I have the Hotpoint VTD00 aquarius Tumble Dryer and noticed the drum wasn't spinning. When I took off the lid and side panel I noticed the snapped belt (CONTITECH 144002155 7PHE 1860).

My question is how do you fit the replacement belt. Do I approach from the front or the back of the dryer?

Any help is much appreciated.

Richard Smith, August 2008

Hello all, I have just changed the drive belt in my VTD00 by following what folk are suggesting above.

Google led me to this page so if anyone else is looking for same advice, please let me add a couple of things to make this SO EASY!

1) The replacement belt I received was almost twice the width of broken belt. This made it impossible to stretch to fit onto the motor spindle.

2) As above posts suggest, lay machine on front after taking off the top and sides. Lift cylinder off the door mount and slip belt underneath.

3) Now for the easy bit - stretching belt! Tilt cylinder off-axis, lift up and move towards the bottom of the machine. This reduces the distance the belt must be stretched to fit onto motor spindle.

4) Fit belt onto motor spindle and manoeuvre cylinder back onto door mount. The belt is now stretched a lot easier than stretching belt with fingers :-)

Just make sure the belt is roughly in line with motor spindle or it may come back off again (groves in belt should prevent this). Turn cylinder by hand to get it lined up before putting sides back on machine.

Also, take care not to lift machine off it's front before you put the sides back on and secure front to the rest of the chassis. Otherwise the cylinder will be dislodged again.

Simon, November 2013

I have replaced my belt but the wiring has come off the control panel.

which wires go where on the control panel?

richard, May 2012

Why are you all moaning at Hotpoint quality. The original belt on mine has snapped after 10 years hard service (I have three young children). I think if you open up most appliances they are all of a similsr ilk. Paying more doesn't allways get you better quality

Highwayman, April 2012

I have same problem with the belt snapping on inspection the poor quality rear bearing has worn through the shaft has sheared off too .
I have the new belt and a proper bearing ie: ball bearing with a housing for it to go in for about £8 ebay i removed the old rubbish bearing housing and lined up the new housing drilled two holes and bolted in place made up a new 12mm shaft got it all back together that was a year ago no problems since why Hotpoint could not do that in the first place .

Mart, March 2012

Don't bother, My hotpoint VTD00 is now on its 4th belt, they are utter rubbish, go out an buy yourself a German brand and expect to get at least 10 years out of it. Buy cheap, buy twice, I am sick of changing belts.

Dan from Worthing, November 2011

I've just tried and its a nightmare. I'm very practical but the build quality is absolute garbage. Hotpoint, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Bad quality bad design. I'll never buy Hotpoint ever if this is the quality they send out. Cheap and nasty worse then anything from China ever nows how to be. Razor sharp edges on metal gave me two deep cuts. Designed to throw away when the belt breaks. Even the independent white goods engineers try to avoid and really hate them. I'm now off to John Lewis to buy a Miehle. Buy cheap buy twice Not the first piece of Hotpoint kit which has proved to be a disaster in my house either.

Ashamed to see the made in Uk label on it. So full of fluff I'm surprised it didn't catch fire and burn the house down. Its now out in the garden ready to go down the rubbish tip.

Wake up Hotpoint or get out of the business. Indesit.... not what is expected from you as you own them

ACM, March 2011

Brilliant, I stretched the belt but on doing so realised I didn't need to.
1. Remove the top and rear panels including the spindle and wear bush, if the belt's gone you may as well replace this as well, trust me, I replaced the wear bush and re-assembled it then realised the belt needed replacing.........!
2. From the rear hook the belt around the motor shaft, leaving the rest of it outside the casing.
3. With the drum in place evenly put the belt back on the drum as though you're putting a tyre back on a bicycle wheel, you need three hands and three screw drivers.
4. Gently push the belt across the drum as you rotate it.
5. Before tightening all the screws make sure the heater fan isn't catching on the body work....Job done in about 75 minutes (ish)

Broders. (Lancashire), January 2011

HI folks same question really Ive changed the belt, but when it snapped it pulled aload of the control panel connecters out...I cant find a wiring diagram any where??? anyone any help??

