I have used a bloke from Bromborough in the past, Acorn Domestics
sorry posted before I had finished typing 334 9109, 07840973481
I replaced my machine bearings myself from parts from Grange Eletrics, one of the hardest jobs I'd ever done; had to smash the old bearings out with a lump hammer and steel bar. The cost of getting an engineer out would have been more than the machine was worth, so it's best to consider if it's just cheaper to get a new one with warranty.
Mmmmm.. The main drum bearing on my machine is on the way out by the sound of it. On fast spin it sounds like a cement mixer on steriods!
I was dithering about having a go myself, but after reading Neil_c's post I might just run it until it grenades, then get a new one!
Thanks Neil_c !!
The bearings went on our machine and the drum slipped forward. All the clothes were shreaded, made plenty of cleaning clothes though :-) We also had a tumble drier whose bearings went, again drum fell forward and almost set on fire. Luckily the fuse blew.
this is the guide I used if you want to have a go yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zzy4d9uE5Qeverything has to come out of the machine (I mean EVERYTHING). took me about 2 hours. You have to be careful with the wiring going into the programmer.
the bearing kit was about £40.
A friend of mine found a cheap insurance policy on the net and the machine broke down the following day
you can get insurance for anything, just depends how much you'll end up paying out over the life of an appliance.
I personally think washing machine cover is a joke as you can pick a new one up for less than £200 with a year's warranty, but I understand that some make like the peace of mind.