Unusual behavior of the washing machine during operation indicates a malfunction. If the home assistant began to creak, make noise, rumble, or even “dance” on the floor during washing and spinning, most likely the problem lies in the breakdown of the bearing assembly. It is necessary to respond to such a malfunction without delay. To eliminate it, first of all, you need to find out which bearings are on the washing machine. Our article will help you figure this out.
How is the bearing arrangement
This important mechanism is the link between the drum and the pulley of any automatic machine, which provides the first rotation during the washing process. Therefore, the functioning of the device itself depends on its correct operation. In most SMAs, bearings are installed in a special cross, which is mounted on the drum, more precisely on its back wall.
The subassembly itself is represented by two types of elements:
- internal. More powerful (thicker and larger in diameter), because it takes on a greater load. Located next to the drum.
- External. located at the other end of the shaft. It performs a secondary role, therefore it is much smaller than the size of its “colleague”.
In some washing machines, you can see double-row mono bearings. They consist of two rows of balls to rotate the shaft, and not one, as is usually the case.
In this case, instead of two single-row elements, one double-row element is used.
An important element in the operation of the mechanism is an oil seal (rubber sealing ring), which tightly covers the shaft and prevents water from seeping through it.
If the seal is worn out, it will definitely let water out of the tank, therefore, the breakdown of the mechanism cannot be avoided. If the oil seal is intact, then when replacing the assembly, it must be lubricated. You can find out which lubricant is better to use for this in the video below or in one of our articles.
What are bearings
There are many types of bearing elements, which are classified according to a variety of criteria. In automatic machines, two types are used, based on the design features:
- Metal. They are used more often because they are relatively inexpensive.
- Plastic dustproof. They are considered the best when compared with metal ones, as they have a two-layer structure (a metal base, which is additionally covered with a protective layer of plastic).
The type of part can be easily recognized by the marking (located on its outer surface): ZZ stands for metal, 2RS stands for plastic.
In addition, bearing elements differ in width, as well as the diameter of the circle (internal and external). This must be taken into account when selecting a new spare part.
The correspondence of their types and sizes can be seen in the photo below, where d denotes the diameter of the inner hole, D is the outer hole, and h is the width.
How to choose a bearing
To replace a worn part, the main question will be how to find out which bearing number is needed for a particular CMA model.
You won’t be able to buy a universal spare part, since the size range of nodes is very large. Even from one manufacturer of washing machines, it can have up to a dozen different sizes.
There are three options here:
- Look in the instructions for the device, where the manufacturer must indicate this data.
- Search for the necessary information on the Internet through the serial number of the washer.
- Remove the old assembly and look at its markings.
The third option is the most reliable, since the removed element can be used as a sample for the selection of a spare part similar to it.
You can also choose the right option based on which size range the SMA manufacturer prefers to use:
- In washing machines of the LG and Bosch brand, the following codes are most often found: 6203, 6204, 6205, 6206, sometimes 6305 and 6306 (all marked ZZ).
- In Samsung SMA, part type 6203 and 6204 is most often used, sometimes 6205 and 6206.
- For CMA brand “Beko” codes ZZ 6203, 6204 and 6205 are suitable only.
- Atlant washing machines are limited to only two codes 6204 and 6205.
- Ariston brand washing machines mainly use mono bearings marked BA2B 306037 of the famous Swedish brand SKF. In other cases, codes from 6203 to 6206 marked ZZ will do.
- Washers of the Westel and Zanussi brands are suitable for sizes 6203 and 6204.
- On machines of the Indesit brand, mainly parts of size 6204 or 6205 are installed, less often 6203.
This list is for informational purposes only, as the manufacturer may make changes to the package at its discretion. Therefore, we recommend choosing the size based on the specific SMA model.
Which brand of bearings do you prefer to use? The following manufacturers are considered the most reliable:
- CX (Poland), whose bearing blocks are the most versatile.
- SKF (Sweden). Their products are used by the Ariston and Indesit brands.
- EBI (Italy). This brand is preferred by Virpul, Bosch, Bauknecht.
Before buying a new part, remember that you need to replace the entire assembly and it is better with a rubber seal. After all, if the oil seal is not replaced with a new one, there is a risk that the repair will become a waste of your time and money.
Well, for those who decide to replace the bearing assembly on their own, we recommend watching this video: