Beko WDER7440421W Motor Not Turning the Drum

I have a Beko washer dryer WDER7440421W. Manufactured 2022-23. Initially problem – the appliance wouldn’t start a wash cycle. The drain pump was making strange noises when I started a cycle and no water entered the machine. I concluded that the drain pump was faulty and this was preventing the appliance from draining residual water before starting a new cycle. I took the existing drain pump apart. It was filthy – blocked with sludge. I cleaned it out and refitted it. No luck. So I replaced the drain pump and fitted the new one. New problem – I start a wash cycle. The appliance fills with water. The appliance then won’t turn the drum. It hangs for maybe 5 minutes before draining the water and switching off. (No error message on display.) I took the back off the device. The drive belt was attached to the pulley on the motor and the large pulley on the back of the drum. The belt would only turn by a fraction of a turn – with substantial resistance. I took the belt off the pulleys. Drum pulley spins on by hand. Pulley on the motor appears to not turn. I took the motor out, hoping to dismantle it to look at what was causing the pulley to jam. I can’t separate the motor into its two halves as the drive pulley is preventing the motor pieces from separating. How can I remove this pulley? Do I just need a new motor? Thanks!

Dickon Prior

Thank you for sending over the details and the video of your Beko WDER7440421W washer dryer.

I’ve taken a look at the symptoms and the schematics for your specific model and I have some important information regarding your motor.

First, a quick correction that might save you some time: the motor in your machine is a three-phase induction motor. Unlike older styles, this is a brushless motor controlled by a circuit board. You won’t find any carbon brushes to replace here.

Based on your description of the pulley jamming, it appears the bearings on the motor armature have seized.

You mentioned having trouble separating the motor halves. Unfortunately, many modern manufacturers now press these motors together in the factory. The drive pulley is fitted in a way that requires specialist industrial equipment to remove. In short, these motors are designed to be unserviceable, meaning you generally cannot replace the internal bearings yourself.

While a new motor for this model is relatively affordable (roughly £90), there is a catch. When a motor seizes or shorts out, it can sometimes blow the components on the main circuit board (PCB).

Before buying a new motor, you must ascertain if the circuit board is still sending power to the motor. If the board is damaged, you would need to replace both the motor and the PCB, which can make the repair very expensive.

Since the machine is only about 3 years old, it’s frustrating to see a failure like this. Here is what I suggest to keep costs down:

Search for a Donor Machine: Look on eBay or Facebook Marketplace for the same model number. You might find a machine with a different fault (like a broken door or drum) for £20–£40 that has a perfectly good motor and PCB.
Use Saved Searches: On eBay, use the Save Search button for your model number. They will email you the second one becomes available.
Check our site: We occasionally stock refurbished/second-hand motors which are much cheaper than new ones.

I have gathered the technical documents and guides relevant to your Beko WDER7440421W washer dryer below.

I hope this helps you get the machine back up and running without breaking the bank. It’s a shame these modern appliances aren’t built to last like they used to be, but with a bit of scavenging, we can usually beat the throwaway culture!

Best regards,