You can almost always detect the wear of the rubber gasket on your Bosch washing machine by checking it visually. Most often, the damage of the gasket results in the most unpleasant affair: the washing machine begins to leak. The impracticable gasket lets in water, and it flows out from the door freely during the washing and rinse cycles. You can solve the problem by replacing the gasket of the hatch of the Bosch washing machine. Still, how to perform such a work, if you have never done anything like this? Let’s consider it.
How to disassemble the washing machine
You should start almost any repair of your Bosch washing machine by turning off the washer completely. Unplug the washer from the mains and turn off the water. In our case, you don’t need to disconnect the drain hose. Next, you need to pull out the washing machine a little forward to get access to the back of the housing. You need to disassemble the Bosch washing machine partially to replace the rubber gasket of the hatch of the door. First, remove the top cover.
- Take a hex screwdriver and remove the 2 screws located in the upper part of the back panel of the Bosch washing machine. They secure the top cover.
- Pull the cover and move it a little backward.
- Lift up the cover and put it aside.
Now you need to remove the control panel. First, remove the detergent drawer by pressing a special latch plate located above the rinse section. Then you need to remove the screws located on the left and on the right sides of the detergent drawer and at the end of the control panel. Then the panel should come off without any problems.
Do not forget about the wires of the control panel – be careful not to tear off anything. You’d better not disconnect them. Put the panel with the wiring on the top cover of the machine.
There is a narrow decorative panel covering an emergency drain hose and a garbage filter at the bottom of the front panel of the washing machine. Remove the panel. It hangs on special fasteners, so disconnect the panel gently trying not to damage the plastic latches. Next, open wide the door, put your fingers at the top edge of the gasket and find the spring clamp. Gently prize up the clamp with a screwdriver and remove the clamp with some effort. Now you can put the gasket into the drum.
Let’s get down to the removal of the front panel of the Bosch washing machine. First, remove the screws located near the lock assembly. Next, remove the screws located below the lint filter and emergency water drain hose. At last, remove the screw located above the door. Gently pull off the front panel after disconnecting the wiring of the lock assembly.
The rubber gasket of the Bosch washing machine is released. Now you can start removing the damaged part and then install a new gasket.
How to remove the rubber gasket of the hatch
The front counterweights of some Bosch washing machines clamp the edges of the gasket so tightly you cannot take out the gasket. If that is your case, you need to unscrew the counterweights and then remove the gasket.
Most often, the rubber gasket can be released without removing the counterweight. Use a screwdriver to pry off the second spring clamp located at the bottom of the gasket. Remove the gasket and the clamp. You can throw away the old damaged gasket but keep the clamps. We will use them again.
How to install a new part
It’s time to install the gasket. Get a new original gasket and check it for any defects. If it is intact, stretch the gasket onto the edge of the hatch. Note that there are three adjacent holes on the gasket. When stretching the gasket, the holes should be located at the bottom.
Take the spring clamp, which we have removed from the bottom of the old gasket previously, and stretch it on the bottom of the new gasket. Check the gasket to be placed all the way round and the clamp to tighten it at the bottom. The other name of this clamp is a locking ring.
If the gasket is seated and is not loose, you can start reassembling the Bosch washing machine. First, place back the front panel, connect the lock assembly and secure it with all the fasteners. Next, screw the control panel and put the detergent drawer in place. Return and fasten the top cover, and then put the decorative panel in place.
Next, return the spring clamp and check if it is seated. At last, push in the washer and reconnect it to the water and electricity supplies. The repair work is over.
As you can see, replacing the rubber gasket is a relatively simple repair work of the washing machine. It can be carried out without much difficulty by yourself, of course, if you follow some instructions.
Good luck!