Sears Appliance Parts
Welcome to Sears Washing Machine Parts Resource
Washing Machine Drive Motor Coupler Replacement Video
- Need Sears Washing Machine Parts?
- How Sears Washing Machines Work?
- Tub
- Central Agitator
- Motor and Pump
- Fill Valve
- Timer and Selector Switches
- Clutch and Brake Mechanism
- Motor Coupler and/or Belt
- Helpful Maintenance Tips for Sears Washers
- Maintenance Calendar
Need Sears Washing Machine Parts?
What should you do if your Sears washer is not working as it should be? What will you do if it breaks? If it did break, how would you fix it? Could you fix it by yourself?
Visit RepairClinic.com for all your Sears washing machine questions. If your washer is broken, RepairClinic can help you find the exact part for your model.
RepairClinic.com has an extensive online library and can assist you in finding out what the problem with your washer is. Whether your Sears washing machine is having electrical, plumbing, or hardware problems, www.repairclinic.com has all the information that you are looking for.
If your washer is too old to fix, or if the job of fixing it is too difficult for a non-expert, RepairClinic experts will inform you of that as well.
How Sears Washing Machines Work?
Washers come in two major style - top and front loaders. These two styles have a number of similarities and differences in the way they function.
Tub (or Inner Tub)
First, clothes are loaded into the tub to be washed. The inner tub has lots of small holes and this allows the water to flow through them to the outer tub which is solid and holds the water. Top loading washers have an agitator located at the center of the inner tub. In front loading machines, the clothes allow spin and gravity to do the work of washing as they tumble and bounce about. Front loading machines have no agitators.
Central Agitator
This is how an agitator works on top-loading washing machines. By pivoting clockwise and counterclockwise it plunges the clothes through the water so that they will be washed as cleanly as possible. The clothes move from top to bottom and then back to top of the tub once again. This motion allows the detergent and water to reach every part of dirty clothing; to loosen the dirt, and wash the clothes clean.
Motor and Pump
In top loader washing machines, the motor creates the movement during the wash cycle and drives the agitator. The pump removes the water from the tub and spills it out into the drain. This works the same for both front and top loaders.
Fill Valve
The fill valve can also be called a "water inlet valve". This part is the size of a coffee cup and it controls the entry of hot and cold water into the washer. The fill valve has 3 major components: 1. hot-water solenoid, 2. cold-water solenoid, 3. mixing valve body. The valve is located at the spot where the hot and cold water hose is hooked up to your washer.
Timer and Selector Switches
The largest dial on your washer's main control panel is usually the timer switch. On some washers the switches are mechanical devices, similar to a simple clock. On others these switches are electronic devices with a digital readout. The timer provides electricity to all the different components of your washing machine at the right time and for the right length of time.
The Start switch is the part that breaks most often. Different washers have different knobs/selector switches. Sears selector switches allow you to adjust your washing machine to a selection of different settings. Some of the settings are: water temperature, spin speed, timer cycle, etc. In general, your washing machine completes the cycle that you selected on the timer; this is regardless of how you have set switches and knobs.
Clutch and Brake Mechanism
Sears washing machine motor can each full speed in a second or less. This can be too fast for certain components that the motor drives. For this reason, most washers use an automatic clutch; it dampens the effect of motor starting up.
On certain washers, the clutch is designed as a combination of a drive belt slipping temporarily on a pulley and then gradually tightening up. On others, the clutch uses a drum-and-pad combination of components; more like something that could be found in a car. On top-loading machines, some functions cease to operate when the lid is raised. The spin cycle stops on all washing machines when the drum is brought to a rapid halt.
Motor Coupler and/or Belt
Some Sears washing machines have the motor connected directly to the transmission. This occurs in machines that use a coupler connection, without a need for a belt. The coupler looks like a rubber disc placed between two plastic sprockets. It is half-an-inch thick by one-and-a-half inches in diameter. Other units use belts to connect the motor to the transmission or to the pump. A belt is black in color, made out of rubber; a rope-like component, often a loop of about 24 to 30 in. long. This belt provides a "weak link" in a washing machine because if the tub or the agitator become jammed, the belt is likely to fail in its function. The belt failing is purposeful; the transmission and other critical components would be preserved.
Helpful Maintenance Tips for Sears Washers
Water-Fill Hoses
The rubber water hoses that usual lay come with your washer may leak or burst as they get older. A good preventive practice is to check the washer hoses for any sign of wear. A small blister could form in the rubber of the hose, and this could cause it to weaken and eventually rupture. Sears manufacturers recommend replacing hoses every 5 years or so. RepairClinic.com recommends replacing the rubber hoses with stainless steel fill hoses. Staleness steel is higher quality, more durable and longer-lasting.
Leveling
If your Sears washing machine is not level, it can move back and forth, bang loudly, and even start dancing across the room. This is not a good for your washer's long term use and durability. When this happens your washer might damage things in its proximity, like the dryer. You can remedy this problem by adjusting the front and/or back leveling legs on your washing machine so that your unit will be at its proper height. Once it is in the right position, tighten the lock nut against the body of the washing machine to keep the leg from rotating.
Most units have self-adjusting rear legs which can be set by tilting the entire washing machine forward onto its front legs, then setting the machine back down. Most of the time, the legs will adjust automatically. If they don't adjust, you may need to tilt your washer forward once again and hit the rear legs with the handle of a hammer to loosen them. This task is a lot easier to accomplish if you have a strong helper.
Surface Cleaning
Washer surfaces usually have either a painted steel or a porcelain-coated steel cabinet. To clean this surface, use a bit of dish detergent and a damp rag. For stains that are more difficult to wash, safely use some non-abrasive cleanser, especially if the surface is porcelain.
You can find all the parts, a wide selection of accessories; help and technical advice on how to fix your Sears washing machine at RepairClinic.com.
Maintenance Calendar
Check your washer unit water fill hoses for cracks, blisters, corroded fittings and leaks.
Cracks are a sign of aging and show a breakdown of the rubber. Blisters signal a rupture in the inner lining of the hose and this means that the hose may burst at any time.
Corroded fittings mean the hose has leaked or it might be leaking now. If you don't replace the hose, you may find the corroded fitting virtually impossible to remove from the faucet when you need to remove it.
Replace the hoses if they have any of these conditions. Washing machine water fill hoses generally need to be replaced every three to five years, regardless of whether there is a visible defect.
For even more peace of mind, use stainless steel fill hoses.
Check that your washer is level and sitting on a well-supported sub-floor. A leading cause of washer failure and customer complaints is a unit that bangs around unbalanced by a great number of loads.
Check to be sure that no water is dripping into the washer when it is turned off. If water is dripping in, even just a little, it is a sign that the water inlet valve is defective.
It should be replaced immediately.
