Are you noticing any weird signs in your washer shock absorber? This is the right time to look out for its maintenance and replace it if needed.
If your washer has reached closer to its expiry year, which is around the tenth year or more.
Some signs can appear physically and can be seen from outside, like cracks and leaks or abnormal shaking of the entire washer body due to high vibrations.
Other signs appear as internal damage, like malfunctioning screws, studs, or any other attached part.
For a person to understand the replacement of a shock absorber, it is important to educate yourself about the other interlinked factors like:
- What Does a Shock Absorber do, and Where to Place?
- Why is it Important to Replace it?
- When Should I Replace My Washer Shock Absorber?
Signs that indicate a faulty shock absorber.
- High-intensity Vibrations
- The Irregular Base of the Container
- Unusual Noises
- Visible Cracks
- Fluid Leakage
There are many signs that your washer machine gives before getting permanently damaged. If the shock absorber gets damaged, you can detect it on time and replace it with a new one to increase the longevity of your appliance.
Things To Consider
There are certain things that you need to consider before considering the replacement of the shock absorber of your washer.
Let’s dig deeper into it:
1. What Does a Shock Absorber Do, and Where To Place?
As the name shows, a washer shock absorber absorbs the shocks when the machine works.
Due to the high force generated during the cleansing spins, your machine vibrates intensely and moves to and fro. A shock absorber reduces this intensity and helps to stabilize the machine.
Position: They cannot be seen from the outside because these are placed inside the base of the front console, so you either remove that or the back console to see it. Its position is right in the middle of both consoles.
2. Why Is It Important To Replace It?
It is important to replace the faulty parts of a machine to save it from bigger damages and to stop it from expiring before the average timeline.
If you have spent money on something, it would be worth it. It is better to replace one part and save it instead of replacing the entire machine by reaching the worse end.
3. When Should I Replace My Washer Shock Absorber?
An average life limit of a healthy working shock absorber is about twelve to twenty years maximum. After this time limit, it goes completely out of order.
It would help if you also looked for signs mentioned below, like increased vibrations, high trembling machine movements, noise problems, etc., that show a faulty shock absorber.
Signs of a Faulty Washer Shock Absorber:
You will need to take the following signs seriously as they hint at replacing the shock absorber:
1. High-Intensity Vibrations
A normal machine would only make a slight humming sound. If you notice loud vibrations, then it shows that the shock absorber is not doing its job properly. Although, this only happens when the problem has just started.
When the problem worsens, you hear the vibrations, and the machine will show intense to-and-fro movements. It would help if you fixed it immediately because it misplaces and damages other internal parts.
2. The Irregular Base of the Container
You can call it a bucket or the main container; it has a special shape that is deep from the bottom and a little rose from the edges. This shape is perfect according to its function.
When the vibrations increase or you overfill the bucket with clothes, your shock absorber also gets misplaced or overstretched, losing its normal bottom surface area.
You will also notice a disturbance in the normal spinning cycles associated with the same issue.
3. Unusual Noises
Before filling your machine, run the empty machine and notice its sounds. Now fill it up, let it run a normal cycle, and notice the sound differences.
If both sounds are different and loud and abnormal, then the reason is probably your faulty shock absorber.
4. Visible Cracks
Move your hand along the edges of your shock absorber; you will feel the small cracks if they are there.
Take it off the machine and check it from the inside out to see if it is clean; sometimes, it loses its efficiency due to over-accumulation of mold or any other destructive material present inside.
5. Fluid Leakage
This is the main and most obvious sign of a faulty shock absorber. Due to a faulty shock absorber, water leaks from the bucket during the wash cycle.
It is either that water or other fluids like oil etc., coming out of the machinery.
Without a shock absorber, your machine can only work for less than ten years.
As the years pass by, your machines increase the pressure and therefore increase the vibrations. These high vibrations can misplace the internal machinery.
Takeaway
To put it into simple words, a shock absorber saves the machine from the side effects of high-intensity work pressure by absorbing the vibrations and allowing it to run smoothly and maintain its stability.
With time, its capacity to tolerate the pressure reduces and starts showing signs like increased vibrations, intense movements, cracks on the different parts, the imbalanced base of the container, leaking fluids and abnormal noise, etc., since all the parts of a machine are interconnected, it is important to replace these because a damaged part can damage the entire machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does a Washer Shock Absorber Work Fine?
An average shock absorber can work fine for about ten to twelve years. After this period, it can start showing signs of poor health.
Although it entirely depends on how well you maintain your washer and how much load you put in it. It can go up to twenty years if kept well-maintained.
How To Choose the Better Quality Washer Shock Absorber?
First of all, it has to match the volume and intensity settings of your machine.
Look for its material; rubber is a better shock absorber, a multilayered shock absorber functions better, and the number of absorbent pads enhances the quality.
