How to change the cuff on a Samsung washing machine

A defect in the sealing gum surrounding the SMA hatch can be detected with the naked eye. Since it is located in a visible place, taking a closer look, you can find cracks on its surface, severe pollution and other troubles that can worsen the operation of the washing machine. A gasket that has even slight damage will begin to leak water from the tank. Replacing the cuff of the hatch is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. How to do this, we will tell further.

Why do this?

It may be necessary to remove the sealing sleeve not only if external damage is detected. Often it looks whole, but it does not fulfill its functions one hundred percent. Experts recommend periodically replacing the gasket with a new one, or thoroughly clean it. This will help prevent leaks and keep the system tight. So, the sealing gum will have to be removed to achieve the following goals:

• cleaning the cuff and its installation site from plaque, scale, dirt and accumulation of debris;
• replacement of the part if it has ceased to function and cannot ensure the integrity of the machine.

Important! It is very easy to diagnose the need to replace the sealing collar. If you find a violation of the integrity of its surface, an unpleasant odor emanating from the gasket, or a leak that occurs during the washing process, you must urgently remove the old one and install a new seal.

Getting ready for work

In order to change the rubber of the door with your own hands on the Samsung washing machine, you do not need to have any special tools and skills. For competent removal of the cuff, it is enough just to understand the order of the work, what and how to do at a certain stage, as well as prepare the set of tools available in each family:

• screwdriver;
• Phillips and flat head screwdriver.

If you still don’t have a screwdriver at hand, all the manipulations can be done without it, but then the process will require a little more effort from you. Having prepared the necessary tools, de-energized the washer, you can proceed to the replacement procedure.

We remove the external clamp

The process of removing the old cuff is conventionally divided into two stages. First, the external spring clip is disconnected. To do this, using a flat-blade screwdriver, slightly pull out the seal, pry off the clamp (in terms of the location of the metal spring) and gently pull it towards you.

The vast majority of Samsung SMA clamps are made of metal and have an insert - a dense spring, stretching which, you can dismantle the ring without damaging the structure. There are models equipped with a plastic ring. In this case, the fixation occurs with the help of latches, which conveniently and easily open. After removing the outer collar, you must unhook the cuff of the hatch door from the outer casing wall of the washer and thread the elastic into the drum so that it does not interfere.

We dismantle an internal collar and an elastic band

Next, you should release the sealing cuff from the second metal clamp, which holds the rubber from the inside of the unit. To do this, perform the following algorithm of actions:

• remove the upper cover of the SMA housing by unscrewing the two bolts that hold it (they are located on the back of the washer, along the edges at the top);
• loosen the steel ring by unscrewing the tension bolt securing the inner clamp. The bolt is not completely unscrewed, but so that the ring is freely pulled out;
• after loosening the clamp, pull the sealing collar together with the ring through the door of the machine hatch.

All actions must be done very carefully so as not to damage the internal parts of the SMA with the tool, and if you only need to clean the seal and reinstall it, it is important not to break the gum.

If the gasket was removed from the housing for cleaning, then thoroughly wash its surface using various disinfectants. Do not forget to clean the space that opened after excavation, as well as all the recesses on the previously closed surface of the drum. Typically, scale deposits accumulate at the installation site of the cuff; special detergents will help to cope with it.

Remove the front wall of the housing

Further installation of the rubber gasket is the most difficult and time-consuming step. The installation of the seal involves removing the facade of the automatic machine for easy access to the inside of the drum, where the cuff is fixed. To unscrew all the screws holding the front wall of the washer case it is better to use a screwdriver, this will greatly facilitate your work and greatly accelerate the progress of work.

First, unscrew the three screws located on the bottom. To get them, try tilting the unit back. The top of the washing machine facade is fixed with screws under the main control panel, so it must be detached and put on top of the appliance. Another bolt can be found under the detergent drawer. Under the retracted electronic panel, there are 2 more screws at the edges. After all the fasteners are unscrewed, you can remove the front wall of the housing, thereby gaining access to the drum.

Some masters use the method of replacing the cuff without removing the front wall of the machine, so the time for the procedure is reduced, but the process of fixing the elastic from the inside will be a little more complicated.

We put a new gum

It is very important to follow a certain sequence of actions, this will prevent subsequent problems with poor sealing and leaking gum. The main stages of the final part of the installation are as follows:

• insert the cuff immediately with the inner retaining ring into the body and put it on the protrusion of the drum, which is inside;
• gently thread the gasket with the clamp around the circumference;
• check that the inner ring of the elastic fastening is tucked along the entire length of the recess around the seal, then fully tighten the clamp screw;
• fill the outer part of the sealing gum from the front of the machine;
• After fully installing the gasket, put the external clamp in its original place.

When a new or well-cleaned old sealing collar is dressed and fastened, you can proceed to installing the front and top cover of the unit in its original place. Attach the removed control panel and both walls, fix them with screws, unscrewed at the very beginning of work. The cuff replacement process is complete, you can begin further operation of the Samsung washing machine.