Comments on: Front Loading Washer Corrosion Contagion: A Menagerie of Metallic Misery http://fixitnow.com/wp/2009/10/28/front-loading-washer-corrosion-contagion-a-menagerie-of-metallic-misery/ Your appliance repair weapon of mass instruction for all your appliance repair needs! Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:20:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David F http://fixitnow.com/wp/2009/10/28/front-loading-washer-corrosion-contagion-a-menagerie-of-metallic-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-27759 David F Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:36:41 +0000 http://fixitnow.com/wp/2009/10/28/front-loading-washer-corrosion-contagion-a-menagerie-of-metallic-misery/#comment-27759 As a further thought on what the corrosion of these spiders can do I offer the following suggestion. Where have you seen the words 'Aluminium Oxide' before? Could it be on the rear of a piece of orange coloured paper, course on one side, sometimes called 'sandpaper'? The corrosion of these spiders causes the formation of, amongst other things, aluminium oxide, the same as is used in 'sandpaper'. Just think what that, in suspension, in the washing water could do to the soft lips of the shaft seal, and when it gets into the bearings it will also add to the corrosive action of the water leading to the demise of said rotating parts. As a further thought on what the corrosion of these spiders can do I offer the following suggestion.
Where have you seen the words ‘Aluminium Oxide’ before? Could it be on the rear of a piece of orange coloured paper, course on one side, sometimes called ‘sandpaper’?
The corrosion of these spiders causes the formation of, amongst other things, aluminium oxide, the same as is used in ‘sandpaper’. Just think what that, in suspension, in the washing water could do to the soft lips of the shaft seal, and when it gets into the bearings it will also add to the corrosive action of the water leading to the demise of said rotating parts.

]]> By: Samurai Appliance Repair Man http://fixitnow.com/wp/2009/10/28/front-loading-washer-corrosion-contagion-a-menagerie-of-metallic-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-27667 Samurai Appliance Repair Man Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:52:23 +0000 http://fixitnow.com/wp/2009/10/28/front-loading-washer-corrosion-contagion-a-menagerie-of-metallic-misery/#comment-27667 Domo for enriching this post with your comments, David! Domo for enriching this post with your comments, David!

]]> By: David F http://fixitnow.com/wp/2009/10/28/front-loading-washer-corrosion-contagion-a-menagerie-of-metallic-misery/comment-page-1/#comment-27657 David F Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:30:17 +0000 http://fixitnow.com/wp/2009/10/28/front-loading-washer-corrosion-contagion-a-menagerie-of-metallic-misery/#comment-27657 I do not believe that the corrosion shown in the photographs is due to galvanic action. Should it be galvanic action then the majority of the corrosion would be at the junction of the stainless steel and the aluminium i.e. at the ends of the spider arms. I have seen no photographs where this is the case. Additionally the shaft of the spider is steel, this is more ‘noble’ than any of the grades of stainless steel and galvanic corrosion would therefore be most severe at the junction of this shaft and the aluminium of the spider. Aluminium is corroded when immersed in an aqueous solution with a pH value above about 8.0. All detergents have to be above about 8.0 or they would not work. The Material Safety Data Sheets put out by Proctor and Gamble state that the pH for one of the liquid ‘Tides’ is 8.0 and for one of the ‘Tide’ powdered detergents as 11.0. Bleach, (sodium hypochlorite) is also very corrosive to aluminium. I should add that for corrosion of the spider to take place these levels are considerably above the levels found in a washing machine during the wash/rinse phases of the cycle. On the spider removed from one of our Frigidaire built Kenmore machines I have measured the diameter of the spider, at the outer surfaces of the recesses close to the centre, it is 3.563 inches. At 1,000 rev/min this equates to a speed, at this point, of 10.6mile/hour. I do not believe that this is sufficient to throw all of the water out of theses recesses at the end of even the fastest spin cycle. This remaining water will contain very, very small percentages of the laundry aids used, soil from the ‘dirty’ laundry, and chemicals from the ‘tap’ water. At this point no damage has occurred, and will not for some time afterwards i.e. until sufficient of the water has evaporated to allow the pH of the remaining mixture to rise above the threshold at which corrosion will occur. In addition to the possibility of corrosion of the aluminium and steel described above any trapped water, even deficient in corrosion causing chemicals, will still contain remnants of soil. This I believe will lead to the formation of mould, mildew and very offensive odours. This, I believe, explains how one apparently common complaint is caused, the corrosion, and gives an, at least partial reason, for the many complaints of mold, mildew and foul odours. I do not believe that the corrosion shown in the photographs is due to galvanic action. Should it be galvanic action then the majority of the corrosion would be at the junction of the stainless steel and the aluminium i.e. at the ends of the spider arms. I have seen no photographs where this is the case. Additionally the shaft of the spider is steel, this is more ‘noble’ than any of the grades of stainless steel and galvanic corrosion would therefore be most severe at the junction of this shaft and the aluminium of the spider.

Aluminium is corroded when immersed in an aqueous solution with a pH value above about 8.0. All detergents have to be above about 8.0 or they would not work. The Material Safety Data Sheets put out by Proctor and Gamble state that the pH for one of the liquid ‘Tides’ is 8.0 and for one of the ‘Tide’ powdered detergents as 11.0. Bleach, (sodium hypochlorite) is also very corrosive to aluminium. I should add that for corrosion of the spider to take place these levels are considerably above the levels found in a washing machine during the wash/rinse phases of the cycle.
On the spider removed from one of our Frigidaire built Kenmore machines I have measured the diameter of the spider, at the outer surfaces of the recesses close to the centre, it is 3.563 inches. At 1,000 rev/min this equates to a speed, at this point, of 10.6mile/hour. I do not believe that this is sufficient to throw all of the water out of theses recesses at the end of even the fastest spin cycle. This remaining water will contain very, very small percentages of the laundry aids used, soil from the ‘dirty’ laundry, and chemicals from the ‘tap’ water. At this point no damage has occurred, and will not for some time afterwards i.e. until sufficient of the water has evaporated to allow the pH of the remaining mixture to rise above the threshold at which corrosion will occur.

In addition to the possibility of corrosion of the aluminium and steel described above any trapped water, even deficient in corrosion causing chemicals, will still contain remnants of soil. This I believe will lead to the formation of mould, mildew and very offensive odours.

This, I believe, explains how one apparently common complaint is caused, the corrosion, and gives an, at least partial reason, for the many complaints of mold, mildew and foul odours.

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