Know your Washing Machine

Maintain 

1. Inspect the hoses

Check your washing machine’s water hoses for signs of wear or weakness a few times monthly year. If you discover any cracks or blistering, replace the hose. Any damage could cause a leak or burst – and extremely expensive flood damage in your home.

Most manufacturers recommend replacing the hoses every five years. For more peace of mind, use high-quality, stainless steel hoses.

2. Prevent flood damage

In the event that your washing machine’s fill hoses burst or water level switch malfunctions, you’ll have instant water damage in the room.

These two products can prevent this:

• Water Shutoff System
  This water shutoff system prevents water damage by automatically shutting off the water flow when a malfunction is detected. Installation can be completed in five minutes. No special tools are needed.
• Washing Machine Overflow Pan
  For smaller leaks and drips, this popular plastic panfits beneath a washing machine and will protect a floor from water damage due to overflow and leakage. It has a fitting to accommodate drain line attachment.

3. Don’t overload it

Follow the owner’s manual’s instructions for appropriate loading sizes. Oversized loads will throw the machine off balance and that will lead to problems.

4. Keep it level

It’s abnormal for washing machines to vibrate the floor and walls of your laundry room. If your washing machine is not exactly level, with all four legs on the floor, it may rock back and forth and vibrate strongly.

It’s best to keep the machine as close to the floor as possible. The closer the machine sits to the floor, the less it will vibrate. The front legs are adjustable with a locknut. Position the legs at the desired height and tighten the lock nut against the body of the machine so that the legs cannot rotate. Some models also have adjustable legs in the rear, too. Follow the same process for adjusting those.

It is more common for machines to have self-adjusting rear legs. Ask someone to assist you with this. Tilt the machine forward on its front legs so that the rear legs are three to four inches from the floor. When you set the machine back down to rest all on all four legs, the legs should adjust automatically. If you find that they are not level, tilt the machine forward again and tap on the rear legs with the handle of a hammer to loosen them.

5. Use the appropriate amount of detergent

Regardless of what’s recommended on detergent packaging, follow your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommended amount of detergent.

6. Clean the inside once monthly

It’s common for detergent residue to build up inside of washing machine tubs. Use a cleaner once per month to keep high-efficiency washing machines free of odor-causing residue.

7. Clean out the fabric softener dispenser

Gooey in nature, liquid fabric softener is known to gum up along fabric softener dispensers. Use a damp rag and hot water to clean the dispenser periodically.

8. Polish the outside

Spilled detergent, stain remover and fabric softener dry to a sticky mess. This all-purpose cleaner and a rag will make cleaning easy.

9. Touch up gashes and scrapes with paint

Prevent rusting by taking care of gashes and scrapes right away using touch-up paint

Front Load Washing                         Machine

Top Load Washing Machine

NOW I WILL SHARE SOME BASIC  DIAGRAM 

Washer Quick Fixes

Problem: Washing machine does not operate.

• Check for blown fuses or tripped circuit breaker.
• Open the water shut-off valves.

Problem: Washing machine does not fill with water.

• Check and clean the hot and cold inlet hose filters.
• Straighten the water supply hoses.
• Turn the timer slightly or press the buttons firmly.

Problem: Waster does not stop filling the tub.

• Check the overflow switch and replace it.
• Check the timer and replace it.
• Call a qualified professional.

Problem: Tub fills with water but the machine does not run.

• Make sure the lid is closed. If it is, ensure switch is fully depressed.
• Lighten the load and wait 15 minutes for the motor to reset.

Do you have leaks from your washer?

• Fill hoses not tight at either water supply or at the washer fill valve.
• Restriction in drain pipe causing pumped out soapy water to suds back over stand pipe where drain hose goes in. Verify by filling washer tub with water only (no soap) and advance timer to pumpout washer. If no leaks from this test, problem is with the drain pipe or from using too much soap.
• Tub water injection hose leaking. Most common in the Maytag washer. Water will gush out immediately when water enters the machine. Open front washer service panel and activate washer fill to verify.
• Pump leaking. Most common on older GE/Hotpoints and direct drive Whirlpool/Kenmores. Verify by filling tub with water then advancing timer to pumpout washer while observing pump.
• Tub leaking. Open washer service panel and fill tub with water. Look for signs of leakage all around tub, front and back. Maytags can leak from the tub center gasket, in which case both the seal and tub bearing should be replaced at the same time. Older belt-drive Whirlpool can develop rust holes in the tub which can be reliably repaired using the tub repair kit.
• Washer overfilling. Usually caused by a sediment-damaged water inlet fill valve. Valve cannot close itself when de-energized. Replace fill valve and install sediment filtration on household water supply. Most of the fill valves are 120v valves. The Maytag stack laundry with the electronic control uses a special 24vdc valve. All washing machine owners should install flood control on their washers.
• Restricted water inlet valve flow. Unique to the older GE/Hotpoint washers. Low water flow will case the water from the valve's discharge hose to run back up the hose by capillary action and down to the floor.

