Washing Machines

This is a list of every article I've written filed under washing machines, including all its sub categories. To jump to specific washing machine sub categories use the "washing machines" link in the main navigation.

NOTE: More washing machine articles are filed under other categories and sub categories if they focus on buying or repairing them for example.

Updated February 2, 2017 First Published February 4, 2016

Using a washing machine from storage

Before using a washing machine that has been in storage, especially for a long time, it is wise to be aware that new faults could appear so you should not just assume everything is ok and leave it running unattended. All appliances have the potential to develop a fault that wasn’t there before if they’ve been left unused for a long time. It’s partially due to things drying out, rotting or corroding, or seizing up – and partly one of life’s mysteries.

If it’s been a long time since the appliance was used and/or it’s been stored in a poor environment then it’s possible for hoses or seals inside the washing machine to dry out and go hard, crack, or even rot and split. So it’s wise to keep a very close eye on one that’s not been used for a long time when reusing it for the first time in case it leaks or floods.

What to watch out for when using for the first time

There are various faults that could manifest when using an old washing machine for the first time but the first thing to be cautious of is introducing water into the machine, which of course is the first thing a washing machine does. Therefore, before letting any water go into the machine you need to put it onto a spin cycle to check you will be able to pump it away. Check the following –

Is the water pump running, and sounding normal? There should be two sounds on the spin cycle, the motor & drum revolving together, and the water pump. Most washing machines and even dishwashers make very similar sounds when their pumps run so you should be able to recognise the pump sound. If you cannot hear the sound of the water pump underneath the sound of the drum and motor, or you can only hear a humming sound then the pump could have seized up. If this is the case there is no point allowing any water into the machine, you will only end up with a washing machine stuck full of water.

If the pump is not running or is just making a loud hum you need to either free off the jammed pump or replace it. If it sounds like it is running ok then let the machine do the full spin cycle to warm up gently. If it completes ok you can try the next step which is letting some water inside.

Watch it whilst it fills for the first time and make sure it doesn’t leak or over fill

Ideally you should carefully examine the door seal and the hoses inside the machine (especially the sump hose running from the outer drum to the pump) to see if they are OK. If they look OK I would put the machine on a wash cycle and let it fill up with water.

You are watching for water running onto the floor and also for overfilling. If it leaks you need to troubleshoot why it is leaking. If it doesn’t stop filling and water rises above halfway up the glass with no sign of it stopping it could be overfilling.

If it stops filling at a normal level and starts to wash without leaking onto the floor then things are looking good, but I would now cancel the wash cycle or turn it off and put it onto spin. You need to make sure that the pump is able to pump away the water successfully and that it isn’t blocked anywhere.

If it drains out the water successfully then you can put the washer back onto a wash cycle (40 degree cottons) and then test the machine more thoroughly. A washing machine might leak profusely straight away, but if it doesn’t, this is no guarantee that it won’t leak later on in the wash cycle or on the rinses and spins. Therefore you need to watch the machine for much longer to be sure. If it leaks or otherwise plays up you will at least be there to deal with it.

I wouldn’t leave it running until it’s been on at least 10 minutes without incident, and even then I would keep popping back to watch it every several minutes until it’s well into its cycle and has done a few rinses. Keep an eye on it for the next few wash cycles until you trust it is working properly.

Updated July 19, 2017 First Published January 26, 2016

Is the washing machine actually faulty?

This article is written to accompany my article how to get faulty a washing machine exchanged. It provides a list of common user and installation faults often found when engineers inspect a washing machine that a customer is insisting they want replacing because it is faulty. Before complaining about a faulty washing machine with a mind to getting exchanged it might be wise to check this list – just in case.

Retailers and manufacturers know that it is surprisingly common to find that it’s not the washing machine at fault if the appliance is brand new. That is why they will almost always insist on sending an engineer to look at an appliance before considering a replacement or refund. You could be charged if it turns out to be one of the problems listed below. Here are examples of “faults” I’ve found when customers have demanded a replacement washing machine –

Common faults on a new washing machine caused by incorrect installation or user error

