My Washer Went Kaput!

[Jack_Dawson]

It's in the rinse cycle and just...stopped. So it's filled w/ water and Snuggle and just sitting there. Turning the dial and pulling at every possible setting does nothing. Dryer still works. Washer just sitting there. Help.

[Lars39]

1. Have you checked the circuit breaker in the wall panel?

[mongo]

2. A couple of silly questions to start.

Did it become unplugged? Did the circuit breaker trip? If you have an electric dryer it would not be on the same circuit.

Beyond that, my guess is that it is either the timer circuit itself or the pump. Both are pretty easy to fix.

Readers digest puts out a couple of books on general home repair that covers appliances. They have excellent trouble-shooting charts.

There is nothing on a washing machine that is not worth fixing, unless the basket itself is rusted and is tearing up clothes.

At any rate, it looks like you will have to bail the water out by hand.

Good luck.

[mongo]

3. One more possibility

and this might just be it. There is a switch that tells the washer the lid is up, and your washer is designed not to operate the rinse and spin cycles with the lid up. The switch may need to be replaced.

[short bus president]

4. Paging Mrs Grumpy...

;-)

[Corgigal]

5. first

take all the wet laundry out and if its nice outside, when hang them out to dry.

Same thing happened to me but I never got the stupid thing working again. Just take care of the clothes first.

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. Take a look at this diagnostics site

Hope it helps

http://www.acmehowto.com/howto/appliance/washer/diagwasher.php

What brand is your washer? There are some sites available specific to brand name

[Historic NY]

7. find the little switch on the washer door.........

its usually at the center rear. Most of them are small and the switch works with a little plastic balls that rolls when you open & close the door. This was standard on older washers. If you locate the switch find something small that can fit in there to make the switch close. I've had it happen on my old Maytag the little ball wear out or just falls apart. One other thing too make sure the load is balanced evenly sometimes the washer will shut itself down if too much load is on one side.

[yellowdogintexas]

9. my money's on the spin trigger thingy too.

In my GE it was on the side of the tub and it started acting up when the washer was about a year old. There is a little circuit breaker in there and if it doesn't do what it is supposed to, then the water won't spin out. I have had to hold mine down until it finished spinning.

My front loader wouldn;t spin because the hose wasn't mounted properly at installation. Fixed that myself.

[Suich]

8. Check the hose the rinse water drains through.

I had a kink in mine once and the tub wouldn't drain.

[dhinojosa]

10. If you have extra $$$ get a high end one with a long service contract....

it is worth it.

[yewberry]

11. If all else fails

there are usually working washers available in the "free" section of craigslist.

(Okay, not new or top of the line, but you can't beat the price.)