Washing Machine Help Forum

Our Condenser dryer is driving us mad! We've had one service visit which showed the problem was the belt was damaged and kept coming off. The belt is a thin green one which connects to a protruding shaft from the motor at the rear. We replaced this belt but it still keeps coming off!
Does anyone know if this is a known fault with this machine?
I suspect the motor has shifted so the belt is not taut enough.

There are a couple of things to remember with this particular problem:

There are two different versions of this dryer and two different belts, one is mounted in a straight drive manner - clockwise motor rotation, clockwise fan rotation - the other is vice-versa where the belt crosses over (twisted).

Also check the small sponge block that may be glued to the chassis on the crossover type belt as this stops the belt rubbing against itself in operation. If it's missing the belt will get damn hot and stretch.

Check for the rating plate and post up the PNC (product number code) and the serial number, it's very likely that you have the wrong belt or it's fitted incorrectly.

Dave.

I've been to a few of these where the floor of the casing has distorted with the loading of the drive (drum) belt. This causes the pulleys to be no longer parallel to each other and the fan belt will fall off.

Regards,
Penguin45.

Thanks for the help guys.
The belt is the cross over type.
The pnc is 916720033/01
Serial No. is 71000992
The base looks ok (not distorted).
The small pad has come away. I'll try and stick it back and hopefully that may help. I notice the belt still touches even with the pad in place. There is a groove in the pad. Is this by design or the result of wear? Which way I glue the pad is kind of dependent on this answer.
Thanks again for your help.

The pad acts as a damper to the flapping of the belt,so the groove is perfectly normal. If the fan belt has been replaced, was it with a Genuine Zanussi belt? There are pattern ones available, but they tend to be a sloppy fit.

Regards,
Penguin45.

There is only one cure for this problem, its a conversion kit that does away with the belt altogether and replaces it with a electric fan motor. Its not cheap at about £70 for the part only and its a job for an engineer as it needs a few wiring mods.

Penguin45 wrote:The pad acts as a damper to the flapping of the belt,so the groove is perfectly normal. If the fan belt has been replaced, was it with a Genuine Zanussi belt? There are pattern ones available, but they tend to be a sloppy fit.

Regards,
Penguin45.

I'm pretty sure it was a Zanussi belt. It took weeks to arrive!

The belt part number you should have recieved is 1258324001, I don't know why it took so long for you to get one though, we keep them in stock.

I'm not sure about the conversion kit, I never knew one existed, it does sound like the most sensible answer though.

What's the part number Mark ?

Dave.

The wash vac bin # is 023773. I am at home right now so unable to convert it to a lux number.
We have done 50+ over the years! beats constant recalls for belts off and heater stats needing re setting.

Thanks Mark.

Vaughan, part kit would be about £80 altogether with post and vat.

As Mark says, it needs wiring modification so it may be an engineers only job.

If you need any help with that, have a look in the directories or let us know your postcode.

Dave.

Dave_Conway wrote:If you need any help with that, have a look in the directories or let us know your postcode.

You rang Sir :roll: Maybe I can be of service

Martin

Dave_Conway wrote:I'm not sure about the conversion kit, I never knew one existed, it does sound like the most sensible answer though.

What's the part number Mark ?

Dave.

Fan kit 50248170008 Distriparts price £69.75 + Vat retail.

It is the only real fix, don't know why there would have been a problem getting the belt, we carry 6 and Distriparts have over 100 in stock.

Alex

Dave_Conway wrote:The belt part number you should have recieved is 1258324001, I don't know why it took so long for you to get one though, we keep them in stock.

Dave.

We went through a local company, The Wash and Vac Shop, and it took several weeks. I'm going to try and glue the pad back on and see how it goes. I must admit, I'm reluctant to shell out £80 + fitting (£50+?) on the alternative. The machine is a few years old and I'm not sure how long it will last. I'd be tempted to replace the machine with a Miele if they do them (I haven't done any research).
A condenser dryer is essential as I don't want to stick a hole in the wall for a vent.
I really appreciate the feedback though guys.

OK, sounds like you need to weigh things up here.

1) How much was it new?
2) How old is it?
3) How much did you pay last time?
4) Is it worth spending c. £130 on now?

Your suggestion of buying a Meile is excellent. They make superb machines, there are several condensers in their range. However, they are VERY expensive to purchase and the price of spares is truly scary. The good point is that you are unlikely to need any for a long time!

Regards,
Penguin45.

Where can you buy a 50248170008 fan kit from ?
Do distriparts have an online ordering set up ?

BobG