How to clean the filter in a Bosch washing machine

cleaning the SM Bosch filterThe instructions for the washing machine require the user to clean the garbage filter from time to time, but how to clean the filter in a Bosch washing machine? This procedure is simple, but has nuances that can confuse a novice user. We decided to provide step-by-step instructions that will tell you in detail: where to find the garbage filter, how to remove and clean it, and how to put it back in place. If you have recently been using an automatic washing machine from Bosch, this article will be useful to you.

Filter location

If you look closely at the front of the Bosch washing machine, you will immediately determine where the drain filter is located. In the vast majority of cases, it is located in the front, in the lower right corner of the machine body. In older models of Bosch washing machines, the filter was not hidden by a lid and stuck out; now the lid is present in all cases. Depending on the front-loading Bosch machine model, the filter may be located:

  • behind the rectangular hatch in the lower right corner of the body on the front wall of the machine, the hatch cover can be picked up with a fingernail, after which it can be easily opened;
    Filter location in SM Bosch_1
  • behind the round hatch in the lower right corner of the machine body on the front wall, the hatch can be opened by lightly pressing on it;
    Filter location in SM Bosch_2
  • Behind the narrow bottom panel, which is located under the front wall of the machine body, the panel is secured with three plastic latches. They need to be clicked off one by one.
    Filter location in SM Bosch_3

Front-loading models also have a drain filter. It is located in the front of the machine body in the lower left corner.They hide behind a round or square door and are removed just like front-loading machine filters.
Filter location in SM Bosch_4

Some rare models of Bosch washing machines produced before 2005 do not have garbage filters at all. They simply weren't included in the design. On such machines, the volute may become clogged and to clean it you will have to remove the lower decorative panel, remove the pan and unhook the pipe. There is another way to gain access to a snail clogged with dirt, but it is difficult.

Cleaning

Well, the garbage filter has been safely found, you can start cleaning. First, we tilt the washing machine a little back so that under the body in front we can place a flat container for the sewage that will flow out of the filter snail.

  1. We substitute a small basin.
  2. Open the lid that hides the filter.
  3. On the right we see the filter itself, on the left there is a short hose for draining water. We pull out the hose a few centimeters and, having pulled out the plug from it, drain the dirty water into a basin.
  4. Now you can remove the filter. We need to unscrew the plug by turning it counterclockwise a few turns.
    Filter location in SM Bosch_5
  5. The remaining water will pour into the basin through the hole formed, and you should inspect the internal surfaces of the niche and the filter itself for dirt and foreign small things that accidentally got there.
  6. Wipe the filter and seat with a cloth.
  7. We insert the filter back into the niche and screw it fully clockwise.
  8. Close the hatch, take out the basin and place the machine in a stable position.

What if the filter doesn't come off?

On most models of Bosch washing machines, the filter can be removed without any problems.But there are times when the filter does not want to be removed, it seems that it is tightly stuck and can only be removed with the help of a heavy tool.

It’s not worth breaking the machine by picking the filter from the front. If it doesn’t come out, we’ll try to remove the “capricious” part, partially disassembling a Bosch washing machine, namely by removing its front wall. By removing the front wall of the housing, we gain access to the drain block: two pipes, the base of the drain hose, a pump and a volute, in which the “capricious” garbage filter is placed. We need to first turn off the power to the washing machine, loosen the clamps on the pipes, remove the pipes and remove the snail along with the filter and pump. Next we proceed like this.

Filter location in SM Bosch_6

  1. We turn the removed snail with the fitting up.
  2. Move the pump clockwise until it stops.
  3. Squeeze out the locking tab.
  4. Turn the pump clockwise again and remove it.
  5. Having gained access to the internal cavity of the cochlea, we clean it and put the block back together.

In this case, we were able to clean the filter without removing the part itself. In order not to disassemble the machine for repeated cleaning in the future, soak the snail together with the filter in a lubricant like WD-40. The filter thread will oxidize, and it will unscrew easily and naturally.

   

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