Hotpoint Condensing Dryer NOT SPINNING Repair Video

Yet AGAIN my Hotpoint tumble dryer has broken, this time it was just before Christmas YIPPEE!!!! I managed to bodge it up to get through the Christmas period, but now I need to actually repair it.
The model is a Hotpoint Aquarius TCFS93 and it is not spinning, but it is heating up.
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Remember that this is just for entertainment and I am not an expert in these repairs. The processes in the video may not be the best way, the correct way or the safest way to fix these things. I do love fault finding and trying to fix broken things, so I hope that comes across in this 'Trying to FIX' series. Many thanks, Vince.

[@TharkysOlafson]

The "tools are somewhere else" problem is common for me as well. This is why I have a separate toolbox for my in-home repairs. It includes a hammer, a couple of adjustable wrenches, pliers, vise-grips, and a ratcheting screwdriver with socket bits. This way, I can do repairs around the house without having to send a search party to locate Schroedinger's socket (it both exists and doesn't exist in my house somewhere).

[@Mymatevince]

😂👍

[@neilfoster814]

I have the same thing, a "home" toolkit including 1/4" drive sockets etc, and an "elsewhere" toolkit for everything else. Schroedinger's socket is always the 10mm out of ANY socket set!

[@MrMaxeemum]

I'm still running a 30+ year-old Hotpoint washing machine and it has never let us down, we get cold callers asking if we would like our boilers and kitchen equipment insured for service and breakdown which I never do, it always makes me laugh when I tell them the washing machine make and model, They quickly say oh no we can't cover that nobody makes parts for it. It doesn't need parts, it never breaks down hence I don't need insurance.🤣 It's surprising to see just how cheaply made they are now, I really hope I can keep mine going for a few more years.

[@gregoryking9348]

To get the belt on the idler removed the rear fastener, leave the front one loose, rotate the pulley assembly counter clockwise to get the belt over the pulley, then use a big screwdriver against the frame and the pulley to rotate it back up until the screw hole lines up. Easier said than done but that's what the service manual for my (different brand dryer) said to do. It was still a pain in the butt though. 😂

[@davewilson2405]

i have done it that way or you can use the old belt to pull it over the idler

[@DyoSurfAndRide]

Or you can leave the rear bushing loose until you fit the belt then do up the bushing? Nonetheless I was cringing for 2 minutes for sure.

[@pikricky]

Yep,that's why the bracket has a right angle bend that slots into the motor housing,when you lever it up to line up the rear bolt hole the hook holds the bracket in place till you tighten the bolt with less tension

[@frankbing1]

lol… I was screaming at the TV saying the exact same thing.

[@AcornElectron]

I use my small speedclamp reversed. Use it for washing machine seal rings too.

[@OrionCrazyCarl]

As someone who does them virtually all day for a living, that wasn't to hard to watch !some tips , pre stretch the belt before you stick it round the drum, tent peg puller to get it over the pulley.The white pulleys last longer as they have a bearing rather then a bronze bush,good work mate 👍🏻

[@thejoyoffix4720]

Thanks for the video. FYI: The clip is called a double wire hose clamp which is retaining the squirrel cage.

[@FarLuminos]

First of all, I LOVE your Brit accent that includes silly funny words and sentences which yeah… most brits are using. Then second, you just make it so simply to understand even for a non English speaker. Well done mate. Thanks for being here for us. 👍 Next time show us how to fix computerised sewing machines. I know, That alone is like a life job on its own 😄 Or perhaps electric radiators. Good job.

[@sn_all_test]

hey vince.. you should have put one screw loosely on and position the tensioner under the belt, then raise the tensioner with the belt in place and put the other screw in (the way you took it out in reverse).

[@quanchyplimp]

Vince @6:36 that is a hose clip, someone has probably already said this but i couldn't be bothered to scroll through the comments. I used to repair white goods with my dad some decades ago.

[@sluggerbaloney9737]

MyMateVince home repair videos are my favorite videos on the internet. Make more of them!

[@waynejones1576]

Hotpoint engineers and myself use a tool supplied by Hotpoint takes about 2 seconds if that to put belt over the jock pulley/belt tensioner , also you need to check with Hotpoint that its had the safety modification done to TRY and stop it going on fire, should see a rivet looking at the back inside the drum also if its been done should have a small round green label on the model label at rear or front. I Didn't notice either.

