Hi i had my washing machine repaired last week as the bearings had gone and it needed a new drum (luckily it is under warranty). Now 6 days later there is water coming from the bottom and the washing machine is getting "stuck" mid cycle and i have to turn it on and off again to get it going again. They wont come out to look at it until 23rd Dec so im going to be without a washing machine again which is a nightmare as i use it so much - i have a Hotpoint Aquarius WF000G - I was wondering if the filter was blocked which could be causing the leak - but cant find it ! any ideas ?

The bearing in the drum is bad,usually the whole drum has to be replaced,bearing is made not to be replaced,on my Maytag,it happened,luckily I had a warranty,drum was 700.00.

6 years old - probably the wash tub bearings gone. Does the wash tub lift up and down from the front? sure sign bearings have gone. Would you drive a car at 70mph if the wheels were loose and floppy?
Not really a viable repair due to cost, and throwing good money after bad sort of situation, especially if your machine has a sealed wash tub which doesn't come apart.(welded Tub).
Cost of parts in this case would equal cost of new machine. Also, suspension, motor and heater will all be worn too. That's about the life span of machines these days I'm afraid!

Yes, that's a classic sign of a failed drum bearing. It wi;ll continue to get noisier and may eventually cause a leak from the machine which may cause more expensive repairs if the water and highly corrosive washing solution damages other parts.

The bearing itself is available and can be replaced, but your machine is not designed with bearing replacements in mind. Replacing the bearing involves a near complete strip-down of the machine to completely remove the drum assembly. The outer polypropylene drum will often crack when the old bearing is removed or the new one is refitted and the job is very labour intensive.

The bearing is designed to last the life of the machine, and the machine is only expected to last about four to five years before other parts start to fail as well. If the bearing fails during the warranty then the usual fix is to replace the entire inner and outer drum assembly.

I can't give you a step by step guide, but drum replacement is not cost effective if you have to pay for the repair, and bearing replacement may be worth trying if you know an experienced DIY mechanic and appreciate the risks. The part is relatively cheap, but if the repair fails you've blown money which could have gone towards a new machine. Dismantling to replace the bearing is fairly straightforward and commensense, but on some models the spot welds on the rear of the casing need to be drilled out and they can be replaced with pop-rivets afterwards. A short length of scaffold pole or a large socket can be used to drift out the old bearing and press in the new one. It's also necessary to replace the drive-belt as well, but you can leave that extra cost until you're sure that the bearing replacement has been a success.

Haynes publish a washing machine repair manual; you can either buy it or will often find that it's available at your local public library and it's invaluable if you lack confidence with jobs like these.

If you need to buy another machine, then try to avoid Merloni Group products such as Hotpoint, Indesit, Candy, Ariston. They may be cheap, but they don't last. Brands like LG, Miele, Siemens and AEG don't cost twice as much but they do typically last more than twice as long. Bosch for some reason, definitely aren't as good lately, despite being part of the same group as Siemens. A good quality basic machine will usually serve you far better than a feature-packed Merloni piece of tat.

Try and see if the bearings can be washed and the dirt removed so that it moves freely. However if the drum is wobbling then the bearings have to be changed and if this cost as near to the cost of a new machine , I suggest that you scrap or exchange for scrap value and go for a different make with extended warranty.

Your drum bearing is likely shot.
This is a big repair and better to get a new one with warranty.

The drum guides/rollers could be worn.

It must be disassembled and inspected.

If you can grab the drum & move it laterally - the bearings are gone.

Thanks for using FixYa - a 4 THUMBS rating is appreciated for answering your FREE question.

It would appear that the drum seal and bearings have failed. If you have been doing constant cold water washing and using fabric softener and the machine is over 5 years old, I would say its time for a new machine. There are not many that last past 5 years any more especially with cold water and fabric softener usage. Bearing and seal replacement can be very expensive. The drum shaft (Spider assembly) will probably need changing as well.

With the machine off, try lifting up on the inside drum. If it seems to move fairly easily and makes a 'clunk' sound, you may have lost the forward bearing on the drum shaft--a very costly and time consuming operation to replace this part. Is the machine still under warranty? Many service persons (and not necessarily Sears) will do just about anything to avoid this repair, especially under warranty. If Sears won't fix the problem, tell them you aren't satisfied and want your money back! Hope this helps!

From what you describe, I would agree with you in concluding that the main drum bearings have gone.
Problem is, until it is stripped down, there is no way of knowing if it has worn the drum shaft.
This being the case, then it it is really beyoind economical repair.

All Indesit washing machines are aimed at the budget end of the market; as such the outer drum assembly is polypropylene instead of steel. This type of construction is common to almost all cheaper brands which are really designed to simply be thrown away when major parts fail.

Bearing replacement is often impossible as the outer drum inevitably cracks when the old bearing is driven out or when the new one is installed. Indesit do not normally even offer the bearing as a spare part, but if you do get the old one out a replacement can usually be supplied by a bearing shop if you take the old one along for comparison. If you then buy a new bearing and then crack the outer drum whilst trying to install it you won't be able to get a refund.

Your only realistic options are as follows:-

1. replace the entire drum assembly;
2. replace the outer drum complete with the bearing;
3. replace the entire machine.

The first option is not usually cost effective, the second option isn't always possible as it's not always available as a spare part (you didn't state which exact model you have).

The third option may be your only practical solution if you cannot put up with the noise or if the faulty bearing is causing other issues. You also need to consider that if your Indesit is used every day, then it will typically last only around three years from new before major parts start to wear out, so you might repair your machine only to find that it soon needs a new pump or has a sensor, switch or circuit board failure. Better quality (but more expensive) brands will typically last in excess of six years.

Avoid any used washing machines unless you get them for free and they just need a cheap fix like a new pump (or even better when they just need that errant sock pulled out of the tube leading to the pump: many perfectly good machines are thrown away with simple fixes like those). A bargain used machine is only a bargain if it lasts at least a year or two, and professionally "refurbished" machines normally only come with a less than reassuring ninety day warranty.

If sealed bearing, drill small hole after removing rear plate and inject grease with syringe,seal hole with stopper or self-tapping screw.
Run for about 20 mins. to allow grease to penetrate.