Not emptying water (due to blockage in pump or pump filter) or being connected to new plumbing where the blanking cap hasn’t been removed Washing machine wonâ€™t drain after being moved or connected to new plumbing
Washing machine stuck on rinses or giving an error code because it can’t take in any cold water caused by faulty installation, a kinked fill hose, or the cold tap being turned off
Stuck on wash cycle filling and draining due to washing machine siphoning caused by drain pipe being too low (installation fault)
Washing machine leaking which turns out to be caused by leaks from the fill hoses or plumbing at the back (installation fault)
Washing machine bouncing about on spin and shaking around due to transit packing not being removed (installation fault – although if the washer was installed by the company you bought it from they should have removed this!)
Not using the washing machine according to manufacturer's instructions (customer didn't read instruction book)
Leaking from the soap dispenser due to a build up of un-dissolved detergent, or use of a detergent tablet designed to go in the drum not the dispenser (causing blockage)
Banging on spin, or not spinning at all due to an out of balance load out of balance detection on modern washing machines preventing spinning of small loads
Flooded kitchen because coins left inside pockets have been punched through the plastic outer tub by the spinning inner drum causing washing machine to need extensive major repairs

Some of the above faults may still need an engineer but won’t be covered by the guarantee. Some could be sorted out without needing an engineer.

What if you accept a repair but the washing machine breaks down again?

The concern here is that if you are reasonable, and give them a chance to fix the washing machine, it could backfire on you if at a later date if you try to get an exchange because of further problems. Consumer law allows for you to accept a repair, but on condition that if the repair fails, or takes an unreasonable time to complete you can still reject the washing machine. Also, if you suffer repeated faults, or a major fault, you may be entitled to a replacement or proportionate compensation. As of 2015 we are now entitled to a full refund if an appliance is faulty within the first 30 days.

Consumer Rights Summary

You can now insist on a full refund if your appliance develops a fault within the first 30 days (although if it is a very minor fault it may not be necessary and potentially the retailer may still be able to insist on a repair if it is disproportionately expensive to do so compared to say just replacing a small part in 5 minutes, or reconnecting a wire)
Recent changes in the Sale of Goods Act put the onus on the retailer to prove that a fault on a new appliance within the first 6 months is not an inherent fault. In other words unless they can prove otherwise, it will be automatically assumed that your appliance had a fault when it was sold if it fails in the first 6 months, and you’d be entitled to compensation or even a refund.
You can accept a repair on the condition that you will still reject the faulty goods if the repair is not effective. This should not affect your rights
An engineer will almost always need to inspect the washing machine. No one is likely to authorise a replacement over the phone for reasons explained in this article unless they are convinced by your description that something serious has gone wrong.
The seller can refuse to replace the washing machine if they can show that doing so is "disproportionately costly in comparison with the alternative". However, any remedy must also be completed "without significant inconvenience to the consumer". You could try arguing that being without a washing machine for several days or more (if relevant) while waiting for a part is significantly inconvenient to you.
You may still be entitled claim compensation or a repair if your washing machine constantly breaks down or suffers a major fault up to 6 years from purchase (5 in Scotland). For comprehensive details see my Blog article – EU 2 year guarantee. Sale of Goods Act gives us 6 years to claim for faulty appliances.
Be prepared to stand your ground if you are entitled to a replacement washing machine and this is what you want
With washing machines already a few years old, you can’t expect to hold the retailer responsible for fair wear and tear. A washing machine can’t be expected to never break down. In order to use the consumer legislation, there needs to be an inherent fault (which was present on the day you bought it) – even if it only became apparent later on, or a lack of durability that suggests the goods were not of satisfactory quality to start with.
You can claim compensation up to six years after purchase if your appliance has an "inherent" fault (five years in Scotland). Purchasers can demand damages (which a court would usually equate to the cost of a repair or replacement) [ More info: My washing machine is now out of guarantee, but I don't think I should have to pay for a repair | Sale of Goods Act gives us 6 years to claim for faulty appliances ]

Updated November 22, 2018 First Published December 11, 2015

Cold fill verses Hot fill washing machines

This is a rough and ready guide and summary of cold fill verses hot fill washing machines. In the early days all washing machines were hot and cold fill but now they are mostly cold fill only. I have a more in depth article on why washing machines are now only cold fill and the information below used to be part of that article. However, it was too large so I’ve placed this information on its own. For a full understanding of the issue make sure you read the previous article too.

Cold fill verses hot fill

If you use biological detergents, and do mostly 30 degrees or 40 degrees washes then you are the type of customer the washing machine manufacturers say will benefit from a cold fill washing machine. Biological detergents work best when cold water is slowly warmed up and the final wash water isn’t too hot
If you don’t use biological detergents, you may only see a marginal difference in wash results as a direct result of having no hot valve
If you regularly use boil wash, a cold fill washing machine will be subject to more wear and tear through longer wash cycles so a hot valve might be useful depending on your plumbing (see link in next item)
If you heat your water using solar energy or another environmentally friendly or economical way then a hot water valve could be useful if you can get a reasonable amount of hot water into the machine. However, as this article explains, that’s not easy these days – Do washing machines with a hot valve use much hot water?
If you decide that you want a washing machine with a hot water valve, but can only find it on one of the cheap washing machines (most decent to quality washing machines are cold fill now) then it could be a false economy. Any savings made on energy could be wiped out by extra repair and maintenance costs or by lack of longevity.
Overall, more energy is saved nationwide with cold fill only washing machines.

