19 replies to this topic

[Randini]

Konichiwa Y'all,

Got a rental house with a Kenmore Stackable Laundry and the tenant has expressed gentle dissatisfaction that their clothes are not getting clean. Their claim is that there's insufficient agitation or that their laundry generally still has stains and/or residue on it after washing.

Finally got there to run the machine through a cycle and at first glance it appears to be working as it should. Fills fine (both hot and cold are running fine). Spoofed the lid switch and put my hand on the agitator and I can slow it down a little but not stop it from twisting. Empties just fine (saw some posts here that that said a blocked drain can cause gunk problems) and spins great. In general everything seems to be working perfectly.

I guess I'll open it up to confirm that there's no blockages in the draining path. Anyone got any other ideas?

[Randini]

Took off the hoses fore and aft of the drain pump and if only my arteries were so clean. Now what?

Edited by Randini, 23 September 2012 - 01:43 PM.

[sh2sh2]

post video of wash cycle with lid up and we can tell you if its working normally

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Check to make sure the top auger section of the agitator only turn in one direction and locks when trying to turn in other direction and do the same thing for the spin basket.

Good chance you are going to find that the spin basket will spin freely in both directions, if that is the case you would need to replace the transmission to fix the problem, (makes for very poor agitation when basket moves in both directions freely along with the clothes).

[Randini]

When the machine is off I can only turn the agitator in one direction and the basket in the other.

Put a medium load of actual clothing in and am running a load now with the lid open (bamboo skewer holds the lid switch down).

The basket is definitely only going one way. The agitator is eventually turning but often losing almost or as much ground as it gains on each twist. Overall it's going around, however.

The laundry is swirling pretty rapidly around the basket and I can see clear "convection" (probably not the proper appliantology term, the clothes are churning top to bottom in a big toroidal/donut pattern).

This all looks pretty much like it should to me. Or should the agitator not be losing any ground?

Does this help?

[Scottthewolf]

Sounds like the agitator is worn.

http://www.repaircli...31605901/407833

[Randini]

Should it be stopping on the backspin like the basket?

Need a whole new agitator or a cam repair kit?

Also noticed that even on warm settings it fills with cold water. Turned down the cold faucet until warm felt warm. The supply pipes are the last bit of galvanized in the house and I suspect the hot side has limited flow. It'll fill slower now but I'm not ready to tear pipes out.

[Randini]

OK, I think this is becoming clear. If I fill it with no clothes in and run it with the lid up, the bottom of the agitator is cycling back and forth like a champ. If I put my hand on the top of the agitator, it twists with no backsliding and makes a definite overall clockwise rotation. If I take my hand off, it flails back and forth pretty much with the bottom and in fact accomplishes an overall counterclockwise rotation with lots of backsliding.

I don't see a agitator cam/repair kit for this exact model number, can anyone point me to the right part number?

[Scottthewolf]

As the wash basket indexes, the agitator should be turning.

You need to replace the whole agitator, a cam repair kit is not available for this washer.

Most washer manufacturers have changed the water inlet valves to 60 percent cold fill, 40 percent hot fill to save energy. Older washers had 50 percent cold 50 percent hot fill.

[Randini]

Ordered the part, it installed without a hitch and when running the top half of the agitator did seem to be indexing more consistently than the previous. But as I was getting in the car the tenant came out and said it was slipping.

Sure enough, if I tried to spin the top half backward it slipped and with a nasty ratcheting noise. Took it out and put the old one back in and put the new one back in the box.

Thinking the part was defective, called the source this morning and in the course of explaining the situation tried to make it make that ratcheting noise again for them to hear. And now the thing works right: can't make it rotate backwards at all.

A closer look into the top of the thing clarifies a few things. First, why they don't sell a cam repair kit for this one. Instead of three swiveling "dogs" it has three tracks of diminishing radius that force three doowickeys (technical term) between the surfaces of the inner and outer agitator (lower and upper). No easy way to rebuild that.

Second, the only difference between last night and this morning is that the unit is dry now. And I'm betting if those tracks and doowickeys were wet they could be convinced to slip. Is it a reasonable guess that in reassembling the beast I failed to seat the cap/seal properly and water got in there?

OK, I might have just proved it. Got it wet and now it slips.

Anyone else seen this situation? Any confirmation before I put it back in?

[Budget Appliance Repair]

Like everything about these Frigidaire built washers, just weak design. You very well could have received a new agitator that is defective.

Try for a replacement and hope it's better!!!!!

[telefunkenu47]

Back a few posts you said the basket was rotating with each agitation stroke. Just humor an old searsie and look at the center of the base and teel me that the shipping bolt isnt still in the hole. standing by....

[RegUS_PatOff]

. Just humor an old searsie and look at the center of the base and teel me that the shipping bolt isnt still in the hole. standing by ..

Shipping Bolt # 37

[kdog]

Usually bright Yellow in color

[RegUS_PatOff]

Usually bright Yellow in color

aahh, yes

[telefunkenu47]

....(theme music from Jeapardy...dooo dee do do...)

[Randini]

What I meant was the basket also indexes, moves a partial turn on each twist.

Will probably be Monday might before I get back to the rental but I'll let you know about the shipping bolt.

[Randini]

Tenant reports no shipping bolt. Also, what I thought they reported as the agitator cams slipping (ratchety sound when I heard it) is instead some kind of "clunk" that only happens with the new agitator.

Have had good recommendations for a local pro, will call him in to troubleshoot. Frankly, I'm not convinced there's anything wrong with the damned thing.

Will keep you posted.

[Randini]

The good news is I found a very highly recommended pro and asked him to take a look. The bad news is he doesn't work in the part of town where the machine is. The other good news is he spent some time on the phone with me and suggested I check the drive block (http://www.repaircli...4418700/1170670). Said it should have no play on the transmission shaft.

Will check this and let you know.

[RegUS_PatOff]

post video of wash cycle with lid up ...