I've got a Frigidaire Gallery front load washing machine, about 4
years old. Suddenly it's started very loud knocking during the
spin cycle.

The unit's on solid concrete, doesn't dance around or even
vibrate much, so I suspect I've got a problem with the basket's
suspension system.

I'd like to tackle this myself, but have come across no
schematics of the unit.

Does it pay to buy the service manual?

Being pretty mechanically inclined, can I feel my way through this?

Do you have any tips on how to get this thing apart?

Thanks,
Paul

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We have a Kenmore front-load washing machine made by Frigidaire and
maybe substantially the same as yours. When the service guy was here a
while back to fix it under our maintenance contract, he said one problem
with these is water getting into the bearings, often caused by using
regular detergent instead of the low-sudsing High-Efficiency kind. The
remedy is to replace the whole tub/shaft/bearing assembly (because the
bearings are not sold separately), which is a two-man two-hour job
costing $800 for parts and labor -- in which case you'd be better off
buying a new machine.

Hope that's not what you're in for.

Perce

On 01/27/05 09:14 pm Paul B. tossed the following ingredients into the
ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

I've got a Frigidaire Gallery front load washing machine, about 4 years
old. Suddenly it's started very loud knocking during the spin cycle.

The unit's on solid concrete, doesn't dance around or even vibrate much,
so I suspect I've got a problem with the basket's suspension system.

I'd like to tackle this myself, but have come across no schematics of
the unit.

Does it pay to buy the service manual?

Being pretty mechanically inclined, can I feel my way through this?

Do you have any tips on how to get this thing apart?

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
We have a Kenmore front-load washing machine made by Frigidaire and
maybe substantially the same as yours. When the service guy was here a
while back to fix it under our maintenance contract, he said one problem
with these is water getting into the bearings, often caused by using
regular detergent instead of the low-sudsing High-Efficiency kind. The
remedy is to replace the whole tub/shaft/bearing assembly (because the
bearings are not sold separately), which is a two-man two-hour job
costing $800 for parts and labor -- in which case you'd be better off
buying a new machine.

Hope that's not what you're in for.

Perce

On 01/27/05 09:14 pm Paul B. tossed the following ingredients into the
ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

I've got a Frigidaire Gallery front load washing machine, about 4
years old. Suddenly it's started very loud knocking during the spin
cycle.

The unit's on solid concrete, doesn't dance around or even vibrate
much, so I suspect I've got a problem with the basket's suspension
system.

I'd like to tackle this myself, but have come across no schematics of
the unit.

Does it pay to buy the service manual?

Being pretty mechanically inclined, can I feel my way through this?

Do you have any tips on how to get this thing apart?


Unbelievable. An $800 machine self-destructs in 4 years. What's
wrong with this picture?

IAC, thanks very much for the information.

Paul

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The self-destruction in question usually (according to my source) is
caused by operator error -- by using a non-recommended detergent.

Perce


On 01/28/05 07:54 am Paul B. tossed the following ingredients into the
ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

We have a Kenmore front-load washing machine made by Frigidaire and
maybe substantially the same as yours. When the service guy was here a
while back to fix it under our maintenance contract, he said one
problem with these is water getting into the bearings, often caused by
using regular detergent instead of the low-sudsing High-Efficiency
kind. The remedy is to replace the whole tub/shaft/bearing assembly
(because the bearings are not sold separately), which is a two-man
two-hour job costing $800 for parts and labor -- in which case you'd
be better off buying a new machine.

Hope that's not what you're in for.

Unbelievable. An $800 machine self-destructs in 4 years. What's wrong
with this picture?

IAC, thanks very much for the information.

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
The self-destruction in question usually (according to my source) is
caused by operator error -- by using a non-recommended detergent.

Perce


On 01/28/05 07:54 am Paul B. tossed the following ingredients into the
ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

We have a Kenmore front-load washing machine made by Frigidaire and
maybe substantially the same as yours. When the service guy was here
a while back to fix it under our maintenance contract, he said one
problem with these is water getting into the bearings, often caused
by using regular detergent instead of the low-sudsing High-Efficiency
kind. The remedy is to replace the whole tub/shaft/bearing assembly
(because the bearings are not sold separately), which is a two-man
two-hour job costing $800 for parts and labor -- in which case you'd
be better off buying a new machine.

Hope that's not what you're in for.


Unbelievable. An $800 machine self-destructs in 4 years. What's wrong
with this picture?

IAC, thanks very much for the information.

That's certainly the case here. I had no idea this had mechanical
consequences for the machine; I thought it was merely an
adjustment for the more thorough front loader agitation.

Paul

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