Washing Machine Belt Needed

[RayFaye]

It's one of those simple clothes washing machines we see everywhere...4000baht tops new, this one called "Plasma" a 0.9kilo model.

The belt (there is only one) is stretched out. Tesco of course "no have" even though the same machine is still sold there. "Can you order" ??? "No can order."

I've been to two places with broken down kitchen/home machines of every variety taking up space, they "no have" and through a Thai translator, have no idea where to get parts. Yeah... right. And I suppose they won't sell me a used machine if I asked...

Of course, it might be that Thai's would rather (or have no other option) buy a new machine then fix an old one, but does anybody KNOW where to get belts?

No guess's please! I don't want to hear "Try Home Pro." Try Pumipat", or "Try Home Mart" or worse: "Try a car repair shop. Maybe they have a belt."

No, the belt is no where near car size.

I'd order one online, but knowing these type of machines aren't exported to USA, there most likely won't be any sites with parts for sale. When I order parts for my Makita tools, I go thru the USA, which even with shipping costs 1/2 as much and takes a week vs. ordering in Thailand, where it takes 2 months and costs at least twice as much. Sometimes four times as much.

But if there is a website for washing machine parts, I'd love to have a link.

Thanks in advance. Sorry for being so grumpy, but I've spent near a tank of fuel trying to track one down....

[John 1]

Don't go to a car repair shop go to the car part's shop nearly opposite dan auto's this place had a belt last time I required or if no luck another 500meters up the road from dan auto's going chaweng direction they carry belt's.

[RayFaye]

Thanks... I'll try that.

I've been to Dan's Auto to have my car frame number put onto scotch tape for the DMV... they said I HAD to go there. Ends up, one can find "connected" people very close to the DMV that do it....

[notmyself]

While you are waiting you could freeze it then let is thaw naturally. Not a long term solution but you should perhaps get another month or 2 out of it.

[RayFaye]

Freeze belts then thaw... never heard of that (tried googling but only found a similar technique for teflon "rings.")

I have heard that in a car emergency of broken belt, a ladies stocking can work for a while... that solution must have come from long ago when women actually wore them a lot. Today, maybe the fix would be good for closeted cross dressers, who could always keep nylons in the car and if their significant other says "What the heck are these here for" the answer would be "Emergencies, honey..."

[sbk]

We had this problem with a cheap no name brand one we bought at Makro in Surat. No parts. We went to our local applicance repair guy and he dug through his pile of parts left over from machines that couldn't be fixed and found a belt that fit. Last time we bought a cheap no name brand at Makro.

[Ackybang]

Hey, RayFaye - sorry to hear about your frustrations.

Might be stating the obvious, but usually, even no name brand machines will have a telephone number, or address of the manufacturer / supplier on them somewhere, or at least on the guarantee card - if you want the exact part, it's probably findable. If you can't find the details - go and ask the sales assistant who sells that particular machine - usually, the guys who sell the electrical goods in Tescos are separate entities, usually from different local companies, and the one who works the department from where you purchased is the one who can help you out, as he would have, or would be able to get details of the wholesaler, or company it came from, or look at the guarantee / booklet in a new machine.

If all else fails, open the machine up, and improvise. You might find the position of the motor is movable to take up the slack, or you might be able to fit a slightly bigger spool on the motor shaft - or wrap metal tape around both spools, to take up the slack. If the belt is smooth, and you can be arsed, you could actually get an old innertube, sand both sides to be adhered (belt and tube), and then split the tube into a definite thin length, and superglue it onto the inside of the belt, until it sits tight again, then trim off the excess. In terms of different size belts, you might have joy looking in a industrial building suppliers - someone who sells cement mixers, motors and the like - many of these types of suppliers have a large range of different size belts - how many inches are you talking about (length and width), and is it a grooved belt ? Probably Suratthani might be your best bet, as Samui is a little insular, and to drive there is to literally drive round in circles. Would definitely look on the net before you commit to anything, and waste time / fuel.

Good luck.

[notmyself]

Freeze belts then thaw... never heard of that (tried googling but only found a similar technique for teflon "rings.")

I have heard that in a car emergency of broken belt, a ladies stocking can work for a while... that solution must have come from long ago when women actually wore them a lot. Today, maybe the fix would be good for closeted cross dressers, who could always keep nylons in the car and if their significant other says "What the heck are these here for" the answer would be "Emergencies, honey..."

The old man told me about freezing when I was a kid. It causes the material to shrink (a little) and in doing so it resets the chemical bonds (some of them). I've done it a couple of times over the years and it does seem to work regardless of the reason why. Just have to keep in mind that it is not a fix, if anything it would have to be considered a cheat.

