Washing machine carbon brushes are one of the most common parts to wear out. Each time the washing machine is in use they are physically wearing away. This page gives free diagnostic help and advice for competent repairers who may want to confirm and check a few things before replacing carbon brushes in a washing machine motor.
The principles of diagnosing carbon brush faults, and deciding if they need replacing are exactly the same as for any motor with carbon brushes fitted across all brands.
How do I know if I need to fit new carbon brushes?
I often see where people have fitted new brushes and the motor still doesn’t work. Don’t fit them speculatively. It’s common for people to see that brushes are worn, and probably need replacing – but this doesn’t mean it will get your motor running again.
If a motor stops running, it can also be caused by many other faults. So unless you know the brushes need replacing don’t waste your time and money.
If you observe lots of sparking from inside the motor then this may also a symptom. However, very small sparks are usually normal and not necessarily a fault.
You should be competent enough to be able to diagnose and repair this type of fault because other faults could be present. You should always test a motor’s insulation with a suitable insulation test meter to ensure electrical safety using 500V DC. Low insulation on a motor could blow electronic parts inside a PCB.
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Worn Carbon brushes
Here is a picture of a pair of worn Hotpoint carbon brushes. Both carbon brushes are approximately 80% worn but the carbon brush on the left is still making good contact with the armature.
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The difference between the two is that the faulty one on the right is charred and sooty at the tip. It’s taken on a charcoal-like appearance and there is evidence of burning present. The good carbon brush on the left is smooth and shiny at the tip which shows no sparking has been occurring.
Worn Carbon brushes
Here is a picture of a pair of worn Hotpoint carbon brushes. Both carbon brushes are approximately 80% worn but the carbon brush on the left is still making good contact with the armature.
If both brushes are smooth like the one on the left, then they are still making good contact and are not likely to be causing any symptoms. However, if they are as worn down as this they clearly still need replacing. It’s just that maybe the fault you currently have is caused by something else.
This carbon brush is OK
This Hotpoint (or Creda) carbon brush is about 20% worn. The tip of the brush (that runs against the armature) is shiny and smooth, with no evidence of burning. It is therefore perfectly alright.
It is possible for a carbon brush that is not worn down significantly to stick inside the holder (which is spring loaded) If this happens, then as the brush surface wears through normal usage, the brush doesn’t get moved up and stops making contact with the armature.
If this happens, then the tip of the carbon brush will look charred like the 80% worn one above.
Complications on carbon brushes
This carbon brush is approximately 50% worn but something has gone seriously wrong. If yours looks like this then there could be problems with the other parts inside the motor.
The tip of the carbon brush is charred but note the arcing damage to the brass holder which has been caused by excessive sparking and flashing inside the motor.
If the tip of the carbon brush is damaged to the extent that there is a chunk broken off, (not shown here) then there is a good chance that a raised commutator bar on the armature has caused the fault. This would require a new motor. A raised or loose comm bar can be felt by placing a finger on the copper segments and slowly turning the armature.
If the washing machine has also fused, then this is evidence of electrical shorting inside the motor which you need an insulation test meter and electrical knowledge to diagnose and repair.
Also, if there is damage like this on the brass holder (and especially if the washing machine fused) then the TOC could have blown also. This is then not a simple case of replacing the worn carbon brushes and no longer a straight forward DIY repair job.
Potential Complications
Fitting new brushes in a motor is relatively simple. However, it can also come with complications and you may ultimately just be wasting your time if you haven’t got experience working with motors and you don’t have proper test equipment. See the extra information in related articles below but give serious consideration to getting a proper repair engineer to look at it.
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Karthik says
Hi Andy,
Yes you are Correct it is not Front Loading machine but Top Loading, Thanks you very much for the response received quickly rom your end, i have called the Tech guy let me see what he tells
Martyn says
My hotpoint washing machine stopped working ,display said door,and the door switch clicked in out continuosly for quite a few attempts,i googled this problem and being an electrician,i have a little knowledge of fixing them but someone said it was an open circuit due to the brushes.i checked the brushes and they were worn right down and had no more left to spring out.i orderednew brushes to suit the model and have just fitted the new ones,it washes and rinses perfectly but as soon as it goes into a high spin in any mode it stops and the door display comes back on,any ideas please
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Yes bizarrely, some Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines can go completely dead with lights on and door locked if the motor or some other parts go open circuit. If fitting the brushes got it running again make sure they aren’t excessively sparking – problems after fitting carbon brushes
sarah says
I’ve have 3 year old candy grando. Whilst my washing was on I noticed it had stopped spinning and the lights on the programme was randomly flashing. I drained and check filter and some coins came out. Now my washer fills and empties but wont spin at all. I’ve just tried another wash and it’s trying to spin but only managed 1/4 or a turn and stops and I’ve just noticed small sparks coming underneath the washing machine. Not sure what it could be
Thanks.
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Hello Sarah. Carbon brushes could cause this, so the article above would be helpful in checking the brushes out. However other faults could also cause it so if the brushes are okay check out this article washing machine drum not turning
Debbie says
Hi my machine is currently making a clicking noise when drum turns and giving off a burning smell when on spin does that mean the brushes need replacing.
Thanks.
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Hello Debbie. If the clicking noises present when you turn the drum by hand it could be more serious than worn carbon brushes. One carbon brushes don’t normally cause burning smells and clicking noises. More often than not they just quietly stop making contact and people are puzzled as to why their washing machine drum has stopped turning. It is possible for brushes to carry on working when making only partial contact if the contact is strong enough. In such cases the motor may continue to run but flash and spark excessively and this can cause a burning smell. In such cases it could indicate that the main armature is also worn.
If you take off the drive belt and turn the motor by hand and it clicks once per revolution there could be a raised com bar which is described in my article above. This is serious and would require a new motor. Other than that the motor would need to be removed and the brushes checked as described in my article to see if they are badly charred.
steven diamond says
my drum wasnt spinning at all, i changed the carbon brushes an the machine starts spinning an keeps cutting out after aprrox 5 seconds, what could this be?
Andy Trigg (Whitegoodshelp) says
Hello Stephen. I have 2 other articles which might help –
Fitted new carbon brushes but the motor still doesn’t work
Fitted brushes now motor sparking a lot