Washing Machine Leak

jdjohn · June 7

Okay, who knows something about washing machine repair? We noticed water leaking from underneath, and I've located the source of the leak. It's the red circled area, which appears to be the bearing for turning the agitator and/or tub. I'm sure there's a gasket or seal in there that is worn out.

Is this a repair worth pursuing, or is it just time for a new washing machine? It's a Frigidaire machine, and has to be at least 20 years old.

Thanks in advance for any insights!

Clipdat · June 7

Obligatory Trey @VR3 get a Speed Queen washer comment

pitdogg2 · June 7

It can be fixed IF the part is still avaliable. There is a lot to take apart to get to it and you may need a special tool. The problem is this may be the tip of the iceberg as in you fix this part and another fails and soon you're nickel and dime time and time again with parts.

I do concur with the Speed Queen. They are very pricey but worth EVERY penny and will in all likelihood be your last pair you buy.

jdjohn · June 7

Thanks, guys. I actually found this video, which makes it look easy for replacing the seal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnUfWVZEgCI
I don't hear the bearing making any noise, so maybe fixing the seal will save the bearing, because changing the bearing would be a ****. Anyway, I found a seal kit on Amazon, so wish me luck!

VR3 · June 7

Yes speed queen time

Jstas · June 7

Is it a front loader?

'Cause it's a common failure on them since it's a carrier bearing. They tend to elongate after a while in the direction that gets the most weight. That deforms seals and they leak.

If you know what model it is, there are kits you can find online to replace the bearing and seal assembly for many brands. LG is the most notorious for such failures and the whole reason the kits exist is because LG wanted you to buy a whole new drum every time, a $700 proposition and some dude made a YouTube video showing how to fix it with $35 in parts and a Saturday afternoon. He started assembling the kits and selling them through a store front on his YouTube channel. Then everyone else wised up and ate his lunch on him.

I only know this because the LG front loader that Captain Halfass had was designed for a slab floor and he had it on a framed floor and that caused excessive vibration and that drum seal and bearing assembly leaked. I got a new seal and a bearing repair kit for it and the appliance repair guy came out and fixed it for me. He had a fancy press for the bearing that I didn't and he recommended that I not use my bearing tool on it because the hammering can crack the drum.

But if you look up your model online and add the "leak" keywords, you'll find lots of info.

If it's a top loader, the seals are standard and common as well as the bearings so unless it's the drive structure or a fractured drum that is causing the leak, you're gonna pay way more for labor to fix it than parts.

I think it's worth fixing if there's nothing else wrong and you can get the parts. Do some research, though. 'Cause some of the front loaders have an integrated bearing assembly and replacement requires replacing the entire drum which is almost as much as a new washing machine and it's not worth it then.

At the same time, though, a 20 year old washer is not as efficient, energy-wise, as the newer ones but, it probably used a lot more water and is more effective at cleaning too. So if you want to cut your electric and water bills a bit, put the old soldier to the curb and get a new one. If you don't care, look in to repairing it.

jdjohn · June 7

Thanks again, everyone, for the comments.

I think some of our posts are crossing in the ether, but this is an old top-loading Frigidaire. I did find a tub seal kit for it on Amazon. I think the biggest challenge will be removing some of the old, probably corroded parts. We'll be leaving these appliances behind when we move (probably a year or more), so hopefully this kit will keep it running that long, and give the new owners time to buy new if they want.

Those new-fangled stacked front-loaders worry me...kind of like new cars these days.

Jstas · June 7

I don't like the front loaders unless I'm going commercial like Speed Queen. Sid's annoying with it but it's good advice. Expensive advice but good advice nonetheless.

Even still, we got a Whirlpool Cabrio set when they first came out. Top loader washer, front loader dryer and the washer and dryer are HUGE! They'll swallow a whole queen comforter or a sleeping bag no problem.

But as long as it's just the seal, the seal kit will last another 10-20 years.

mhardy6647 · June 7

I encouraged our son & daughter-in-law to get a Speed Queen when they got married & bought a house (pretty much at the same instant). They did, and they love it.
This being said, the 20 year old washer is probably better than any new "ordinary" new model in myriad ways. As such, it just might be worth fixing.

billbillw · June 7

My current Kenmore washer was bought new in 2002. Still does the job. Had to replace the feed dogs and the lid switch along the way, but otherwise, it still washes.

I have my eyes looking for a gently used Speed Queen pair though since I think my 10 year old dryer is POS.

WilliamM2 · June 7

jdjohn wrote: »

Thanks again, everyone, for the comments.

I think some of our posts are crossing in the ether, but this is an old top-loading Frigidaire. I did find a tub seal kit for it on Amazon. I think the biggest challenge will be removing some of the old, probably corroded parts. We'll be leaving these appliances behind when we move (probably a year or more), so hopefully this kit will keep it running that long, and give the new owners time to buy new if they want.

Those new-fangled stacked front-loaders worry me...kind of like new cars these days.