[@TheSkaldenmettrunk]

Perfect fix and a win win win situation. You don't have to pay a repair technician or buy a new one, earn money with the video and the best part: others can learn from you and do the same.

[@BuyitFixit]

Great Job Vince👍. Those belt tensioners are a common point of failure. Those after-market rollers with bearings seem a lot better than the originals which were just a brass bush. I did pretty much the exact same with out tumble dryer in a video a while back. Later I did replace the belt and the heater (as it failed), but I got a bit carried away and stripped it down totally to the plastic base and cleaned pretty much every single piece of thing. I did a quick short on that called "tumble dryer mission creep" lol. Great job as always.

[@mrbussey]

I came to add my 2 cents on how to do the belt easier next time, but looks like someone beat me to it! I have worked on a number of dryers in my time, but the pully had tension by a spring which was much easier! The downside on them was to remove the belt you had to remove the front panel of the machine. Of course these was much older. No idea any more!! Another fine fix! Thanks, Vince!

[@pmsrodrigues]

Hotpoint (Whirlpool), has had it in quality terms. Had my second home back in native country renewed just before the pandemics, and chose them for all appliances, and not the cheapest of the range models either. The fridge never got any action, but still broke and required an expensive 3rd party since the warranty had gone off due to said pandemics. The microwave broke the lock mechanism. The dishwasher saw at most 10 uses and the water sensor broke and had to be replaced. The induction plate started whining loudly and had to be serviced. My last visit was in December, and found the lid lock mechanism in the washing machine was clicking and not working. Every time I visit, and that is around three times a year, there is something broken. What joy. 😁

[@robinjones6999]

Dont want to sound smug, but we always get Bosch bottom of the range and rarely a problem

[@pmsrodrigues]

@@robinjones6999 funny that but Bosch is what I will be looking at next time.

[@BrainHurricanes]

@@robinjones6999 I think expensive doesn't mean quality anymore. About 7y ago I bought the cheapest dryer (candy or something, weird name), was like 150eur. Still going strong. Only opened it up to clean, but wasn't realy dirty.

[@markpirateuk]

Hotpoint is now crap, I have repaired my dryer 3 times now, will never buy another, the thing is made from razor sharp tin & horrible to work on!

[@599miata]

Excellent repairs, Vince.👍👍

[@markshellard5894]

Perfect timing for a teatime fix 👌🏻 also you put more effort into repairing washing machines than hotpot themselves

[@DarcAngel77]

I remember i bought a Hotpoint washing machine in 1997 and lasted me till 2016, only reason i got rid was my wife wanted a newer one, but thats when they were quality machines, really gone down hill since then our replacement broke within 3 yrs then got a whirlpool ( not knowing it was hotpoint) and that has started making a grinding noise after 20months.

[@coondogtheman]

Awesome fix Vince. It's much better to fix something than throw it out and buy new. I have this teenie tiny greenhouse you put plants in and you plug it in and it warms them. Well it fell and the plastic top on it broke so 10 feet of shipping tape later all fixed. It's in ugly shape but it looks like a greenhouse again.

[@tonibonbonii]

Ahhh nothing better than some sweet cranberry tea while watching the blue hoodie man fix stuff

[@cjmarsh504]

I haven't heard a Hotpoint brand in a while. I remember my father taking apart a dryer to replace the belt. We had a brand called "Speed Queen" growing up.

[@TheCod3r]

Hope you had a great Christmas Vince. Good to see you back 🎉

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks Phil, January was a slow month for me for uploads, but hopefully Feb will be better. Hope your keeping good buddy

[@JohnnyMotel99]

About hanging washing in the winter, it's my experience that so long it's breezy and around 10C, the clothes will dry to a point where ironing is perfect.

[@quantumleap359]

My GE gas dryer uses a skinny belt like this but uses a spring loaded idler pulley on the slack side of the belt. Put the belt on, there is a place on the idler bracket to put a screwdriver in to lever the pulley down to enable you to put the belt around the pulley. Hotpoint and GE are sister companies, but it looks like the later models changed things around a bit. Good video Vince!

