How do the shock absorbers and dampers of a washing machine work?
Replacing a shock absorber or damper on a washing machine with your own hands is quite simple. But instead of a broken part, you need to buy a new one, but you don’t want to spend money, and it’s not always possible. In this case, repairs can be made, but to do this you need to understand the shock absorber structure of the washing machine.
Damper design
SM dampers perform the function of damping strong vibrations that occur during washing. The shock-absorbing system works in conjunction with suspension springs. In fact, the element is the same steel cylinder with the only difference that there is no rod with a piston inside; it is a piston itself with holes on the sides to eliminate air locks.
The piston device contains one or more friction pads, their number depends on the design of the shock absorber of a particular model. The gasket material is a porous polymer coated with a non-drying lubricant, which creates additional friction during movement.
Rubber bushings along the edges of the metal cylinder and the damper located in its cavity act as fastenings for shock-absorbing parts with the bottom of the machine on one side and with the bottom of the tank on the other side. There are two types of dampers.
Prefabricated. They have a replaceable gasket, and most often replacing it is enough to repair the part.
Monolithic. The edges of such shock absorbers are treated with metal, so it is impossible to remove the gasket; you will have to change the entire device.
The force exerted on the damper has certain limits. You can see its value on the shock absorber body.Typically the load is measured in the range from 50 to 150 Newton. If you use the operating mode recommended by the manufacturer, the washing machine will not exceed the permissible load limits.
Important! When purchasing a new damper, you need to focus on the maximum load from the previous part. If it was 100 newtons, there is no need to buy 150. Focus strictly on indicators close to the previous ones.
Spring-piston shock absorbers
The spring-piston design of shock absorbers is the most common. In simple words, it is a metal cylinder with a polymer sleeve attached on top. The function of the bushing is to guide the rod into the cavity of the metal cylinder.
The shock absorber is attached to the drum using polymer gaskets or liners. They fit into the upper part of the shock-absorbing rod. The piston and liner are attached to the base of the rod, and the gasket itself is very thickly lubricated with a non-drying lubricant. When the rod and piston move inside the cylinder, the lubricant creates additional friction.
The work of shock absorbers consists of sequential and constant repetition of a number of operations:
as soon as the body begins to oscillate, the rod begins to move linearly;
he, in turn, pushes the piston, and it begins to move inside the cylinder;
lubricant slows down the movement of the piston, preventing it from sliding freely;
as soon as the pressure weakens, the rod returns to its original position;
as soon as the oscillation occurs again, the procedure is repeated.
Holes in the piston walls are needed to avoid creating air pockets and, as a result, additional resistance.When you press the piston, air escapes through the holes, and the movement of the piston does not stop.
Due to the fact that the entire depreciation process is based on the friction of parts against each other, gradual wear is inevitable. If the design includes more than one springing device, they are usually damaged all at once and require replacement at the same time. Final wear is preceded by the appearance of a gap between the elements. Two signs indicate problems with shock-absorbing devices: the appearance of strong vibration during washing and spinning, as well as an uncharacteristic knock of the tank on the inside surface of the washing machine.
Usually replacing the gaskets is enough to solve the problem with the shock absorber, but it also happens that the damper itself bends or breaks into pieces, which leads to the drive belt coming off and other problems. In this case, it is necessary to completely replace the part.
The principle of operation of the shock absorbers of all washing machines does not depend on how the damper is designed. The design of the product itself and its location may differ. For example, not all shock absorbers are complemented by a system of springs that hold the tank on top. Dampers also come in different sizes, located in different parts of the machine, with different angles.
Instead of two suspensions holding the tank on top, there is a design where a large counterweight is located on top, connected to the tank by several small springs. The classic shock-absorbing design is a double tank, which supports a damper at the bottom of the machine.
Replacing a shock absorber or damper on a washing machine with your own hands is quite simple. But instead of a broken part, you need to buy a new one, but you don’t want to spend money, and it’s not always possible. In this case, repairs can be made, but to do this you need to understand the shock absorber structure of the washing machine.
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