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A
GUIDE TO WASHING MACHINE REPAIRS
Provided
below is a help list to enable the owner of a washing machine to
decide for themselves if professional assistance is required.
Remember all machines can be a danger to work on. Do not undertake
any work on your machine without taking the proper precautions,
i.e.; making sure the machine is properly disconnected from both
the electrical and water supply before any work begins, and that
you are competent to undertake the repair.
General
Faults
Dead
machine
Dead but hums quietly.
Fills with water when not in use.
Fuse blows.
Leaking when in use.
Leaking when not in use.
Machine jumps about.
Machine overfilling or leaking
Noisy when spinning
Not pumping out. Machines with filters.
Not pumping out. General advice.
Smoke inside the drum.
The drum does not rotate.
The door doesn't open.
Timing mechanism sticks in one place.
Dead machine.
You find the machine is apparently stone dead. Is there power to
the machine?. Ensure the door is completely closed. Check the control
knob is pulled out or that the on/off switch is on. Try a few different
programs.
Dead Machine that hums quietly.
Is there a humming sound? Check you have the hot and cold water
supply turned on. Check the water inlet hoses are not kinked.
Not
pumping out. Machines with filters.
Don't remove the filter prior to draining unless you want a massive
flood! Try laying the waste hose close to the floor into a suitable
receptacle. If this isn't possible look to the front of the machine
behind the kick plate or plinth, for a small black drain hose which
should do the same job. Once the machine is drained take a look
at the filter and if blocked removed the culprit, if not blocked
call in professional help.
Not
pumping out. General advice.
There are three main possibilities here. Firstly there may be a
blockage that is stopping the water from flowing. Secondly there
may be an item stuck in the pump chamber. Lastly the pump itself
may be seized up. On machines that have their waste pipe connected
under the kitchen sink it is always worth checking that the plumbing
is not blocked with fat or lint at this junction. Check for kinking
of the waste hose, this may of course release itself if you pull
the machine forward. As for blockages and obstructions inside the
machine itself it would be difficult to give any real guidance,
as there are so many models. If the pump is seized or defective
the solution is nearly always the replacement of the whole pump.
The
drum does not rotate.
The belt may have broken. The drum may be jammed by an item of clothing.
The main motor may be faulty. There may be a broken wire to the
motor.
The
door won't open.
This is often caused by the fact that the water has not pumped away.
If the pressure system that controls the door interlock and fill
levels is blocked this may prevent the door from opening. Sometimes
leaving it for a few hours will allow the air to go past the blockage
and the door will open. If this happens do not use the machine again
until the pressure system has been properly cleaned. If the door
will still not open it may be because the lock is defective and
stuck in the locked position, it could be that parts of the actual
door handle are broken, or the mechanical parts of the interlock
system inside the machine have been damaged. Call in a professional.
The
timer sticks at one place.
Quite a common problem. The least common is the actual failure of
the timer itself. It is much more commonly caused by the failure
of the heater, water valve, pump, a broken wire or even a blockage
in the pressure system or waste system.
Noisy
spinning.
Often this is caused by wear of the drum bearings. If the drum bearings
are worn there will normally be a brown rusty stain under the machine
towards the back. If there is no rusty stain and the drum does not
seem to be excessively loose on its spindle, the noise may be coming
from the motor or the pump or from a foreign object inside the machine
somewhere. Clonking can be caused by loose components or loose concrete
weights inside the machine, or even simply because the machine is
not standing squarely on all four feet or wheels.
Machine
jumps about.
Sometimes a large item or a few items of clothing form into a ball
and cause the machine to become unbalanced. Reloading the machine
will cure this. If the machine is not installed so all the feet
or wheels are firmly against the floor it will jump about. If there
is a partial blockage of the waste system and the machine begins
to spin with some water still in it may cause this too. On the more
serious side many machines can develop a fault, which causes the
motor to drive the drum at the wrong speed at the wrong time witch,
causes sudden violent lurching of the machine. If this is happening
do not use the machine until it is repaired.
Major
flooding.
If there is a sudden major flood from the machine without warning,
first check that wherever the machine drains to is not blocked and
overflowing. This cannot usually happen if the machine is connected
to the plumbing under the sink. If the machine itself has much too
much water in it, the pressure system that controls the fill level
may be blocked. This is generally not a d.i.y job on most machines.
If this is the case, sometimes the machine will start to work again
if the blockage is not absolute. Be warned that unless it is cleared
the same thing could happen again. The same fault can cause the
machine to begin washing and heating with no water, causing smoke
inside the drum, which can be very alarming.
Leaking
during use.
Leaks coming from the actual machine can be caused by component
failure such as the door gasket, various hoses, the pump, or from
defective or loose seals or joints.
Leaking
when not in use.
Faulty washers on the inlet hoses usually cause this, faulty inlet
hoses themselves or defective inlet taps. If the pump is leaking
very slowly it may take a day before the water stops seeping out
after the machine has been in use, as there is always some water
left in the sump of the machine at the end of the wash.
Smoke
inside the drum.
This is commonly caused by a blocked pressure system. The heater
may have come on with no water in the drum. Switch off the machine
and do not try to use it until the problem has been properly diagnosed
and fixed. If the machine appears to right itself, do not be tempted
to use it as there is a danger that the fault will happen again
or even worse cause a major flood.
The
fuse blows.
Ensure the washing machine is plugged into a single socket and not
sharing the same socket with numerous other appliances. If after
changing the fuse and switching on it again blows, call professional
help.
Filling
with water when not in use.
If the machine waste is connected directly to the plumbing under
the sink, it may be that water draining from the sink is finding
it's way into the washing machine; this can be rectified by raising
the height of the washing machine waste hose so it is higher than
the outlet pipe from the sink.
It
may also indicate a blockage, which needs clearing. The only other
cause of this fault is one or both of the inlet valves of the machine
are defective and letting water in all the time. Turning off the
water supply to the machine should stop this.
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