How to replace a drum in a washing machine

washing machine drum After a very long period of use or due to a manufacturing defect, the drum of the washing machine may fail. Moreover, such breakdowns fall into the irreparable category when the wall rots and a hole forms in the drum, or when the seat for the bushing rots and collapses, or when the rib punch fastenings are completely “cut off” and after that there is no way to use this drum. There is only one solution - replacing the drum. Read the article about whether it is advisable to make such a replacement and how to do it.

Does this part need to be replaced?

When deciding whether you need to replace the drum or not, first think about what you will be guided by. Some people simply get used to their “iron assistants” and for them the question of replacing a washing machine is not worth it at all. No matter how much the repair costs, they will do it, unless of course it is some exorbitant amount. Most people are more pragmatic; they will prefer buying a new washing machine to expensive repairs; everything will depend on the amount of this repair. So let's roughly determine how much it will cost to replace the drum of an Indesit machine (or any other).

Important! Manufacturers, as a rule, do not supply drums separately; in the vast majority of cases, tanks are sold assembled with a drum.

Let's start with the cost of the drum itself along with the tank, here are some examples of prices (as of May 30, 2016):

Assembly of two parts with all components for the Beko, Blomberg washing machine, spare part number 2918900100 - costs 31 $.
Assembling two parts with all components for an Indesit washing machine, part number C00109633 - average cost $0.5.
Assembly of two parts with all components for the Indesit washing machine, unit number C00293409 - average price about $0.6.
Assembly of two parts with all components for the Ariston washing machine, number C00259987 - costs an average of $102.
Assembly of two parts with all components for the Indesit washing machine, Ariston C00145034 – price $96.
Assembly of two parts with all components for the Electrolux, AEG, Zanussi washing machine 3484159839 - average cost $138.

washing machine drum As usual, if you do not repair the washing machine yourself, then To the cost of spare parts you will have to add a call to the technician, fault diagnosis and repair work. In Moscow, the cost of such a complex repair can reach up to $45-55; in the periphery, the appetites of craftsmen are more modest, but still the amount is not small: $25-30. Suppose you need to buy a tank and drum for an Electrolux washing machine in an online store. For the drum you will pay 138 $, plus shipping 8 $, plus installation labor 30 $. The total amount is $176.

Agree, the price tag is rather high. Now let's see how much new washing machines cost approximately. Since we took as an example a spare part from an Electrolux car, we will look at the prices for washing machines of this brand.

Electrolux EWS 1064SAU – priced at $209 with a discount.
Electrolux EWS 1052NDU – price $179.
Electrolux EWS 1276COU – cost $265
Electrolux EWS 1054NDU – costs $238.

It turns out that unless you undertake to repair a very expensive model of washing machines, repair work is not economically feasible, since the cost is almost equal to the price of a new budget washing machine from Electrolux. We have formulated our conclusions on this issue, but the final decision, of course, is yours.

What will be required for repairs?

If your decision to replace the washer drum with your own hands is unshakable, then you need to carefully prepare for repair work, namely, prepare tools and materials. In this case, it’s easier with materials, because you will need to purchase a tank and drum assembled together, which means that bushings, bearings, and a cross are already installed there. At least you don't have to bother with this. But with the set of tools, not everything is so obvious. We will need:

a set of screwdrivers, both flat and Phillips;
a small adjustable wrench and other keys separately 19,8,9;
pliers;
wire cutters

That's the whole set. As you can see, when replacing the entire unit, no special tools are required; everything you need will be found in the pantry. When you have the tools and materials in stock, you need to be patient and get to work, we are waiting for a drum replacement.

Note! To make it easier to carry out work on replacing a tank with a drum, ask one of your household members for help, at least at the stage of dismantling old units and installing new ones.

Work process

washing machine drum As you already understand, replacing a drum is not the easiest job and it will undoubtedly require some skill from you. First, you need to properly disassemble the washing machine and dismantle the old tank along with the drum. How to remove a washing machine tank, described in detail in the article of the same name on our website, we will not repeat it. Let's talk about the procedure for installing a new tank and drum.

Install the pulley.
Together with someone, we take a new tank along with the drum and put it into the washing machine body through the upper part of the body.
We put the drive belt on the pulley.
We insert the heating element into place and attach the wires to it.
We hook up the drain hoses.
We install connectors intended for the hatch blocking device.
We install the hatch cuff and tighten it with a clamp.
We install a counterweight.
We put on the top cover and the work can be considered completed.

To summarize, we note that replacing the drum in a washing machine of any model is a very expensive and time-consuming procedure and, by the way, often completely unjustified economically. Think several times before you decide to do something like this, good luck!