[@norbertdupond8948]

You can feel the tension in this video 😂!!!!!

[@Falconurbex]

Quick heads up bro whenever u change a old belt for a new 1 u should always soak it for 10 mins in boiling water its helps with it stretching to get it back over the pulley

[@DainSmart-vm7pc]

Good idea mate would a hair dryer work in that certain are where the pulley is?

[@ralphmans]

I’ve worked on dryers where the idler wheel bracket is spring loaded to keep tension on the belt.

[@brutlern]

Welcome back, Vince. Hope you had a nice chill holiday.

[@ianbuchanan149]

well done Vince

[@paulsengupta971]

I have an indoor drying rack where I dry my clothes. I usually warm and tumble them a bit in the dryer first though so they're not creased. In the summer I put the drying rack out on the patio.

[@rondickson1491]

Another interesting video to see what’s inside a dryer. Great fix. Best wishes from the USA!!

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

I have the same machine only in white... video bookmarked for when the time comes to replace the pulley in mine 🙂 - Excellent video Vince

[@fellucio]

I repair laundry equipment for a living. The belt is stretchy and the best way to get it onto the pulley is to get it around the drum and the motor spindle, then sit on the floor with your feet on the drum or the side of the front and back panels to stop the dryer from sliding on the floor, then pull the belt as hard as you can with your hands. Turn the belt slightly and then stretch again. Repeat several times, and you should be able to create enough stretch/slack in the belt to put it onto the pulley with your hands. You'll need to get the belt onto the bottom of the pulley and then turn the drum to get it fully on. You probably won't get it the first time, but it definitely does work. Depending on the age of your Hotpoint dryer, it's also worth checking the internet to make sure that it is not on the recall list. That foam ring on the inside of the back panel gathers fluff, and sometimes that fluff was dropping off, landing on the heater and burning people's houses down. For a while they were modifying the dryers by putting a rivet through the back of the drum which lines up with the foam ring to stop fluff from settling on it, but I have seen and heard that modified dryers were also catching fire. They then started a replacement program instead. The same applies to Indesit dryers. Same company, same dryers, different badge. Whirlpool owns both brands now, so the new dryers should be safe. With ANY dryer be certain to clean the filter inside the door after every single use and clean the condenser once a month. You need to be able to see through the back of the condenser to the front without obstruction.

[@keithnsearle7393]

Oh I do remember fixing my tumble dryer when I had one. I had to get rid of it because of the weight, I had the dryer onto top of the washing machine, and because I am not getting any younger I got rid of the washing machine too and replaced both with a combo washer and dryer combined, a much better choice for me. I still like fixing the stuff when it breaks down though.

[@ralphj4012]

Good fix. Disappointing replacement part quality (as you say), ideally requires a double bearing and a spring tensioner. I live in a posh neighbourhood and other people's knickers are a regular sight.

[@antononononon]

Love your videos, you do motivate me to take a crack at fixing electronics big and small around the house. Even though it’s not my major or my job. It’s an amazing skill and a great mindset! Thank you so so much!

[@dimitarlazarov2094]

It's spinning and spinning It's unbelievable It's all so quiet... Mate, knowing your phobia of charged tiny caps in power supply units, I'm really surprised how confidently you rest your right hand on that big aluminium round thingy. 😅 Keep up the good work...

[@JTech625]

This video just reminded me that my dryer is still held together with a ratchet strap because i broke the clips that hold the front panel on when i opened it to realign the drum probably 3 years ago.

[@bobbybailey9204]

Great work Vince well done

[@griswold67]

Well done Vince!

[@mrjsv4935]

Nice fix :) Reminded me from my old top loading washing machine, which also dropped the belt from the big drum pulley. It didn't have the tensioner pulley though. I wondered why mine did that, but the answer came a bit later, the drum bearing probably was already loose, creating play to the drum, and finally failed catasrophically during spin cycle :D Replaced the entire machine after that disaster.

[@lookoutleo]

I do that repair hundreds of times and that's exactly how to do it. I use a much bigger screwdriver and if it's condenser version you take the cover and fan off to make more space. Exactly same as you did. You need to check the teardrop bearing in the back shaft and the nylon bearings at the front

[@christopherrowell3777]

Imagine your wife just wanted new stuff but you just keep fixing everything 😅

[@JamesPotts]

Nothing blocks impeller pumps like baby socks! Since my son outgrew them, we've had 12 years of blissful non-clogged washing machine.

