Learn about all the various washing machine parts.

If you’d like to repair your own washing machine, it’s important to know your washing machine parts. Arguably the most important part is the tub, where you put your clothes. Generally you fill your washing machine from the top, but some do open from the side. The shaft in the middle of the tub is called the agitator and spins back and forth to loosen dirt and to spread the soap and water around.

Connected to the agitator is the motor and pump. The motor spins the agitator while the pump pumps the water to fill the tub. The motor can usually spin the agitator both directions, including one in a high speed which pushes the water out of the clothes in the spin cycle. The fill valve is used to control the entry of both hot and cold water into the washer. Hot water usually makes colors bleed in clothes so is only usually used on whites.

The timer is one of these handy washing machine parts that allows the user to tell the washing machine how long to wash the clothes for and times how long each cycle will be. The selector switch or switches are knobs so the users can configure their wash. Washing machines also have a clutch on the motor so the motor doesn’t burn out when it first tries to start spinning a heavy load of clothes. Other washing machine parts are the brakes which are applied when the lid to the washing machine is opened. A washing machine brake works just like a car brake and slows the tub down quickly

Last but certainly not least is a belt or two which are used in conjunction with the motor. The belts have a secondary feature of being the part that is designed to break first so that you lose a two dollar belt instead of a $80 motor. Replacing washing machine parts is more cost-effective than replacing your whole washing machine.