The washing machine whistles after replacing the brushes.
It's always worth paying close attention to any unusual noises emitted by household appliances. A sudden whistling sound in your washing machine isn't a serious issue, but it certainly shouldn't be ignored. Whistling, crackling, and other unpleasant sounds often occur after the brushes have been replaced. Users often assume they can just let this happen and wait for the brushes to wear in, but this can take a year or more. To save you from having to wait that long, we've written a detailed guide on how to fix this common problem.
The cause of noise and how to get rid of it
Unpleasant noises often appear in washing machines after replacing the brushes, if the metal brush guides are not replaced for cost-saving reasons. This can cause the washing machine's motor to spark, click, and whistle loudly. This can occur even if the brushes are properly ground in and the commutator is polished. Because of this phenomenon, many service center specialists even refuse to replace only part of the brushes, insisting on replacing the carbon elements along with the guides, as customers often remain dissatisfied after repairs due to loud, unpleasant noise during the work cycle.
This is because old brushes loosen the guides during washing, creating a play of approximately 1 millimeter. This causes the motor to whistle and rattle when rotating in one direction and remain silent when rotating in the other. Furthermore, with older brushes, the angle of the carbon brush to the commutator changes, causing a sharp noise. This also increases brush wear and increases the motor's energy consumption. Because of this, the brush will soon need to be replaced again.
To prevent whistling after replacing the brushes, service center specialists recommend first crimping the guides with the brush inside using pliers. It's important to crimp only the tip of the guide—about 10 millimeters—and be careful not to over-tighten it, so the brush can continue to move along the guide. This sounds simple, but in reality, it might not work the first time, and the brush will be damaged. You can still try doing it yourself and gain valuable skills for restoring brushes for any appliance with commutator motors, or you can simply take it to a service center and save time.
Let's change the brushes ourselves
Now that we've figured out why your washing machine is whistling, we'll describe the replacement process if you're replacing these parts yourself. If done correctly, there won't be any extraneous noise after replacing the brushes, so it's crucial to approach the repair responsibly. But first, you'll need to gather a tool kit, which includes the following:
regular and Phillips screwdrivers;
black marker or regular pencil;
8 mm TORX key.
Once you've gathered a small set of tools, you can begin the repair itself. Follow each step of the instructions carefully to avoid damaging anything.
Disconnect your “home assistant” from all utilities, remembering to first turn off the shut-off valve.
Remove the inlet hose from which water may leak, so prepare a container for the liquid in advance.
Remove the debris filter located on the front wall of the case at the bottom right, hidden by a decorative panel.
While you still have the opportunity, thoroughly clean out any dirt or debris from the hole that was created after removing the filter.
For your convenience, move the washing machine away from the wall to allow access to all sides of the appliance.
To access the motor, unscrew the screws securing the top cover of the CM, as well as the bolts that hold the rear panel of the case.
Under the tank of the device you will find a motor from which you need to remove the drive belt. To do this, you need to pull the rubber band towards you and then carefully turn the drum pulley.
Disconnect the wires with contacts that are connected to the machine motor.
Just in case, take a few photos of the wiring - this will help you connect the unit without errors during assembly.
Using a TORX key, remove the bolts that hold the motor in place.
Grasp the element and gently rock it until you pull it out of the housing. Be prepared for the fact that the part is heavy.
Finally, you can examine the brushes mounted on the sides of the motor and replace them if necessary.
If a replacement is needed, to remove the brush you need to disconnect the wire, move the contact down and stretch the spring to remove the part.
To install a new brush, you must first install the tip into the socket, then compress the spring and place the part there, close the brush with a contact and connect the cable.
Always replace brushes in pairs to ensure the elements are perfectly matched.
After installing the new brushes, all that's left to do is reinstall the electric motor and fully reassemble the unit. As you can see, this procedure is quite straightforward if you follow the instructions carefully, so even without any experience, you can handle it.
It's always worth paying close attention to any unusual noises emitted by household appliances. A sudden whistling sound in your washing machine isn't a serious issue, but it certainly shouldn't be ignored. Whistling, crackling, and other unpleasant sounds often occur after the brushes have been replaced. Users often assume they can just let this happen and wait for the brushes to wear in, but this can take a year or more. To save you from having to wait that long, we've written a detailed guide on how to fix this common problem.
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