[@macmike2]

Hi Vince-Think you were lucky to survive this one-You kept touching thst BIG capacitor...need I say more!!

[@marjon1703]

My heart went out to you struggling to get the belt on the pulley. If you drop the drum off the rollers or sliders (depending on model,) at the front of the machine, it gives you just enough slack to install the belt without much struggle.

[@BloodAsp]

22:08 You nearly got a nasty zap off of that capacitor, be careful mate!!! idk if those have bleeder resistors in them or not, but please do be careful! I used to work on large machine electronics, and the first thing I did was always tell myself, "Okay stupid, these are the danger points, DON'T DOUCH!" among other things, even if it wasn't live.

[@Longplay_Games]

Great fix!

[@anthonydenn4345]

Nice job in the end Vince. But you had it here 19:06 That's the way to put the belt on. The bit sticking out of the pulley bracket will help hold it in place.

[@jahanzebanees8283]

amazing stuff vince

[@danieladam86]

Dude that pully you replaced is actually belt tensioner. You only tighten it after you put the belt I place. You do have golden hands, but sometimes you have me screaming at the tv :)

[@adamcaldwell1967]

Keeps on spinning , not bad for a 2015 dryer only a pulley replacement needed. 👍🏼

[@petersmith5199]

Done hundreds of those before I retired. The belts are called Polyvee stretch belts and are about 4 inches too short to keep them from slipping. I defy anyone to stretch them more than an inch! The drum is under huge tension even without a load and, as a result the back bearings and belts were always kept on my van,

[@themlotproductions]

As always, really enjoyed watching this, but my concern for you touching that huge capacitor was great.

[@nopnop9090]

please make sure to discharge the big capacitor before working in that area of the machine ☝️

[@arjanspit7887]

On my dryer I had to undo the screws of the motor to get the belt into place. Two screws on the side where you filming. On the side of the drum it was hooked in place. After it was easy to get the belt in place.

[@AJComputerServicesUK]

I’ll never forget the one time back in the 90’s when I went into the Kitchen when I was living in a different flat to the one I’m in now and noticed that the Drum on my Washing Machine wasn’t spinning, I took the top off & noticed the belt had come off, I looked at the plug in the Wall and spotted that the Switch was ON, Thought I’ll be ok and how wrong was I, It Zapped me, The Shock caused my hands to grasp and I couldn’t Shout, Scream, Cry or Pray & I had a Female Friend who was in the Bedroom at the Time, Their was plenty of Electric in the Meter & that wasn’t going to go any time soon, Plus their was no such thing as RCD’s back then as far as I know but not sure if they would have helped anyway, I’m not sure how or why but I did get released & can only put it down to Divine Intervention, I always make sure that things like that are Unplugged now & I’m always wary of Capacitors etc!

[@TheRabit11]

Love these videos

[@ktaragorn]

Wow I am surprised you got the belt on that way, without breaking something in that area with the amount of force.. I wonder if that hook you saw is to help with this, and you get the belt on first and do the pulley up later.. Might be easier as you dont need to stretch it over the lip of the pulley.

[@Mrxsara2001]

Is that another belt and pulley I see at the front of the drum?! Well done for fixing this.

[@TrueBrit1]

Great work Vince. Can you pop over and have a look at the missus, as she's not working anything like she used to. Cheers.

[@briancoulomb]

I found it ironic that the length of this video was the same amount of time (28 min) that Sears would figure per service call in my route when I serviced appliances early in my HVAC career. The stress of having 10-12 calls on equipment ranging from furnaces, boilers, air conditioners, water heaters, refrigerators, water softeners and small appliances like ranges, washers and dryers was brutal. I did it for a year before moving on to commercial / industrial HVAC service. It has its own stresses and challenges for sure but the rat race of going from one residence to another and dealing with angry customers while watching the minutes tick by is something I don’t miss. I learned a lot about appliances though and still use those skills to repair my own. The crazy part is that the only training I received was on the job and every appliance is a bit different. Like Vince did here, I had to figure out how things came apart and went back together on the fly. Cheers Vince!