I too have heard about stockings but I'm not convinced to be honest. Seems to me that the material would be too smooth to be able to get any purchase.

[RayFaye]

"too smooth to get any purchase".... That word "purchase" makes me think you learned it from an old timer, probably long ago... won't see that word on twitter... Great ideas about the innertubes and using metal tape to make the diameter of the two wheels bigger. However, my first hit on the way to Manam happened at a great hardware store, wish I knew the name... it has a huge mango tree across the street that recently was butchered for the "new" drainage and "black road" improvement...it's near the old, closed Chevy dealer. Anyway, they had a 27" belt which worked really well.... that feeling when putting on a belt that if it was 1 millimeter smaller there would be no way it would fit. Thanks, everybody.

[notmyself]

"too smooth to get any purchase".... That word "purchase" makes me think you learned it from an old timer, probably long ago... won't see that word on twitter... Great ideas about the innertubes and using metal tape to make the diameter of the two wheels bigger. However, my first hit on the way to Manam happened at a great hardware store, wish I knew the name... it has a huge mango tree across the street that recently was butchered for the "new" drainage and "black road" improvement...it's near the old, closed Chevy dealer. Anyway, they had a 27" belt which worked really well.... that feeling when putting on a belt that if it was 1 millimeter smaller there would be no way it would fit. Thanks, everybody.

Much of the western world has become a throwaway society and has been for quite some time. As a result, the methodological process used to to determine the reason why something does not work is for the most part lost. One positive outcome of the financial problems much of the world is under is that people have become more likely to get an item fixed than to just buy a new one.

[sticky]

Just east of Dan Auto in Maenam directly across from the garden place there is an electrical repair shop. This guy is very good, speaks English and does washing machines I'm sure he can help you.

[wayned]

It has nothing to do with whether it was a “cheap” machine or not. It is caused by design and/or miss-use. There are two types of drive systems, belt and direct. Both types have their good and bad points.

In a direct drive system the agitator in the washer is connected directly to the output shaft of a motor through a transmission. No belts to wear out, but when it starts leaking, and it will, the motor burns up and is quite expensive. In the belt drive system, the agitator is connected through a transmission to the motor using a drive belt. They wear out with time just like belts on a car, especially, if you overload the machine or do not put enough water in it. The advantage is that they are very cheap, I pay 40 baht each.

I have a top of the line 12kg Panasonic machine and have replaced the belt at least 3 times in the last 4 years. My wife overloads it every time she washes.

The belts are measured in inches and the size should be printed on the outside of the belt. Mine uses size 265, which equates to 26.5 inches. If you can not read the size, use a string and wrap it around the pulleys and measure it where the ends meet.

I used to live in Chaweng and bought the belts at a hardware store near the market at the end of the lake, but that was years ago and I’m sure that it’s long gone. I now live in the sticks north of Bangkok, but most Ma and Pa hardware stores have them. If you can’t find one, show the guy at Dan Auto the belt and ask him where you can buy it. Buy more than one to avoid problems in the future. They’re easy to replace. There are also serrated belts available that dissipate the heat quicker and last longer.

[robsamui]

"too smooth to get any purchase".... That word "purchase" makes me think you learned it from an old timer, probably long ago... won't see that word on twitter... Great ideas about the innertubes and using metal tape to make the diameter of the two wheels bigger. However, my first hit on the way to Manam happened at a great hardware store, wish I knew the name... it has a huge mango tree across the street that recently was butchered for the "new" drainage and "black road" improvement...it's near the old, closed Chevy dealer. Anyway, they had a 27" belt which worked really well.... that feeling when putting on a belt that if it was 1 millimeter smaller there would be no way it would fit. Thanks, everybody.

Old-timer? - nah - we just have a grasp of the language.

Unable to get a purchase - come on man, get a grip!

R

Edited November 18, 2012 by robsamui

[RayFaye]

"too smooth to get any purchase".... That word "purchase" makes me think you learned it from an old timer, probably long ago... won't see that word on twitter... Great ideas about the innertubes and using metal tape to make the diameter of the two wheels bigger. However, my first hit on the way to Manam happened at a great hardware store, wish I knew the name... it has a huge mango tree across the street that recently was butchered for the "new" drainage and "black road" improvement...it's near the old, closed Chevy dealer. Anyway, they had a 27" belt which worked really well.... that feeling when putting on a belt that if it was 1 millimeter smaller there would be no way it would fit. Thanks, everybody.

Old-timer? - nah - we just have a grasp of the language.

Unable to get a purchase - come on man, get a grip!

R

Hold on, man, what you talkin' 'bout?