Mr Fixit

Question: What's the most important machine in the home when returning from holiday ?
Answer: The washing machine.

So .. upon returning from our lovely holiday on a marvellous camping in Bretagne, we brought back lovely memories and .. loads of laundry. Unfortunately after the first (successful) wash, our Asko 20605 failed showing the F6 error code: "motor problem".

We're pleased with this washing machine, though it's starting to show its age (12 or 13 years) as this is now the second time that this error has occurred (first in October 2008). That time round I soon discovered that it was a worn out carbon brush that was the problem. I replaced it with a new one and so I managed to repair the machine. (Strangely, only one brush was worn out, whereas the other still had "plenty of life in it").

This morning I set to work (after more fixit activities last night; getting the in-laws telephone working again after a switch in provider) and expected the same problem of (a) worn out brush(es) .. and I was right:
Once again (and strangely), one brush had worn out: the replacement (!), the other, original, brush looked much the same as it had in October 2008. (I.e. the replacement part is of inferior quality .. or .. the motor has a strange tendency to wear down only one brush).

As it's Sunday and it'll take some time to get a replacement brush and as we have tonnes of washing, I decided to give the worn out brush a life extension .. so we can keep washing till the replacement arrives.

First a disclaimer; this is a temporary fix and by doing so I've gone outside the design parameters of the brush (so if it all goes horribly wrong, it's my own stupid fault). (That said, the third wash since the fix is almost done and the machine sounds / looks normal).

What have I done ? In a nutshell, I moved the copper sleeve holding the carbon brush closer to the commutator. This gives a few more mm of wear before the carbon brush once again reaches it's limit.

In detail: the copper sleeve holding the carbon brush is held in the plastic housing by means of a couple of folds in the copper sleeve (sorry no photo); by bending these folds, I could move the copper sleeve closer to the commutator within the plastic housing:

Note how in the left photo (above) the copper sleeve on the top (worn out) brush, extends further from the plastic housing than on the lower (original) brush by roughly 3mm.

After achieving this, I made sure the copper sleeve wouldn't move within the plastic housing by adding a couple of wedges (from a match stick).

Unfortunately, the copper sleeve was now too close to the commutator. So with my trusty Dremel in the hand, I skillfully cut back the copper to mimic the original set up (see the right photo above).

Result: a fixed washing machine.

(I choose not to say a repaired washing machine as I'll need to open it up once the replacement brush(es) arrive).