Washing Machine Repair Self-Help Guide
UK Washing Machine Repair Self-Help Guide
Fault Codes | Known Faults | Book a Repair Engineer
Here is a page of basic self help advice designed to prevent unnecessary service calls.
If you are following this advice or want to look inside the cabinet of the machine click here to read an essential warning first. The idea here is simply to give a few tips that might help to get you out of trouble.
If you require an engineer to repair your washing machine click here. Or Click here if you have decided to buy a new machine.
It is worth remembering that many washing machines get thrown away every year and as a general rule it is always cheaper to get a washing machine repaired than to buy a new one. The choice comes down to you and when decideding you need to consider the age of the machine and use of the machine as a 15 year old washing machine that is used 3 times a day probably isn’t worth repairing.
- 1. Dead Machine
You go to use the machine and it is completely dead.Make sure that the power is on and plugged in. Make sure that the door is completely closed. Check that the control knob is pulled out or that the on/off switch is on. Try a few different programs. Plug in another appliance such as a table lamp to test the socket. - 2. Dead but hums quietly.
If it is dead but there is a slight humming noise, check that you have the hot and cold water supply turned on. Sometimes only the plastic tops of the taps turn but not the actual tap shaft itself, so it is worth unscrewing the pipe from the machine (if you feel confident to do so) to check that you have a good supply of water to the machine. Check that the water inlet hoses are not kinked, stopping the water supply. In cold weather consider the possibility that the pipes are frozen, particularly if the machine is in an out-house or garage. - 3. Not draining, Machines with filters.
If your machine has a filter this is a prime suspect. Do not take the filter out when the machine is full of water as this will give you a massive flood. If you have access to the waste hose of the machine the water will usually drain out if this is laid down on the floor into a washing up bowl. A bucket is usually too high. You may have to release the hose from a clip at the back to do this. On most machines it is only the height of the drain hose that keeps the water in, so if the waste hose comes out of the machine at the top it is not possible to use this method. In these cases there is often a small drain down pipe at the front behind the kick panel. The water flow may be very slow. Once drained, check and clear the filter. If the filter is not blocked, do not refill the machine with water until you know why it did not drain.
- 4. Not draining, General advice.There may be a blockage that is stopping the water from flowing. 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 as 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.
- 5. 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 main thing in all these cases is to be absolutely sure of the diagnosis before proceeding. It is very common for people to assume that a major component is faulty, when the fault is really quite minor.
- 6. The drum fails to strike into spin.
If the machine has out-of-balance spin protection, then a small load or single heavy item may prevent the machine from striking into spin, even though all the water has pumped away. The control system for the fill level may need attention, or there may be a broken or shorting wire somewhere. More serious faults may be due to module, timer or motor failure.
- 7. The door won’t open.
This is often caused by the fact that the water has not pumped away. Refer to the not pumping section if this is the case. Forcing the door open is never a good idea as it usually breaks parts that are not at fault and increases the cost of repair. If the door will still not open the machine is empty, it may be because the lock is defective, parts of the actual door handle are broken or the mechanical parts of the interlock system inside the machine have been damaged. Unless you are confident of your diagnosis it is probably best to call a repairman.
- 9. Noisy spinning
Often this is caused by wear of the drum bearings. If the drum bearings are worn there will often be a brown rusty stain under the machine towards the back and/or the drum will seem loose on its spindle. Getting the machine repaired before the bearings collapse is a good idea, since persistent use in this condition often results in other parts getting damaged! 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. - 10. 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 which causes sudden violent lurching of the machine. If this is happening do not use the machine until it is repaired.Some machines give an occasional lurch as the motor adjusts to the load of the washing. As long as this is not too bad or too often it should not cause a problem.
- 11. Major flooding or Overfilling.
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 control system for the fill level needs to be checked. 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.
- 12. 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. - 13. Leaking when not in use.
This is usually caused by faulty washers on the inlet hoses, 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.
- 14. Smoke inside the drum.
