Washing Machines & Washer Dryers
General advice before calling an engineer
Unfortunately washing machines are the single worst cause of calls being generated where the customer has either not read the instruction or not understood them. The following should serve as a reasonable guide of the do’s and don’ts.
If you are calling for a washing machine repair please check the following:
If your machine has a filter have you checked it is clear?
If the machine fills when it’s switched off then check your plumbing particularly if it is filling with dirty water refer to your user guide.
Does your machine stop before it spins on a delicates cycle, if so read your handbook and see if this is a “rinse & hold” program - it probably is!
If the machine has just been installed
New installations are 90% of the time no fault with the appliance but with the installation so if you did it yourself double and triple check before picking up the phone.
Your machine and it vibrates - check your flooring, wooden flotation floors may need extra rigidity. Another common error is that the transit packaging has not been removed properly or fully, please read the installation instructions carefully and remove only what they say to remove.
If the machine leaks check you hoses and installation - but do not over-tighten the fill hoses you need only tighten them hand tight then a quarter turn any more and you may snap them!
Fills with water when off - most likely the drain spigot or stand-pipe is too low consult your instruction book and check it.
Water comes out the soap box compartment - this is easily cured it is only that the volume of water entering the appliance is too high simply turn down the water valve that your machine is connected to.
Not filling with hot water - believe it or not most modern appliance do not require hot water and it is cheaper to heat the water in the machine than to even take it from a combi-boiler water heating system! If this is your complaint please ask your service provider for assistance.
There are many other simple errors and thing that you can try yourself before an engineer needs to attend but it's best to speak to the relevant service department as they are generally machine specific.
Other than these faults call an engineer.
Machine does not fill with water
Check to see if the washing machine is taking in hot and cold water -
Check that both hot and cold taps are on
Select the whites program, the machine should take only hot water in. Check in the soap drawer and feel carefully that hot water is flowing in at a good pressure.
If this is OK, select the last rinse, if you can't select it because the machine is electronic, stop or cancel the program and then select last rinse and restart. Check in the soap drawer and feel carefully that cold water is flowing in at a good pressure.
When your washing machine dosen’t take in any water and the drum doesn't start turning - but you can hear a humming noise, please check that both your hot and cold taps are turned on or that your water supply hasn't been cut off. A humming noise at the back of the machine may be the water valves asking for water.
When no water enters the machine, but the drum starts to rotate stop the machine as this could indicate a fault in the pressure system that controls the levels of water. If this system is at fault it can cause damage to the heating element as the timer thinks the water level is correct and will therefore switch on the the power to it, overheating will occure and possible damage to the clothes. A blockage in the pressure chamber would restrict the passage of air in the tubing and stop the switch from de-activating. In this fault condition you would not only have no water present in the drum but the machine would not procede to the full spin cycle of the program.
It’s quite easy to check if you have a water feed to the machine, just turn off the hot and cold taps and remove the hoses from the back of the machine, place them in a bucket and slowly turn the taps on one at a time if you get a good pressure the check the filters on the machine, these a quite easy to remove and clean if fitted.
If the pressure is very slow or there is no flow at all, then the fault is in the plumbing. If your water feed for your washing machine was an addition to the original plumbing it might have been installed using a self cutting kit which may have become blocked. Checking the cold Tap is not a problem, just turn off the cold water at your main stop cock but the hot would involve draing your hot water tank or finding the appropriate valve to stop the flow.
If the water pressure is good through the hoses , the fault is definitely with the machine. So I suggest a visit from an engineer would be advisable.
Washing machine sticks or stops mid-cycle
This is a common fault on washing machines. People tend to blame the programmer / timer but it very rarely the case. A more common fault would be the failure of the heater element, or thermostat failure, no cold water for the rinses, or if the machine can't empty the water. There are many possible reasons for the progammer / timer to stop but the most common are filling or draining problems.
Fabric conditioner doesn't get taken into washing machine
On most modern machines there will be an indication or error code of flashing lights if the program has skipped the last rinse which is when the fabric conditioner should be taken.
But another reason could be that the water jets in the roof of the soap dispenser could have become blocked, just get a stiff brush ( an old toothbrush would do ) and try to clear the holes. Another reason for this in some machines is that the syphon gets clogged, just remove the draw lift out the cage that covers the fabric conditioner compartment and give it a thorough wash in hot water ensuring all channels and holes are clear.