Do Washing Machines Have Oil? (Explained)

Washing machines are made up of many parts and materials. Few users wonder when they see oil from the washer underneath. This situation makes them think about whether washing machines have oil.

Oil is a nonpolar chemical substance that helps parts to drive movement and work smoothly. So if you recently saw oil from the bottom of the device, it means oil is leaking.

Some parts of the washing machine contain oil such as the transmission and motor. When the transmission wears out, it usually starts leaking oil. This leakage may appear at the bottom of the tub. Lubricant is a necessary substance for parts inside a transmission for smooth operation. 

Let’s dive into the guide!

do washing machines have oil

Why do Washing Machines have Oil?

Every washing machine has oil in its moving parts. Oil is a type of substance that makes movement and operation between parts smooth and perfect.

Moreover, it helps to maintain the state of moving parts by handling pressure and heat production.

Transmission has a major role in the functioning of a washing machine, including driving the agitator and converting the rotation into alternating motion. 

Oil in transmission helps the internal parts to create movement in alternating directions smoothly by preventing the traction of the material. Every automatic transmission of a washing machine contains oil. If the oil from the transmission body leaks, the user has to fix it immediately. 

The motor of the washer also has oil. As we know, the motor has a shaft connected which rotates and spins the drum. This shaft needs a small amount of lubricant for rotating smoothly at slow and high speeds. 

However, this oil cannot leak in the motor since it is not stored in the motor, it is just a few drops of oil on the shaft as compared to transmission, whereas transmission has a measurable oil.

In simple words, oil in washing machine parts helps them to operate smoothly. Every rotating element requires oil to reduce traction for working.

What If The Washing Machine Oil Leaks?

If the washing machine oil leaks then the user has to take some steps to fix it immediately. Sometimes we only see oil, but where it is leaking from is difficult to discover for almost everyone who encounters this problem for the first time.

If you see oil in the drum, from the bottom of the machine, or on the floor where the device is placed; It is more likely that this leakage is happening in the transmission. Take a look inside the appliance, but without taking off the covers it is difficult to see the actual bad part(problem-causing part).

First, unplug the device and then take a screwdriver to open the body screws. If you are not a do-it-yourselfer person then hire someone to do the process. 

As we know, the primary oil leakage-causing part is a transmission which means the user needs to repair this part. Some people choose to replace this part because the transmission repair cost is higher, about 500$, which is a lot of capital. 

If the machine is old, replacing the transmission is good as its repair costs almost half the price of a new washer. However, when the transmission is fixed, the leakage will stop.

Do All Washing Machines Have Oil?

All washing machines follow the same mechanism and their internal working parts are the same in every model, whether a washing machine is produced by Samsung or Indesit company.

All washing machines have similar parts and components such as oil, transmission, motor, etc. however, front load and top load types follow different mechanisms but in their similar models, all washers follow the same working instructions.

If you find oil in one machine, you will certainly find oil in the second one since both work for the same purpose, and to work for a similar purpose both devices require the same elements; oil and other parts.

Almost every washer has a transmission and motor. As we discussed before, the transmission and motor have oil in them and that means all washing machines have oil.

How Do You Put Oil In A Washing Machine?

Putting oil in a washing machine transmission is a simple and easy task. You just need lubricant and an injection connected to a syringe to fill the oil into the transmission.

If you have to put lube inside the transmission since some oil leaked or its quantity is less, you have to reach the transmission first.

Open the back cover of the device and find the transmission. You will find a pinhole on the transmission near its shaft part. Find that pinhole and fill the oil in an injection. Take the oil-filled injection and put its siring inside the pinhole.

Press the end of the injection and operate it slowly. Repeat the process till the transmission fulfills its oil needs. Once the oil is filled, stop the process repetition as all is done.

Don’t overfill the oil. Every transmission has its oil filling instructions. If the transmission requires 200ml oil then only fill 200ml, not 220ml. If you over-press the lubricant, it will leak when the machine starts running.

Washing Machine has Oil Under it?

In our research, we found that some washing machine users reported oil on the floor and under the washer and they don’t know the actual cause of this issue. If you reported the same problem, check the transmission system.

Open the body cover of the washer and look at the transmission seal and its pinhole. If the seal is broken, try to replace it. But if the appliance repair person told you that the transmission requires repair and costs you a lot of capital, replacing it might be a good decision for you and your machine.

Sometimes people overload oil in the transmission or motor, and when the motor and transmission are active in motion, an excessive amount of oil falls on the floor under the machine.

There are two primary reasons for oil under the washing machine; overfilled oil in parts and leakage in a transmission system.  You just need to repair or replace the lubricant-leaking part to fix the oil under the washing machine.

Conclusion

Some mechanical parts of washing machines need oil to operate smoothly such as the transmission system and motor. Lubricant helps internal parts to reduce traction and improve performance under high-speed rotation pressure. It is necessary to fix the oil leakage and fulfill its need in transmission to maintain the mechanism of a washing machine.