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Hi,
I have a Hotpoint WMA63 washing machine. It started to smell of burning on the spin cycle of a cotton wash. I think it may have been overloaded by heavy towels. Before I call someopne out, does anyone have any idea what this might be and how expensive it is to fix?
I was wondering whether it was belt-driven and if the belt had slipped. If so, can I fit a new belt myself or is it easier to pay for help?
Thanks.
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
Sorry, I forgot to mention: it still washes and spins as normal. But something must have caused the smell before, so does it need attention or should I continue to use it without worrying?
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
stephen66 wrote:I think it may have been overloaded by heavy towels.
That may well be the case and that the burning smell a temporary effect of that overload?
It is important to ensure that whenever you load the machine to check you have a clear gap of at least 4 inches between the top of the washing and the top of the drum! The clothing will then have chance to move about to the action of the drum paddles and not just go round and round 😉
Fingers crossed you haven’t caused lasting damage?
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
Thanks for the reassurance. I thought that if the belt was slipping it may have caused the smell but I wasn’t sure whether this meant the belt was weakened and needed attention?
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
If the belt was slipping it would be more likely to cause a burning (rubber) smell on wash not spin. These machines have a stretchy belt that under normal circumstances is very, very tight. If it is faulty you will find out soon enough, it would almost certainly fly off on spin if it was loose. Also if as you say the machine was overloaded then one of the items may have been rubbing against the door, drum front or seal, however you would see damage from this on the item if this was the case.
As Martin said, you may have caused the motor to get a little hotter than normal, just keep a close eye on the machine for the next few washes, if you get any more burning smells, get it checked out ASAP.
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
iadom wrote:These machines have a stretchy belt that under normal circumstances is very, very tight. […] Also if as you say the machine was overloaded then one of the items may have been rubbing against the door,
Hello.
Thanks for the reply. Sorry I didn’t answer sooner but I never got an e-mail notification.
Since then we have done several non-cotton washes without problems. I was going to take the cover off to have a look but did not know hopw to do this. There is an inspection flap on the back though, and I removed this and looked at the belt and rotated it and it did not seem worn or frayed.
When we do cotton washes they were always noisy when the machine went into high (1600rpm) spin but now there is a rattling noise that my girlfriend does not trust. The machine is level, it is not the machine rattling.
What do you think this might be? Is it easy to remove the cover? Is there anything I can look at o do, or do I need to call an expert?
Thanks.
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
stephen66 wrote: but now there is a rattling noise that my girlfriend does not trust. The machine is level, it is not the machine rattling.
A number of possibilities there: – Plastic Drum Paddles loose? Noisy pump? Foreign object (i.e coin) caught between inner and outer drum?Loose concrete counterbalance weight? Drum bearings?
A process of elimination needed I’m afraid 🙁
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
My own machine is a WMA63 and when my wife uses it she never alters the spin speed and 9 times out of 10 at 1600 it makes quite a bit of noise.
I have replaced the suspension and mountings to no avail.
Knowing that the performance difference between 1100/1200 spin and 1600 is negligible I always reduce the speed to between 1000 & 1200 rpm and that makes a big difference to the noise levels.
Top cover comes off quite easily, prise off the two small caps on the side of the lid at the front to reveal the torx screws, push back and lift at the same time. You will be able to see one of the concrete balance weights that Martin mentions but very little else that can cause noise. Plug out at all times.
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
iadom wrote:Knowing that the performance difference between 1100/1200 spin and 1600 is negligible I always reduce the speed to between 1000 & 1200 rpm and that makes a big difference to the noise levels.
Top cover comes off quite easily, prise off the two small caps on the side of the lid at the front to reveal the torx screws, push back and lift at the same time.
Thanks. I had seen the two caps but did not remove them; I thought there would be more than two screws holding the cover on. I will have a look tomorrow for anything foreign.
Re. spin speed are you saying that there is no benefit ffrom spinning above 1200rpm? I never realised that.
Thanks.
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
stephen66 wrote:
Re. spin speed are you saying that there is no benefit ffrom spinning above 1200rpm? I never realised that.
Thanks.
The amount of water extracted between 1200 & 1600 is not worth measuring, all 1600 spin gets you is more noise and wear & tear on components. Unfortunately to achieve the AAA rating the machine has to spin at 1500 or faster, about as much use as a 200 mph supercar when the speed limit is 70mph. 😉
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
But does 1600rpm spin speed not come into its own when using a tumble drier?
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
Trilobite wrote:But does 1600rpm spin speed not come into its own when using a tumble drier?
Not so that you would notice, I know which I prefer 😉
The extra water extracted is very minimal.
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
iadom wrote:These machines have a stretchy belt that under normal circumstances is very, very tight.
I have taken the top of and had a look. The belt was not sitting in the middle of the fly wheel on the drum; it was sticking slightly over against the drum. I wondered if it had rubbed against the drum enclosure causing the smokey smell but the belt does not look worn and there wasn’t any black on the drum unit. I tried to move the blet back onto the centre of the wheel, but next time it rotates, the belt moves back again. How can I keep it in position?
The above quote puzzles me becauise I am not sure what you mean by very, very tight. Mine is not loose in that it doesn’t slip off, but it isn’t taught; if you press it, you can press it in. Does this mean my belt has strecthed?
Thanks.
Stephen.Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
As no-one else has mentioned it, the bearings may be wearing which would explain the belt position on the pulley.
Is the machine noisy on spin (rumbling etc) ?
If the belt was badly worn/stretched it would have fallen off by now 😉
Dave.
Re: Hotpoint WMA63 burning smell
Dave_Conway wrote:As no-one else has mentioned it, the bearings may be wearing which would explain the belt position on the pulley.
Is the machine noisy on spin (rumbling etc) ?
If the belt was badly worn/stretched it would have fallen off by now 😉
Dave.
It did briefly cross my mind, but if the bearings had failed so that the belt was moving on the pulley, no one in their right mind could ignore the noise and the rusty stains on the drum and chassis, could they. 😉 🙂
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