This is commonly caused by a problem with the control system for the fill level. 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
- 15. The fuse blows.
First check to make sure that you are not trying to run too many appliances on one socket with a multiple socket extension lead or plug adaptor. The washing machine should be plugged direct into a socket on its own, or wired up to a spur on its own. Assuming this is the case, if the fuse on the washing machine blows, or the household electricity cut out switches off the power when the machine is used, take it as a warning that there is a fault on the machine that requires expert attention. Avoid repeatedly changing the fuse as this can cause further damage to the machine itself. - 16. Fills with water when not in use.
If the machine waste is connected directly to the plumbing under the sink, it may be that the water draining from the sink is flowing back into the machine rather than going to the main drain. Unless the waste pipe to the main drain is blocked, this can be rectified by raising the height of the washing machine waste hose at some point so that it is higher than the outlet pipe from the sink. The only other cause of this fault is one or both of the inlet valves of the machine letting water in all the time, much the same as a dripping tap that will not turn off completely. Turning off the water supply to the machine should stop this until the valve(s) can be replaced.
- 17. Fills and drains at the same time.
This is normally caused by a faulty installation where the end of the waste hose is below the fill level of the machine and syphoning begins at some point in the cycle. Never poke the waste hose right down into a u-bend, have the waste pipe too low or the open end below the water level in the machine (even if part of the hose is above the normal water level)
Please note that all the advice given is intended only as a guide and that no responsibility for loss or damage will be accepted as a result of implementation of such advice. If you are not confident about what to do, leave it to a repairman. Under no circumstances remove the top cover,the backcover, or access the underside of the washing machine when the electricity supply is still connected. If you do look inside the washing machine, always disconnect the power completely rather than just switching it off at the switch as there may be an error in the house wiring that means that the live side of the supply is still running through the washing machine.
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168 Responses to “Washing Machine Repair Self-Help Guide”
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My washer is a whirlpool model, the water is leaking from the drawer, is a blockage?
Could you tell me if a washing machine power lead should get slightly warm when heating up the water, had a problem with a burnt socket, now all good, wiring and all new sockets put in but notice the power lead does get slightly warm but only when machine is heating the water, is this normal?
Hi, I have a Hotpoint Aquarius WT540. Recently when I have been putting the washing machine on, occasionally all the lights would be flashing but with a bit of a bang on it it would stop flashing, this did not happen all the time. Yesterday I tried using the machine but when I switched it on, the on/off light, Reduced Creases and Wash Enhance lights keep flashing no matter what I do and I am unable to use the machine now?
hi could you tell how i remove the top off my hotpoint aquarius model WMF540G
Hi, when I set auto in my washing machine, the water will flow in and suppose to get ready to wash. However, while the water flowing in, it flows out at the same time without washing. It is unable to retain the water level to start washing. Please help. Thanks
I have beko washing machine only a year old. when i do a wash at the end spin water and foam leaks out of the drawer. I have tried a wash on its own with no clothes or soap power and it doesn’t leak there are no other obvious problems. My guarantee has just ran out so don’t want to call somoeone out if its something simple?
Hi
My Beko washing machine does not spin all the time whats wrong with it. The clothes come out soaking wet and does not spin on the spin cycle.
Please Help
Heya,
the interlocking system on my washing machine became unscrewed (i unscrewed it by accident!! don’t ask – I was fixing something else) anyway – is there an easy way to remove the seal around the door around my BEKO WM5120W washing machine – it appears to have a spring holding the seal in place.
Amida
I have indesit WGD 1030 DX washer-dryer comb.
The heating does not function although the heating element and wiring is OK .
And the timer stops after 15 minutes or so, and I must rotate it manually.
i have a whirlpool its a aqucia steam its came up with a red spanner i dnt no whats wrong 🙁
my washer won’t fill with water-pipes are unblocked and everything else seems ok – just won’t draw any water!
please could you tell me what would make my machine trip my electric,it fills up washes for a short spell then will trip electric at some point it drains and spins during a cycle it trips the electric at some point.many thanks
Hello,
I have a Whirlpool AWG 1012. The dial collected a button and wore away the timer to some degree so that it couldn’t rotate to the next cycle every time and needed a little help. I can’t get a new timer yet but I now have another problem.