My 35 year old Maytag needed it's first repair last month. Did you remove the agitator to inspect before ordering parts? Mine was so corroded that it would have required many more parts. Although I didn't have a plastic tub. Remember, replacing a part on a brand new machine, like the video, is always easy!

Got a SQ TC5003WN delivered 3 weeks ago. Everyone lets the list price scare them away, but the local dealer here sold it to me for $1150 delivered, free haul away, SQ drain extension ($89 part). Sadly, I'm sure it won't go 35 years without a repair.

The cheapest washer from a Big Box store (which I would not buy) was almost $800 by the time it's delivered, hoses (they make you buy new ones), extension hose, delivery and haul way, and tax. Far cry from the $529 listed on the washer. So the SQ wasn't really that much. And if there is a repair, I won't have to deal with some third party warranty company from BB, HD, etc. And the warranty is only 1 year...

jdjohn · June 7

I had to replace the lid switch on this Frigidaire a couple of years ago, but that was easy peezy. Yeah, some of the comments on that video I shared mentioned how nice and new the unit was. Here's a more realistic video on a heavily used washer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhz3RCagTEI
My unit is exactly the same as these, so I feel pretty certain that I got the correct part. But, we shall see!

Jstas · June 7

OK, those AppliancePartsPros guys are awesome.

We have a Maytag overhead microwave. It was a year old and it stopped turning on. I was on Reddit looking at some of the posts about my microwave and didn't find much. So I signed up for an account and posted my question thinking I was going to need a really expensive part like the magnetron.

Somebody from that website responds and says "Before you go doing that, try this for me. There's a switch in the door latch, they're junk. They break all the time. They're a safety switch that is supposed to complete a circuit that lets the microwave know the door is securely latched and seals. But the metal that the grounding paddle is made out of is brittle and they snap."

Then he send me a link to a video on a similar model. So I did what the check in the video said to do and sure enough, broken switch.

I went back to the post, thanked the guy and asked if he had a good place to get the switch.

He sends me a link to their website and they had a 3 pack of switches for, like, 6 bucks.

Would have been a $250 service call.

They're awesome.

pitdogg2 · June 7

I agree with John. I've used those videos more than once to figure out how to tear something down and fix it.

gmcman · June 7

VR3 wrote: »

Yes speed queen time

Electrolux.

Holds more, spins faster, about 1/2 the price.

Sorry, had to...

Viking64 · June 7

This is all you need. Anything else is just sinful.

stangman67 · June 8

WilliamM2 wrote: »

jdjohn wrote: »

Thanks again, everyone, for the comments.

I think some of our posts are crossing in the ether, but this is an old top-loading Frigidaire. I did find a tub seal kit for it on Amazon. I think the biggest challenge will be removing some of the old, probably corroded parts. We'll be leaving these appliances behind when we move (probably a year or more), so hopefully this kit will keep it running that long, and give the new owners time to buy new if they want.

Those new-fangled stacked front-loaders worry me...kind of like new cars these days.

My 35 year old Maytag needed it's first repair last month. Did you remove the agitator to inspect before ordering parts? Mine was so corroded that it would have required many more parts. Although I didn't have a plastic tub. Remember, replacing a part on a brand new machine, like the video, is always easy!

Got a SQ TC5003WN delivered 3 weeks ago. Everyone lets the list price scare them away, but the local dealer here sold it to me for $1150 delivered, free haul away, SQ drain extension ($89 part). Sadly, I'm sure it won't go 35 years without a repair.

The cheapest washer from a Big Box store (which I would not buy) was almost $800 by the time it's delivered, hoses (they make you buy new ones), extension hose, delivery and haul way, and tax. Far cry from the $529 listed on the washer. So the SQ wasn't really that much. And if there is a repair, I won't have to deal with some third party warranty company from BB, HD, etc. And the warranty is only 1 year...

You even bought the right speed queen! The TC should be the only one people buy

BlueBirdMusic · June 8

@mhardy6647 said:
This being said, the 20 year old washer is probably better than any new "ordinary" new model in myriad ways. As such, it just might be worth fixing.

I concur; ^^^^ this is good advice.

I have two "vintage" GE Profile appliances, dishwasher and washing machine, that keep going like the Energizer Bunny.

After you repair an appliance yourself a few times, you will know when it's is time for a new appliance.

WilliamM2 · June 8

stangman67 wrote: »

You even bought the right speed queen! The TC should be the only one people buy

Actually SQ front loaders are very nice, so are Electrolux, but my wife wanted another top loader.
But any SQ would hold up better than the plastic fantastic machines built by other brands.

VR3 · June 8

I found my set on Facebook marketplace, the 7000 series, one year old. Was 6 hours round trip but it was half price new

billbillw · June 8

VR3 wrote: »

I found my set on Facebook marketplace, the 7000 series, one year old. Was 6 hours round trip but it was half price new

https://youtu.be/7UbbFoEAE1I?si=uDLx4NSWNsnrD-7k

ken brydson · June 8

Washing Machine Leak

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