Summary

The subject is more complex than you’d think but most people shouldn’t worry about not having a hot water valve in their washing machine and most people may indeed be better off without one. Although the majority of people may (according to manufacturers) be better off with a cold fill only machine I can see many examples where washing machines would probably be better with a hot valve. Utilising an already hot supply of water can be cheaper and speed up some wash cycles. However, because modern washing machines use very little water and it takes so long for most people’s hot water to actually run hot it needs a sophisticated washing machine to utilise it properly in all the different circumstances at people's homes. At this present time manufacturers aren’t concerned about doing this.

Washing machines are currently designed for an average user with an assumed type of hot water system, washing with biological detergents on low temperature washes and they fail to accommodate any of the many thousands of users not falling into this category.

Currently there are so few washing machines with hot valves that it isn't worth picking one simply for a hot valve unless you do a lot of very hot washes and you know you can get hot water into the machine quickly (for example – a combination boiler with a very short pipework run to the washer). Even then it could easily be a case of swings and roundabouts in that the savings you make with the hot valve may be wiped out by having a lesser quality washing machine or through other missing features or economies due to your severe lack of choice.

Why not let the user choose?

It would be nice if washing machines went back to having hot and cold valves and had an option button where a user can inform the machine that they want to use the hot valve under the following circumstances –

When they are not using biological detergents
They are doing a maintenance boil wash
They are doing a normal hot wash at 60 – 90 degrees
They have a very cheap or environmentally friendly source of hot water and want to run the hot tap to draw hot water into the pipes before washing so that a reasonable amount goes in (for hot washes)
They use a combination boiler which supplies instant hot water at a pressure equal to the cold supply and they do hot washes
Their combination boiler is close to the washing machine and hardly suffers any loss of hot water through lack of pressure and cooling in the pipe work

Remember, if you wash with biological detergents and wash mostly at 40 degrees and your hot water is stored in a hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard you most probably don’t need a hot valve anyway. (Related advice: Washing machine smells – causes of grease, slime and black mould inside washing machines)

You can now buy a British made washing machine with a hot water valve. Ebac’s hot & cold fill washing machine uses, “Intelligent hot fill technology”. Ebac said my articles on hot and cold fill washing machines were excellent, and it appears they have now made one that isn’t just a dumb hot fill machine. It’s especially for people this article is aimed at who want to use their hot water. Check it out here Ebac – Intelligent Hot Fill Technology

Updated February 3, 2017 First Published April 21, 2015

What do noisy drum bearings sound like?

When the drum bearings have gone in a washing machine they make a rumbling sound but believe it or not there are a few other faults that can sound very similar – even the same. As an experienced engineer I’ve actually misdiagnosed them once before (and never made that mistake again) when I opened up the door, spun the drum by hand and heard what sounded exactly like worn drum bearings. I subsequently found out that the noise was coming from the motor bearings. That taught me that the only true way to diagnose them (if there isn’t excessive play in the drum shaft) is to take off the drive belt so that when you spin the drum you are only spinning the drum and not the belt and the motor.

I even came across one instance when another engineer ordered up a complete new drum and bearing kit for a customer after he did the same thing and I was sent out to fit them. As soon as I took off the back panel I could see the drive belt was in a bad way and the rubber had started to melt. When I took off the belt and spun the drum – the drum bearings were fine. It just needed a new belt. This last case is very unusual but don’t be too hasty to diagnose worn drum bearings.

What do noisy drum bearings sound like?

It is a big help to know what sound to listen out for. This video shows a washing machine drum being spun when the bearings are clearly worn –

More on noisy washing machine and worn bearings

I have other articles giving advice about noisy washing machines and all the many possible explanations which also includes more information about the symptoms and how to diagnose worm drum bearings in the two links below.

Updated March 21, 2019 First Published January 29, 2015

How to remove the heater from a washing machine

This article is about removing the heating element from front loading UK washing machines. Removing the heater can be very difficult. Don’t do it unless you are sure it needs replacing and you are very proficient at repairing things. Very often you cannot get a heater back in place once removed. This is because of the way they are fitted (as described later).

If you’ve tested the heater with a meter and know it is faulty read on. Otherwise check this article first – not heating up the water – is heater faulty?.