[@M1LAD81]

I think when spending hotpoint equivalent money, Zanussi was tops in terms of parts build quality. I'm not sure about their build quality now though. Our dryer has to be about 15+ years old and the only thing I replaced recently was the belt as the old one had deteriorated and had managed to wrap itself around the motor's shaft. Luckily I noticed an odd running sound from the dryer and turned it off and inspected it. The drum was barely rotatable. So far my Bosch washer is running ok as well and recently the only thing I needed to replace on it was motor carbon brushes as the old ones were worn to the point the machine was flashing up error on its display.

[@howardwood2211]

Great video, how many obscenities were edited out while putting the belt on?

[@clivebradshaw5520]

The name of that spring clip is called a "Corbin clip"

[@Tokaisho1]

Good job

[@peetasmith4403]

Did this on my dryer last month a snapped belt. No pulley but needed a huge screwdriver. The actual cause was fluff build up between the drum and front door runner. This resistance caused the belt to snap. Recommended hovering out every year or two.

[@petersmith5199]

All that lint build up is the reason they catch fire so well!

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

It's odd that there wasn't a tension pully - most of the dryers I've worked on you only have to pry the pully down releasing the belt tension and then you can slide it off. I guess somethings are made to a price point these days. Also I would replace the belt since you have a new one then keep the old one as a spare if the new one fails - kudos on doing so. Split pins where something has lots of wear - like on a car axel should be replaced on something like this not that big of a deal ;-)

[@DEmma1972]

Nice. I might have to this to ours in the next few weeks. Thinking if the 2 bolts for the roller, only attach 1 and loop the belt around and then attach the second bolt?

[@mehere8299]

To dry clothes outdoors it has to be warm and dry, and in addition it helps if you have clean air and a secure yard. Canadians are usually flabbergasted by Brits who don't own a clothes dryer; a dryer is an absolute necessity, even more so than a washer. Clothes will mildew before they dry if hung up indoors in a tightly built and well-insulated house, and don't even think of trying to hang them outdoors with wet hands in -30°C weather; you'd lose fingers to frostbite!

[@dodgydruid]

I do remember the two lines oddity of your area m8, when I lived in a council place in North Watford it had two sets of washing lines running parallel down the concrete path hooked onto twin cast iron posts with a pulley on the house end, quite long too and my uncles place in Shaftesbury Road more in the centre of town he always commented about having a double washing line but he now lives in the Alms houses off the high street so washing lines do not occur there as everything is a dryer lol

[@discocrisco]

Oh no! Step mom is stuck in the dryer again!

[@ComputerTechNL]

Fun to watch 😊

[@abdulhkeem.alhadhrami]

"Watch me struggle" that's exactly why i came to watch!

[@user-xn2uz5dy4u]

I love your videos

[@A.J.Collins]

Cheers!

[@shanesstuff1321]

Hi Vince From Brisbane Australia, i would like to know if you would do a video on your setup please as im keen to get some gear as im starting out and wanting to learn myself, im a retired Soldier looking to get some new skills and i have been binge watching your videos an i am very keen to do this myself, keep up the great work your mate shane from down under

[@vwgolffancarreviews7111]

Disclaimer don't coppy you see in the video is unplugged and it can still have electric still in the power supply washing lines are good for the saving environment love the video Vince can't wait to see a new video on the RR 😁 it might be time to get a new one if any thing goes rong again I would love to sport you but I don't like patron so I just subscribe to sport you

[@nhand42]

I didn't know what you meant by a "ULEZ charge" so I looked it up and good gracious that's awful.

[@thecassetteconverter]

Google 'Ulez Bladerunners'....UK hero's....

