I use way more detergent than I need to. A little vinegar in the first rinse water might also help.


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

zombieresponder said:


> The water pump on our washing machine decided to start dribbling water out in the floor a while back. Took all of about 30 minutes to remove/replace, but another two hours of moving this and that to manuever the machine out and then back in.


You need to get a set of those plastic moving casters. It makes moving large & heavy stuff easy. ~$5 at Home Depot.


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## zombieresponder (Aug 20, 2012)

Marcus said:


> You need to get a set of those plastic moving casters. It makes moving large & heavy stuff easy. ~$5 at Home Depot.


It was really more an issue of space than moving heavy things. Our laundry room is tiny. I used a two wheel dolly...probably would have been easier if I'd used a furniture dolly or a skateboard.


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## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

Since my washer is "ancient", it's been really hard to find a belt locally. My husabnd and I called Lowes, Hope Depot, Harbor Freight, Sears, Sears outlets, KMart, WalMart, and finally Best Buy. Every single store has dryer belts, but no washer belts. Best Buy has our belt cheapest to order. $3.00 plus $6.00 shipping and handling, 7-10 business days.

I told my Husband that we should get more than one, but that like always, never went over well with him.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Salekdarling said:


> I told my Husband that we should get more than one, but that like always, never went over well with him.


This summer I replaced the serpentine belt on one of my trucks. When the counter guy went to the back to get it I stopped him and asked him to get 2. I now have a spare in the shed along with a couple extra oil, air and fuel filters.


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## webeable (Aug 29, 2012)

All belts are standard, so an auto store may have a belt for you washer or an industrial supply house may have it. Basically 3 types of belts


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

UncleJoe said:


> This summer I replaced the serpentine belt on one of my trucks. When the counter guy went to the back to get it I stopped him and asked him to get 2. I now have a spare in the shed along with a couple extra oil, air and fuel filters.


When I put a new belt on my car, I always take the old one and put it in the trunk for an emergency (2=1.)


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## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

Take a lookie here....

http://www.compactappliance.com/WON...SHOPDISCOUNT&gclid=CNCGzvnf57ICFQoFnQodH0sAyA

I been thinking about one myself....got to beat a wash board...

Jimmy


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## Salekdarling (Aug 15, 2010)

Update on my washer. Got our driver belt today. Our utility room is pretty small so it was a pain in the butt to take apart the washer, but its done and my washer works again!


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## Grape Ape (Oct 28, 2008)

I have worked on washers and dryers for many years. Here are some quick tips to help you make it easier. 

1. Washers for the most part do not need to be moved very far from their location of use. Leave the water lines hooked up, leave the drain line in the drain. Pull the washer forward until you can lean it back against the wall and it will stay there. Put a chunk of wood under the washer so it doesn't fall down on your head. That sucks. Perform motor, belt, coupling, transmission and water pump repairs from this position. Most other repairs happen from above with lifting off the top and unscrewing the control panel front, by undoing the 2 screws in the front on each side.

2. Dryers can be worked on from the front except for the heating coil and electrical cord. controls are same as washers. 

3. Dryer belts are cheaper than any outside option, get a few extras and store them in the bottom of the dryer. that way they are there when you need them. Also get a few extra roller wheels (the ones the drum rolls on they are at the bottom back of the dryer and in a pinch you can get away with the wheels on your old rollerblades)

4. Washer belts, V type, are available for much less at the auto parts store. If the belt is broken then look online for the method for determining belt length based on distance between pulleys and diameter of pulleys, etc... then go buy the belt based on length. If you get the right one then go back and get a second one and put a tag on it showing the size. hang it on the back of the washer. That way if the one on it goes bad you have a replacement and also the information needed to buy a back up. Couplings are one thing you have to get at the appliance repair shop. Have a spare. it is much easier to swap the part and continue with your washing than to resort to hand washing while waiting for the parts house to open. 

5. If you have to resort to hand washing the most effective method is the bucket and plunger method. A toilet plunger does a good job, as mentioned above drill holes in the plunger so water flows through it. and even better option is to make a plunger with a pole sticking out of the bucket attached to an X in the bucket. This type needs to be built pretty well. The upright "handle" should be a solid wood taht can handle the X being mounted to the bottom of it and then handle the X being forced up and down through heavy wet clothes. That will allow you to agitate the clothes. Agitation is what removes the dirt and gets clothes clean. Then wring, get most of the wash water out before agitating through a clean rinse water, then wring and rinse again. 

6. Use less soap than you think you need. The large load measurements on the soap cup is to much soap even for a very large load of clothes in a large washer. Play with your laundry times reducing the amount of soap you use until you notice the clothes are not as clean then use what is needed. 

If anyone needs help with washers and dryers or other electrical appliances, not fridges or hvac systems, let me know. A lot of times I can walk you through a repair with little hassle and it will save you money that can be used elsewhere.


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