Bosch has stopped listing the WAW285H1UC, a 500 Series narrow washer with Home Connect and a drum of 2.2 cubic feet in a 23 1/2 inch body. The WAW family is the one that many apartments in dense city markets still run on, and about ten years in, nearly all of them show the same weakness.
It lies with the door boot seal, the rubber ring around the opening. It sits at the lowest point, so whatever drops out of a pocket collects there. After it splits, water escapes at the front instead of staying in the base. Coins and bra underwire also reach the pump and bend the impeller.
Years of fast spinning wear the drum bearing as well, and a rumble that climbs with spin speed points that way. On a visit we inspect the seal first, clear the pump, and listen to the bearing before telling you where the machine stands.
Start with the door boot seal. It tends to split at the bottom where debris gathers, and the leak appears at the front of the machine instead of underneath. A small tear can be hard to see.
A rumble that gets louder as the spin speeds up usually does. Before anything else we check the load balance and the feet, since those can mimic it. If it is the bearing, we explain the cost against the washer's value.
Often yes, since a seal costs far less than a new compact washer. We inspect the drum and bearing at the same visit so you can decide knowing the whole picture.
Book in about a minute, or call the desk. Same-day windows inside the Loop on most days, next-day across the rest of Houston.