Tristan H, November 2010

This is spot on:

remove side panel then rear shaft cover
straighten pin and remove
remove collar and pull back rear panel to allow drum shaft free into appliance
slip on belt feed around drum and re build
these belts are stretch belts and need alot of stretching to fit
stretch before fitting

The motor is on the right side so remove the right side panel (as you look at it from the front).

But while you're at it be sure to clear out as much lint as possible from between the inside front rim of the drum where it sits on the front panel cushioned rim. I think this was the reason for the belt snap, so much lint had built up over time it was obstructing the free movement of the drum and the belt was clearly burned through where the motor shaft was turning. Just like MJC60 said here.

By the way, the build of this machine is horrendous, it's always made scraping noises against the rear panel because of the poor design and it's shameful to read "Made in Great Britain" on the front.

Thanks to all for the tips with getting this done :)

DIY Everything, September 2010

im doing my one from the back. Lay your dryer on its front, some old sheets will protect it, WARNING please go carefull iv sliced 3 fingers trying to but the belt on. Not good girlfriend thanked me for fixin the drying but not happy about blood on the old sheets. Good luck if you need parts quickly and cheap go to ramsonspair.co.uk

drew, May 2010

I would agree with Lizzie. We have only had this dryer for 3 years and I could not believe how much fluff was inside it. I may be wrong but I stupidly assumed that a filter would stop the internals of the machine being clogged. This machine has a fundemental design fault in that fluff builds up to such a point that the drum becomes too stiff to rotate. The drive belt then just melts on the motor drive shaft and the belt falls off. All the seals have to be cleaned (taking the whole machine apart!) before you replace the belt otherwise the drive belt wil just melt and snap again. After seeing the tatty design and manufacture that Hot Piont supply you with (for £300) I would not by any of there products. Buy a Miele - designed to last 20yrs.

steve, May 2010

I found the reason for the belt failure in my particular case was the accumulation of lint between the drum and felt sealing ring which caused the drum to be very stiff on rotation, causing the drum to stall and the belt to burn through by friction against the motor shaft. Stripping and cleaning the unit with particular attention to the air seal felt ring at the front opening and also replacing the graphite shoe drum bearings (4off) cleared the rotation problem. Stretching the belt prior to fitting by standing inside it and pulling very hard then roataing 90 degrees and repeating a further three times was the solution to re-fitting (thanks to 'cha' for this tip!)

MJC60, March 2010

when you fit the new belt how do you stop it slipping off? I used a little grease on a piece of copper pipe to ease the new belt onto the motor spindle. Is it becasue of this. What other reasons can there be?

richard haynes, January 2010

Dont bother these machines are rubbish and there's only one place for them - the scrap yard!
Buy something other than a Hotpoint

Lizzie Hartley, September 2009

I've just had the same problem. I've removed the right side panel (as you look at the front of the machine) and top. I find that a torch shone on the insides will reveal how to take the unit apart. A hoover will also heldo remove all the crud from the inside of the machine. To remove the top (as someone else has asked the question), remove the two retaining screws and slide the top off - from front to back. The next step I have done is to loosen off the entire front section so that the belt can be fitted from the front of the drum and then onto the spindle. This can be done by popping off the front bottom panel using a straight head screwdriver (you'll need to do this to take the side panel off anyway). The control panel has a retaining screw and positioning plastic parts so be careful with that. That's as far as I have got as it's Sunday and I have to get the replacement belt tomorrow. Care will need to be taken to ensure that I allign the drum and the air vent pipe correctly before reassembling. Good luck!

Edward, August 2008

hi
remove side panel then rear shaft cover(small square about fag box size two screws)
straighten pin and remove
remove collar and pull back rear panel to allow drum shaft free into appliance
slip on belt feed around drum and re build
these belts are stretch belts and need alot of stretching to fit
stretch before fitting

cha, August 2008