Is your washer not spinning?

• Defective lid switch. Gain access to lid switch and ohm test in open and closed position.
• Lid plunger not making contact with lid switch. Most common the Whirlpool/Kenmore washers. Use a pen to manually depress the lid switch (with the lid up). If washer spins, replace or repair plunger.
• Spin solenoid burned out or cut wires (older Whirlpool and Kenmores only). Ohm out solenoid (20-30 ohms). If OK, actuate solenoid with a test cord. Tug on wires supplying solenoid to ensure they are not cut.
• Worn or broken belt drive belt. Look for excessive glazing on the sides of the belt or cracks in the power side of the belt. On Maytags, replace the belt set if they look glazed or shiny on the sides even thought the belts may look OK otherwise. Belts on other brands will be more obviously bad.
• Bad timer contact. On older timers, it's sometimes possible to run an external jumper to replace the bad internal contacts. Usually, however, the entire timer must be replaced.

Is there no agitation during the wash cycle?

• Worn drive belt.
• Worn agitator dog cam assembly or drive spindle (Whirlpool/Kenmore dual action agitator). Remove agitator and/or disassemble (if the agitator is dual action) and inspect for wear debris and worn spindles.
• Bad internal timer contact. Locate bad contact and run external jumper or replace timer.
• Worn wig-wag plunger/lifter or transmission mode lever (belt-driven Whirlpool/Kenmores). Observe the action of the agitate solenoid when the machine is in the agitation part of the cycle. If the plunger/lifter slips off the transmission mode lever, replace either the plunger/lifter or the mode lever, as appropriate.
• Open lid switch. Maytags only. Other brands will still agitate with a bad lid switch.
• Pressure switch not sensing water level and switching from fill to agitate cycle. Check for pinched air tube, cracked or leaking air tube connection at the tub. Run continuity and function test on pressure switch.

Water not pumping out?

• Defective pump. For mechanical pumps, remove belt from pump pulley and turn pump pulley by hand in both directions. Pulley should turn freely. If not, replace pump. For electric pumps (new front-access GE washers), fill tub with water and energize the spin cycle. Pull drain hose and watch discharge stream. If stream fluctuates or is meager, replace electric pump.
• Worn drive belt. In this case, washer will not spin either (or will have a sluggish spin). See "No or Sluggish Spin".
• Clogged drain hose. Pull drain hose and watch discharge stream. A good discharge stream will have the same diameter as the hose itself. If less than this, check for obstructions in the drain hose.

Is your washer vibrating excessively during the spin cycle?

• Washer not leveled properly. Check for play along the diagonal corners of the washer cabinet by applying downward pressure. If there is any play at all, the washer will shake during spin and the legs must be leveled.
• Washer located on a weakened wood floor. Place reinforcing pad on floor under washer.
• Worn damper pads (Maytag top loaders) or snubber pads (Whirlpool/Kenmore direct-drive machines).

Are your clothes too wet at the end of the cycle?

• Washer not spinning (although it still pumps out). Verify spin visually and, if appropriate, troubleshoot as a no spin complaint.

Spots on Clothes When Removed from Washing Machine

• Chemical reaction between fabric softener and detergent. Test by handwashing a spotted garment in warm soapy water. If the spots come off, they were caused by fabric softener/detergent interaction.
• Transmission oil leaked back into the tub. Test by applying solvent to a section of a spotted garment. If the spots come off only with solvent but not with soap and water, then they are oil spots. If the washer is a GE/Hotpoint, transmission will need to be replaced.

Are your clothes torn or ripped after washing?

• Use of too much bleach or bleach not getting distributed evenly.
• Clothes getting caught under agitator. Feel under bottom of agitator for rough spots that can catch clothing.
• Using too little water for the load size.

Are your clothes still soapy at the end of the wash cycle?

• Cold water valve clogged with sediment or defective (rinse cycle uses cold water only). See "No Cold Water" below.
• Timer contact defective. Test valve circuit to verify if timer is energizing valve during rinse.

No Cold Water

• Sediment has gotten into the valve from the household water supply and is obstructing flow. If sediment can be cleared from valve without removing protective screen, then do so but this is not recommended because valve integrity has probably been compromised once exposed to significant sediment. Do not remove protective screen because valve could get stuck open and cause a flood. It's always best practice to replace the valve anytime sediment has significantly accumulated at the valve.
• Cold water hand valve at wall turned off.

Is your washer completely dead?

• Test for 120 volts AC at washer electrical outlet.
• Timer internal power circuit interrupted. Trace timer circuitry using continuity tests to determine if an internal set of timer contacts are broken. Sometimes it's possible to install an external jumper wire and complete the circuit. Other times, the entire timer must be replaced.
• Washer off-balance switch tripped during imbalanced spin condition. Open washer lid, redistribute the load and re-start the washer.