The washer was thumping during the spin cycle and before I could stop it to redistribute the wash, it blew the main breaker of the whole flat. Now the washer will not start. Every time we set it and turn on the power it starts spinning for about a second and then stops. It then clicks through all the cycles on the dial until it gets to the spin cycle and does the same second-long spin and then stops and continues clicking through the cycles even into the next type of wash until it hits another spin cycle and “Whrrr” then more clicking. If I was so inclined I could let it click and whrrr ad infinitum.
Is the washer toast? We are moving and leaving the washer to its own devices in a month so a quick fix, no matter how temporary (exceeding a month of course), would be appreciated.
Cheers
I have a Hotpoint Aquarius which is 4 years old. Lately when I put on the machine all the lights start flashing for over a minute before settling down to “0n”. Is it worth getting fixed or cheaper to buy another? Thanks
Hi, we have an indesit IWB5113 washing machine. The inner wire coil has come away from the tubing. How do I re-install this? Thanks.
i have a candy aquaviva 1300 and on the last spin as soon it starts spinning all the electric trip off,any suggestions please??
Did you find the problem as mine is the same as yours! It made a hu
Ing noise and now it will not kick in ie spin i checked the pump and there was a bone in there but still no joy can u help
Thanks this site just saved me a packet top site thanks again
Hi there, i have an indesit IWD71250 which is 15months old, after doing a washing and emptying it i then went to do another washing but nothing happened then after a couple of mins all the little lights started flashing, the machine wont go now and everytime i try it the same thing happens after 2 or 3 minutes(all the lights start flashing) heard it will prob be the pcb which is very expensive and also needs programmed in which would double the bill,any ideas,,thank you.
I have a Whirlpool model no. A5558XTW1, Style no. 421362 Rev B.
The tub doesn’t drain completely, even after 2 days there is about an inch of water in the bottom.
Should we replace the drain pump? How to tell if it is bad, or other things to check first? Any help will be GREATLY appreciated!
machine works great on a cold wash,but suddenly on a hot water wash A loud
noise comes from what appears to be from the hot water inlet valve.
this is a new machine
hi ,
i have a hotpoint wash/dryer
it ferly new
and when ever it goes into spin the all the water from the washer emptys throw the washpowder tray.
plz help .
my washer has a rapping noise,when it agitates,but not on spin,any idea what it maybe.Also washer is going on 19yrs old,is it worth looking to repair it,ty.
Might be worth checking the Carbon Brushes, given its age.
I have a hot point washer, which makes a lot of noise during the spin cycle and the clothes are coming out with grease marks in the same design as the interior of the drum. Is this terminal or can it be repaired? Thanks
Hi I have a Bosch that washes fine but won’t drain or spin drum moves fine during wash cycle and can’t find a blockage any help
I have.a indesit and my son pressed the buttons then they all were flashing now u put it on a cycle and it goes green then straight to the red doesn’t do cycle
Wonder if you could give me any pointers please WML540 when mid cycle stopped and all lights flashing. Now whenever turned on makes approx 5/6 clicks and door lock light flashes intermittently. have checked pump for blockages and disconnected from mains for good half hour several times but repeats same, thanks in advance
I have a Indesit iwe7145b washing machine, 2 months out of warranty.
The water no longer heats up, everything else ok, no error codes.
The fact that there are no error codes indicates something more serious than a faulty element, can you throw some light on this.
