Washer Won’t Spin – How to Troubleshoot your Washing Machine
Top-Load Washers – Washer Won’t Spin Worn Clutch A clutch is an interconnection between the drive motor and the spin tube on most top load direct-drive washing machines. It is a mechanism that absorbs rotational energy from the motor and gradually transfers the energy to the spin tube. It is an integral part of most direct drive washing machines. Without it, the motor would spin the inner basket quickly with no regard for the weight and/or water in the inner basket at the time. We would not want the washer to spin at top speed if the basket is still filled with water – there would be a flooded laundry room. When the drive motor engages, it turns the outer part of the clutch at a high rpm. The inner part of the clutch, which is connected to the spin tube, is not turning as fast. The clutch spring is initially compressed, thus lessening the friction between the inner and outer linings. As the inner part of the clutch gains speed, the spring expands, increasing friction on the clutch linings, and causing the spin tube to gain more speed. Soon both inner and outer parts of clutch are spinning in sync. Problems with the clutch include: Contamination of the clutch linings due to leaking transmission. When this happens, the friction between the linings will decrease and the washer spin tube will have problems reaching the full spin speed. Worn clutch linings – In home laundry usage, washer clutch linings degrade frequently. [...]