The washing machine motor brushes are sparking.

Many washing machine owners report sparking after replacing the brushes on their commutator motor. While this may seem alarming, sparking brushes in a washing machine's motor is completely normal. After replacement, the new parts are unable to provide the required contact patch with the commutator for some time, causing sparks to occur until they are properly ground in. However, during this process, you shouldn't leave your sparking "household helper" waiting for the brushes to ground in, as this violates fire safety regulations. Let's take a detailed look at how to safely install new brushes in your washing machine.

How to pre-grind brushes?

We've already figured out why electric motor brushes spark heavily, but now we need to figure out how to fix it. Because the brushed motor in a modern washing machine is very high-speed, simply replacing the brushes and doing nothing to ensure their stable operation is impossible. You need to eliminate the causes of sparks, so the contact patch between the brush and the commutator must be as large as possible, for which new elements must be carefully adjusted to the wear of the commutator. To do this, you'll need a latching device or an electronic speed controller with a tacho sensor. The easiest way to purchase a controller is at a home appliance store or on a marketplace like Ozon or AliExpress.

Once the brushes are replaced, slowly increase the RPM to maximum, and if sparks begin to appear, gradually decrease the RPM until the sparks disappear completely. Then, leave the unit like this for 20-30 minutes, and after a break, increase the RPM again to the maximum possible. Repeat this process until no more sparks are visible at maximum RPM. Also, before connecting the brushes, wipe the commutator with a rag to remove any oxide film. Sanding the brushes is not recommended, as it can damage the components before they are even used.

Changing brushes correctly

Even a novice owner can replace brushes without any experience or professional knowledge, but just in case, we've written detailed instructions to help avoid basic installation issues. Follow each step carefully to eliminate all causes of sparks.

• Open the back of the washing machine, disconnect the wiring from the motor and unscrew all the screws holding it in place.
• Locate the brushes mounted on both sides of the engine housing.
• Use a screwdriver to press down on the brush lever to remove it.

Be sure to take a photo of the angle of the beveled corner so that you have an example of how to prevent sparking from improper installation during assembly.

• Examine the appearance of the brushes. If the protruding corner is less than 1.5 centimeters, the part needs to be replaced. Otherwise, the cause of the sparking, shaking, and noise will need to be looked for elsewhere.
• Sand the engine surface using 0 grit sandpaper and a rag to remove dust.
• Securely fasten the new brushes into place.

Even if you only have one broken brush, you should always replace the unit in pairs so that the parts are in the same condition.

If you're unable to obtain completely new brushes in the housing, you can replace only the carbon protrusion of the element. In this case, the instructions are as follows:

• we disassemble the plastic shell, for which it needs to be divided into two parts;
• Using a soldering iron, remove the worn plate and straighten the spring;
• We measure the length of the new brush, which must perfectly fit the case;
• We tin the contacts, clean them, align the wire, and then, using the bronze guide as a guide, install the carbon, solder the wires, and close the housing until it clicks.

After this procedure, all that remains is to install the engine. Follow our instructions in reverse order, and be sure to securely tighten all mounting screws.

   

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