Many thanks ET
Help!New Indesit washing machine last month,fine for a while,now wont do anything.Fuse ok & water else it would not have worked in first place.Last time tried to use,it went straight to end,time b4 began on rinse.Cannot tell if buttons are on/off pause etc now,as have pressed so many times.Have only altered cycle & temp,not touched anything else.Son won’t have hand washed clothes & I need this sorted.Ideas,please!Oh,have read book over & over,no help.
need to replace door seal on indesit wib, 101 the shell seems to be one piece,back and sides are one piece and the front is spot welded on,does the whole thing lift off?
i have an lg direct drive washing machine and it wont spin….it fills up an turn but come to the spin an it just comes up OE on the screen. is there any hope for it to be fixed or am i aswell as getting a new one?/
Hi I have an Indesit WIXL123 washing machine, which is not using the fabric softner, it does the draining and then 2 lights on the front panel flash, the delay timer & the door lock. I have cleaned the detergent tray, check the hose, switched the machine off to reset and tried to ring the indesit helpline to find that it now belongs to hotpoint! Please can you help, any advice regardingf replacement parts would be appreciated.
i hvae a whirlpool washing machine and there’s noise coming from the bottom right front of the machine were the filter is.what could be the fault?
hi i have an indesit wg1130t and i moved it recently and a plastic thing fell out of the bottom since then the machine makes an awful banging noise where on the machine does the plastic pin thing go so my boyfriend can put it back on?????
my GE washer model #WHDSR417DOWW will not agitate during wash cycle or spin to eject water.
please advise.
thanks
Tommy
I have a Hotpoint WF541, I cannot turn on the machine without it tripping out the electrics in house!! I still have a Full load of now wet washing in the drum! What can i do? – This machine is only 4 years old!!
i have indesit wixe127(its 6years old) I go to use it sometimes it works another time its dead checked plug ok had socket checked rang a guy today he seemed to think it could be something with the door lock could this be correct,ifso can obtain the part and could i do it myself
i have a LG 7.2kg WD-80130FU front loader the machine goes into a cycle and washes perfectly but once the washing is done the water will not drain and the drum will not spin. iv taken it outside and drained it aswel as taken the back panel off and the top but cant see anything wrong. wat can i do?
my machine is flashing F08 what does this mean?
i’m using washing machine LG.model WF-T700..it,s have a problem..when it,s want to wash or spin..it.s will not working..the nonitor show symbol De..
I have an Indesit WG1034T which makes a loud clunking noise no turning the drum. Was advised it might be the bearings but there is no excessive movement of the drum & the belt is not loose either. It actually sounds like something is loose between the 2 drums. Is this an easy repair to make, could I attempt it myself? If so any advice, or is it a job for the professionals?
My washing mashine stopped working completely.(Kenmore model 110.c28932790, 17 years old). When I turn it on I can hear the noise only.If I do not turn it off for some period I start to feel a smell.
Thank you.
Hi there I have a hotpoint wmal661 and the seal has come off the rubber but I can’t remove the front of the washing machine it appears to be welded on can anyone help me to figure out how to remove the front cover please??
I have recently moved house and my washing machine was working fine before I moved.. I’ve connected it all up but now when I switch it on dirty eater leaks out the bottom of the machine , a little white plastic ball fell out the machine? Please help my washing is mounting up!
indesit wg1185w ecultra the washing machine will turn the drum as it fill up from start and when the water stop filling up the drum will stop when water heat up the drum will still not turn but the program will still work through the setting and when it get to spin it will do that and it will empty and fill up ok and will stop at the end of the cycle. can you help
I have a whirlpool AWOD AS147 washing machine, which the motor bushes are arcing heavily during the final spin cycle and the motor is not spinning as fast as it did, but the brushes do not look particularly worn and the wiring to the motor all looks sound.
I have a hoover wahing machine and the red door sign is continually on, Does this mean the door is not sealing and properly, there is no water coming out of the door
Hi,
I have an Indesit WD125. The program dial keeps clicking around almost 30 seconds after I turn the machine on.
The error code light flashes twice. I have tried a reset, cleaned the front filter and changed the carbon brushes but still no luck. Can you help please?
Thanks
Tracey
I have an Indesit 6125 and it doesn’t seem to heat the water. My washing never comes out warm and doesn’t clean properly all the time. Can you help? Thanks