Having trouble with your Bosch HE Front Loader not draining properly, especially on the final drain/spin?
I have been repairing devices of
many types, my entire life, and have some sage advice..........I repaired mine for less than $5 by making the tiny piece needed, which has lasted several months, until today, but you could have better luck, as my fist venture was a discovery experience, and I damaged the impeller slightly, adding "pump imbalance" to the life of my fix.
Always follow the direction of the owner's manual first, by opening the "Pump Trap" and checking for coins and debris first (which should be done routinely, without any issues).
BE VERY CAREFUL DOING THIS !!! As the access hole has[u ]VERY[/u] sharp edges Which should be filed/sanded smooth and then covered with duct tape. AND, I recommend you wear cut-proof gloves, as both hands most likely will be needed inside this opening to unscrew the cover of the Trap. Wife and I own one of these and were having the "Drainage Blocked" message issue and I, at first, applied a "quick fix" to get the load completed even after several Stop/Start resets failed (which was her method, which worked a few times). If it still fails to pump, get a 5-gal bucket and carefully lower the drain hose into it then attempt the above method. While doing this, pay close attention to the sound made by the Pump, it makes a slight "soft growling" noise when
not pumping vs a smoother sound when engaged and pumping (more on that later).
Still no luck?.... try this:
One must be fairly strong and should probably have steel-toed shoes on to perform this trick. Here goes....try pulling the unit forward about a foot and lift/lean it back about 10-15 degrees or so and then allow it to drop forward back onto its front feet (NOT ON YOURS !!) and try draining it again. STILL no luck, then open Trap with water still inside machine, be CAREFUL as dirty water will gush out of Trap as you remove its cover.....please read on.
After nursing ours along for a few loads it was time to dig further.... after much investigating (including removing the back cover unnecessarily), I removed the Pump/Motor unit to inspect it, again unnecessarily, but I learned a lot...I discovered that you can pull the impeller off of its shaft from the front via the Trap access hole,[ Pump removal not required! ] Do this carefully as follows: Notice the Impeller-(off-white fan-blade looking do-hickey in the small hole at rear, once Trap/Cover Assembly has been removed). Observe the small opening near the hub of the Impeller. Next: fashion a short hook from a coat-hanger, or better yet a small piece of "flat material" to fit inside this opening. Hook this tool in said opening and pull the Impeller forward,
being careful not to break it as the Impeller is pretty brittle, also collect the small pieces behind it!
This/these are the culprit !! See photos! If the thin rear edge of the Impeller is intact, you can do as I did very easily and just press it all back in place once new piece is made.
I fashioned a replacement "Torque Cushion" from a piece of 3/8" Vinyl Fuel Hose from Ace Hardware (perfect size and shape, just cut length and notch). This piece goes inside the Impeller and takes the torque-shock from the Motor Shaft Pin as the motor starts. The original appears to be made of Neoprene and becomes brittle and wears away over time. I had good luck with the one I made as it lasted 10 months (with ~daily use), probably would have gone longer had I not broke one blade from my Impeller which added to
its eventual demise. I must buy the new Trap/Pump/Motor Unit this time, as the Impeller broke.
Good Luck,
Butch W.
Photos here:
https://db.tt/zeVH64VkvDEdited by user Wednesday, June 5, 2019 8:49:34 AM(UTC)
| Reason: Changed photos
