In today’s world, automated washing machines are an absolute necessity in every single household. An upgrade over the old scrubbing board, modern washing machines will automatically determine load sizes, soil levels, required water levels; all within a reasonable timeline.
As with any technological advancement, the increase in the use of electronic parts causes an increase in breakdowns and faults, due to cheaper build quality and overall complexity of electrical circuits and membranes.
Check your cycles
If the washer in question is not powering on or is not responsive, it is recommended to perform a hard reset by unplugging the washer from power for a minimum of 15 minutes. After plugging the washer back in, test the unit for responsiveness and progression in cycles by turning on several different cycles, as follows:
Normal – The washing machine will fill up with water and agitate the load, which will ensure proper motor and drive belt function. The cycle should be tested for a minimum of 10 minutes to ensure proper function.
Rinse and spin – Will let the washer fill up with fresh water and properly tumble the drum. The cycle should be tested for a minimum of 10 minutes to ensure proper function.
Drain and spin – Will let the appliance drain the water that is in the tub, and accelerate the drum to full spin to ensure proper motor velocity and end of cycle protocol. The only cycle that will have to be fully completed.
After performing a hard reset, if the unit is still unresponsive, or is pausing during specific sections in the cycle, attributing components can involve main control, noise filter, door lock, and/or the user interface itself. The aforementioned components are not easily accessed or tested, and therefore would require a service technician for a full diagnosis.
Water intake issues
Problems with water fill into your washer will cause your washer stall at the beginning of the cycle due to insufficient water volume. When tested for water intake, make sure that the hot and cold water supplies from the household are open.
If the unit is refusing to fill, close water supply and remove hoses from the back of the unit and allow to drain into a bucket – turn the water supply on – observe for proper water flow through hoses into the bucket.
If water pressure exists, and hoses allow water to pass, the issue at hand could be attributed to faulty water valves within the washer, or the main control board that is not supplying current for the washing machine valves to open.
For further diagnosis, it is recommended for a qualified technician to measure current and resistance levels for components within the washing machine.
Drain issues
When a washer does not properly drain water, it will leave clothes soaking wet inside the drum, and will never progress to the high-speed spin at the end of the cycle due to the excess weight in the drum, which can cause further damage to drum components.
The number one go to the component to check is the drain hose, make sure that it is not kinked and that there are no obstructions preventing from water to flow out.
In most modern washing machines, the drain pump is easily accessible through a flap at the bottom of the washer; it will contain a filter assembly that can be unscrewed and cleaned of any obstructions and a dump tube that is to be used to drain all the excess water that remained in the drum. Before unscrewing the filter cap, always make sure to use the dump tube to drain out all the excess water from the drum into a bucket, preventing a big leak of water onto the floor.
When entering a drain cycle, if any apparent cracking or humming noises are apparent, the drain pump can be either blocked with debris, or the impeller is damaged and is no longer creating enough turbulence and pressure to push water out, which will require the drain pump to be serviced or replaced.
Damage to drum components
If your washing machine is making a loud grinding or squeaking noise while spinning or agitating, the drum assembly may have something caught or stuck in it, or it can have potential damage to drum components.
Survey the gasket for any articles of clothing that may have got stuck between the metal and plastic drum assemblies, and manually spin the drum to notice if there is any resistance in drum movement.
When manually spinning the drum, observe if the drum is on the correct axis and is not making any wobbly, out of center movements. Once tested, if the drum seems loose or is making a loud grinding or banging noises while in spin, the indication is that your bearing and spider assembly are damaged and require replacement. For replacement please contact a service technician for proper quotes and repair procedures.
For further questions and maintenance tips, please contact us for immediate support from one of our qualified technicians. We are available 24/7, and will always answer your questions as quickly and thoroughly as possible.