[@tonywright6732]

It is a pain in the backside (and wallet) but it is for a good reason in the long run

[@davidstevens3355]

Just slacken off the pulley fixings a bit to give a little more wobble room when fitting the belt 👍

[@azmoz1321]

I was just about to berate you Vince for not having a second tool kit at home , but then I got to thinking , just shows you can repair stuff with a limit tool kit :-) Also very good practice to vacuum out the inside of the machine / trapped lint / fluff and cause fires My dryer also went over Christmas , belt snapped :-( the ZANUSSI deign uses a big spring to pull the motor down and give the belt it’s tension Health and safety time white goods are made from thin steel and can have razor shape edges inside , not to mention the large motor capacitor Great video Vince :-)

[@alastairmackay4589]

Gives me the confidence to do such a job and save a £200 call out charge! 👌

[@dany-ps2my]

Last time i worked on my Samsung dryer replacing an overtemp switch i put the belt on backwards, didn't spin with a load in it, had to take it all back apart, lesson learned lol

[@andersmmvfc.8376]

Dryers are really simple, it feels like it would be a more fancy way of drying 👖 pants soon , like freez drying machine 3000 mach 2, totally uktra silent, so it can become mandatory to men to do waching. Thank for a good entertaining video!

[@CD_Player_91]

The most long term solution I can come up with for a pully wheel is to have someone CNC You a pully wheel out of Aluminum with space for stainless steel skateboard bearings.

[@Lefistou]

By the way, great appearance on Elliott’s video from the Retro Future, Vince!

[@haggismcstev]

You put the rear bolt in half way put the belt on the pully and pull the pully towards you hooking the pully into the motor [reason for the hook] then that gets you to a point where you can put the second bolt in and tighten both bolds up you should also replace the rear barrel bracket too as if you hold it up you will see the ware and if that goes your machine is toast if the shaft gets ware.

[@ellisgarbutt1925]

Nice tea break fix there Vince but you made your life difficult you should of installed the belt around the pully before bolting it in place

[@clivewitney3557]

It's easier to lever the drum back in place so i would put the belt on before repositioning and fitting the rear bearing.

[@MrBuck295]

Good job Mate Not wanting to doubt you but is it possible that on your first repair you inadvertently bent the tab on the back of the idler pulley not realizing that it was there Secondly if you ever have to replace the drive belt again start with the belt on the drum and place the belt on the far end of the motor shaft ,past the idler and work the belt onto the pulley while pushing it up and over wile rotating the drum

[@Thomsen77]

Good job. But the thing that scared me the most, was how close your hand was to that big capacitor. 😳

[@Phiyedough]

I think I used to put the belt on before I got the rear drum spindle into the back panel. That way you can get a bit more slack.

[@barryjackson2351]

you need to use the old belt and loop it around new belt near the pulley and its easy to just pull new belt over pulley ,no sweat involved

[@tiporari]

The original failure was a crack in the plastic pulley. It loosened things up. Your biscuit tin acted like a wedge closing the gap. The crack spread and the pulley failed the rest of the way. Mcmaster and other suppliers offer pulleys, bearings and all the bits you need to create a permanent fix. Just need some calipers and a credit card. You are right to note the eccentric load on the pulley. A proper pulley will have either a full width bearing, or two bearings.

[@meetoo594]

I had to do the belt replacement on my hotpoint a while back, there was blood. Got the screwdriver head under the belt and put the top of it on top of the pulley wheel and forced the wheel round whilst levering the belt with all my strength. Belt went on, screwdriver kinda took a ride on the wheel and straight into the hand I was rotating the wheel with. Bloody things are a nightmare to get on lol.

[@tonywright6732]

It's not a proper project until you've added a bit of blood!

[@marcellipovsky8222]

Oh Vince, you re one of the most careful people I know, but this time you almost messed up. The big Cap could give you one hell of a nasty shock while you were "fumbling" around it. It could event kill you. Please, don't do that next time mate. 😱😱😱

[@Yorkie0362]

Hadn't appreciated how simple a dryer would be, literally a drum with a belt round it

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

If you were in Germany you'd have the tool needed to get the belt over the pully - apparently most German households have shoehorns and that would allow you to slip the belt over the pully ;-)

[@midgoog2]

Watching you struggle with putting the belt back on I couldn't help but wonder why not just remove the rear mounting bolt and slip the belt on the pulley and replace the bolt? Eric

[@PaulRansonArt]

Look out for dehumidifiers with washing mode. They're way cheaper to run overnight. 😄😄

[@StevenIngram]

This is an instance where I think that 3D printing a pully of the right size that accepted a ball bearing would have been a superior solution to either the original part or the replacement. :)