Where is the heater on a washing machine?

If you are lucky the heater is behind the back panel. If so it’s extremely easy to get access once the back panel has been removed. More commonly though it’s right at the front of the main outer drum under the door seal (see pic above). This means the front panel has to be removed – or even the entire casing with some designs. How easy this is varies from model to model and brand to brand. So it’s impossible to give specific instructions. Some washing machines even have the front panel welded in so it can’t be removed.

If you don’t have the skills to work out how to take something to pieces and put it back together get an appliance engineer.

How to remove the heater from a washing machine

Every washing machine heater I’ve ever seen is secured in place in exactly the same way. At the top of the element there is a metal plate. Underneath is a thick rubber seal. The metal plate has a bolt in the centre which is threaded through the centre of the heater and seal. You can see this bolt in the centre of the heater even when fitted in the machine. It has a nut on it. When the heater is slotted into the machine this nut is tightened down which draws the plate towards it and squashes the rubber seal. It squashes it quite a lot, and makes it jam inside the machine to be water tight.

If you look at the picture on the left you can see a brand new heater with the thick rubber seal. When new, the heater snugly slots into place. But after the bolt is tightened up and left for a few years the rubber can become bulbous and hard. This makes it very hard to get out, and impossible to fit back in. Some will come out easily enough and go back OK, but don’t remove one unless it needs replacing or you have to.

So, to remove a heater you need to undo this nut, unscrew it to the top of the thread but don’t remove it. Then push the bolt in to move the plate inside away from the seal. You may have to use a hammer and something to punch it with but not something which will damage it.

Once the plate is pushed back the heater can be levered out but again you have to be careful because most are fitted into only plastic tubs and you can easily break it.

Note that even with the nut and thread pushed right back the heater can be extremely difficult to get out if the rubber seal has gone hard. I’ve had some very tough struggles. You have to pull or lever the rubber seal out all the way round the heater. If the rubber seal has remained pliable and not gone too bulbous it may come out reasonably easily. If not you have to use a mix of screwdrivers, pliers and even pipe pliers to wrestle it out. Do not break the plastic around the heater!

What happens if heater gets Stuck

There’s a topic on my Forums with a great photo showing how a heater can get suck when trying to remove it. It also shows the damage to the surrounding that is so easily done trying to leaver it out. Finally there is advice on how to deal with the situation Heater change – major fail

How to fit a new heater

To fit a heater you need to slot it in place being careful to ensure you locate the end of the heater into the heater bracket at the bottom of the tub. This bracket is essential to stop the drum hitting the heater on spin with a heavy load inside. It should either be a little bracket sticking up or maybe there is a cover designed into the tub and the heater just fits underneath it.

Once slotted in place the nut in the centre needs tightening down to draw the metal plate up against the rubber. Don’t over tighten it, tighten it firmly enough to squash the rubber properly. If the metal on the heater starts to bend in you are over tightening. Try to pull it out with a firm tug to make sure it doesn’t come out.

Refitting an old element

If you’ve needed to use WD40 or similar to get the heater in (you shouldn’t need to with a new heater) you need to be especially careful it won’t come out. If it comes out it will create a serious flood. I once refitted an old heater and needed to use WD-40 to get it back in. It looked OK but it popped out halfway through a wash and flooded a kitchen. How tight you need to tighten it is something that engineers learn from trial and error. Unfortunately, doing something only once with no previous experience can go badly wrong.

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Updated March 21, 2019 First Published July 24, 2014

Spin light flashing at end of the cycle

If you find the spin light flashing at end of the cycle and the laundry is still wet (hasn’t been spun), the explanation could just be that the washing machine’s out of balance protection system prevented it from spinning. This is particularly true for the following Hotpoint washing machine models WMA30, WMA31, WMA32 & WMA33, and could potentially apply to some other models.

Before going into a fast spin, all washing machines go through a distribution cycle to settle the laundry down and distribute it evenly around the drum. If it manages this ok it will kick into a fast spin. If the drum isn’t balanced properly though, a spin can cause violent movement which could seriously damage the machine, so most machines will not spin if they think the load is unbalanced.

Any decently designed machine should indicate to the user that this is what has happened instead of leaving them thinking the washer has broken down. Some do it better than others, check your instruction book to see what indicator your model uses for showing it couldn’t balance the load for a spin. Some may use a red light flashing but others may use a totally different method.

To fully understand this out of balance system read my article here – washing machine won’t spin just one item or very small loads

Related: If the washing machine is just not spinning any load, as opposed to a one off or occasional incident described above, check this article instead – Not spinning at end of cycle