Washing machines have a bunch of hardware that helps them to wash clothes easily. If you heard Transmission in a washer for the first time, it’s common that you want to know more about it.
Yes, Washing machines have a transmission that helps to turn the washer drum. It is responsible for the wash cycles, located inside the machine which is connected to the drum bottom. As we set the wash cycle command to the machine, it will start spinning and washing clothes.
If you’re not a technical guy, you may need to know all about transmission which washing machines have in them. Let’s dive into the guide to explore more about this topic.
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Do All Washing Machines Have A Transmission?
It’s essential to know about the parts of our washer because if we know about them we can easily repair it.
Not all washing machines come with transmissions because manufacturers replace washers’ hardware with new technology as technology grows. The washer with agitators has transmission, but the front load washer does not have transmission to the spoon drum.
You can also change or repair the transmission when you know your washer has it and there is an issue in transmission work. Most top loader washer users love to use front loader washers with agitators to clean their clothes properly.
If you’re also using a front loader washer with an agitator, your washer has a transmission to spin the drum and agitator.
As we know there are a lot of companies in the washer manufacturing field, their washers are not equal in mechanism and not the same in design; which means not every washing machine has a transmission to spin the drum.
Competition in washing machine companies forced them to invent and represent new technology in their washer model.
Tech companies often change their washer’s hardware working technology, so they sometimes use and sometimes do not use transmission in another model.
How Does A Washing Machine Transmission Work?
The working of transmission in the washing machine is easy to understand.
It’s a technical process that is used for spinning the washer drum and its agitator. Different hardware performs their tasks to run transmission.
First, we need to turn on the machine. The motor becomes active when we provide it with electrical power.
An active motor clutch on belts turns the transmission pulley in a counterclockwise direction.
It has a shaft in the center, the center shaft in the transmission will oscillate since the agitator coupler and the agitator are attached to the shaft that will oscillate as well.
Transmission needs electricity and other helping hardware to run consistently and effectively. Electricity is the main fuel source of transmission working, it provides power for it to run.
How To Tell If Washing Machine Transmission Is Bad?
There are many signs of bad transmission which we can easily identify. We can know if washing machine transmission is bad without the help of any technician.
If you’re noticing unusual sounds and getting burning smells from the bottom or back side of the machine then it may be a sign of bad transmission. Let’s dive into each sign so you can easily repair or replace it at the right time.
The following are common signs which help us to know if washing machine transmission is bad:
- Whining Noise: If you notice a whining noise from the machine and you’re noticing it from the center of the washer drum, it’s a sign of bad condition inside the washer and down to the drum. The washer drum side makes a whining noise when spinning the cycle.
- Smell: As we know a burned electric part develops and spreads a smell because of its bad condition. Most of the time electric hardware gets an electric shock which burns them, burning smell from the agitator is another sign that the transmission is bad.
- Bad appears: noise and burning smell is bad which indicates to us that something inside the machine is not working well. You will only get these bad appearances during the wash cycle or after turning off the machine. Another symptom of your washer’s transmission going bad appears during the spin cycle.
- The machine stops working: It’s a direct sign that something inside the washer is not working or damaged when the machine is fine outside but you’re noticing something wrong inside. Most times machines stop working when agitators fail to perform work, you can only know this situation after looking at or checking internal parts of the washer. You have to open the machine’s back cover to check internal parts. Please keep in mind if you’re not a technician, don’t do it until there is a technician skilled with you.
- Agitator stops working: As we know it also runs the agitator, the agitator may stop and smell like smoke when a transmission fails to work. You will get the damage and smells from the joint part of the agitator shaft. However, it’s tricky to know about transmission conditions by just only seeing the agitator join shaft.
How Do You Check A Washing Machine Transmission?
If you want to check the condition and its all parts, you need to do some steps. In this section you’re going to learn all those steps, we hope after following them you may learn a lot about washing machine transmission checking.
It required technician skills to check a washer transmission, if you have no experience in technical work then hire a technician to do this work for you.
First, you have to open the machine body cover to check the transmission, it is located inside the machine and down to the washing drum. A bigger size of hardware will be attached to the agitator shaft bottom side of the drum. Don’t open it if you just want to check the burning smell, just take a look at its all parts, and notice which part is burned or damaged.
Take a screwdriver to open the back cover of the machine, and look at the transmission. If you have noticed that there is a burning or damaged part on the transmission then open that part from it and try to replace it with a new one.
Transmission has many parts like gear, clutch, belts, shaft, etc. transmission becomes bad in working if any of these parts are damaged or grated.
If you just want to check washing machine transmission to gain your knowledge about washer working parts then don’t open your washer. Search it on the internet, you will find many impressive guides on washing machines working like this guide on the internet.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Washing Machine Transmission?
If your washing machine transmission is damaged and you want to replace it with a new one, you have to hire a technician to do all this work for you. It will cost you about $200 to $400 to replace a washing machine transmission, including fees of the technician serviceman and a new transmission. But
Important Note: keep in mind that it’s not an exact cost, as years change the cost also increases.
The model of your machine and serviceman of the washing machine company may cost you according to quality of work and transmission. This means there is no exact number fixed cost to replace a washing machine transmission.
Final Thought
Not every washing machine manufacturing company adds a transmission to their machine, but top-load models must contain it. However, you can ask the seller to describe it to you. You have to check the model and technician part manual to know if that is any transmission in your washing machine.
If there is an agitator in your washer washing drum then the chances are high that your washing machine contains a transmission.
