Do It Yourself (DIY) Washing Machine Repair

Gone are the days when people used to spend hours together in washing clothes, by bashing and pounding them. Nowadays, it is just dump your clothes, put in detergent, press some buttons and forget about it! In such a scenario, when one fine day, your washing machine stops working, it is panic time and your life comes to a stand still! You call up the repair man and he is on a vacation! Don't worry, it is not the end of the world. You have the following four options now. Wash them in the traditional way with your hands, move around in dirty clothes, buy new ones or go for DIY washing machine repair! As Robin Williams has said in a movie, 'Self reliance is the key to a vigorous life.' Therefore, I personally recommend the fourth option, which is repair washing machine on your own!

So much for the prologue; now let us get down to the nitty gritty of actual DIY washing machine repair. This tutorial will provide you with the know-how to solve common washing machine problems which can be fixed using your own discerning mind! We will do this tutorial in the 'problem-solution' format. Before you go for repairing a washing machine, you must know how it works!

How does a Washing Machine Work

The way you operate the washing machine is as follows. You set the water level, temperature and the kind of washing procedure you want, put in detergent and let the water in. After shutting the lid, your job is done and the machine's job begins.

The washing machine is essentially a huge tub, which has a motor belt arrangement to rotate it, a plumbing system and a motor to drain out water. The most important part, which you can call the brain of the machine is the timer circuit and its muscles are the motor and gearbox. The timer controls the order in which the various tasks in a machine are carried out.

According to the kind of job you select, the timer switches various small sub-systems, on and off. This is done after receiving signals from various relays about the completion of a previous task. When you press a button in a washing machine, you activate a solenoid which gives a signal for a specific task. There is a solenoid for letting cold water in the tub, another for letting in hot water and so on.

The machine is equipped with water pressure sensors which instigates the machine to stop filling water in the washer. There is a switch, which automatically switches off the machine when the lid is opened during the spinning operation.

So, there are two main mechanisms of the washing machine which may get into problems, water plumbing mechanism or the electronic mechanism that controls its working! One thing that may come in handy is the washing machine repair manual supplied by the company. It is important, as it contains the circuit diagrams and general troubleshooting instructions. There are many types of washing machine, this troubleshooting guide has been written with the most general features in mind, which are common to all.

Washing Machine Troubleshooting

Problem 1: The washing machine won't start at all!

Solution: Firstly, get a tester and check the power socket in which the washing machine power plug is plugged in. If it does not give an output, you must replace it. Next, check the power plug wire for any discontinuity. For this, you will need a ohmmeter and a voltmeter. You can rather use a digital multimeter (DMM ) which is a combination of both. If its broken, replace it. If both these things are okay, then there may be more serious causes like:

• Lid Switch Malfunction: Take a screwdriver and remove the control panel. Look for the harness plug that is connected to the lid switch and remove it. Next, check the connectivity of the wires probe, the non green wires, with the DMM, switched to resistance measurement mode. Open the lid and see the resistance reading. In normal circumstances, it should be infinite. Now close the lid and again check the resistance value. Under normal conditions, it should give you a zero value. If any of these values, are not as they should be, replace the harness switch.
• Timer is not working: Identify the timer under the control panel hood. It will be black and looks like a chip. Disconnect its leads. Again measure the resistance across the leads. If the resistance is anything more or less than 1100 ohm to 3000 ohm, its time to replace the timer!

Problem 2: The washing machine doesn't fill up with water or the amount of water flow is less!

Solution: If the size of flow is less, probably the hose filter is clogged with dirt. Jut remove the hose and clean the filter gauze with a brush. Flow should start normally.

If the water is not falling into the washer at all then, there may again be a problem with the timer circuit, check that again as instructed before. Another thing that may cause water flow to stop is malfunctioning of the water level switch! To check that, go to the control panel circuitry. Its easy to identify the water level switch by the transparent tube attached to it. Check the resistance between ends of three connected wires, in all possible combinations, two at a time. Normally, the resistance for one pair should be zero while other pairings will have infinite resistance. If it is not so, change the water level switch.

Problem 3: The washing machine fills up with water, but does not drain it!

Solution: The major reason for this to happen is the clogging of the drain pipe of the washing machine. If, even after you clean the drainage hose, the problem persists, there may be other problems.

Next possibility could be that the drainage pump which drives the water out of the drainage hose may be clogged! So, remove the drainage pump and clean it. That should solve the problem.

Another reason for the problem might be that the belt of the drainage pump motor may have loosened. If this is the case, you have to simply tighten it.

Problem 4: The washer tub has started leaking!

Solution: Check all the hoses attached to the washer and the drainage pump.

Problem 5: The washer does not stir or rotate!

Solution: This may be due to entangling of some cloth fabric in the agitator. Remove it. Again, this may be caused by a problem in the driver belt, motor or disconnection of some leads to the agitator. Check all of these parts. If there is still a problem, you may have to bring in a professional technician.

Problem 6: The washer doesn't spin for drying clothes!

Solution: This problem is mainly caused because of the problems in the driver belt, lid switch, timer or the solenoid that controls the agitator. Sometimes the reason for spin stoppage is purely, clothes overload. Lessen the load and try again. If this doesn't solve the problem, then this problem of washing machine repair is beyond your expertise. Call in a skilled technician.

These are some of the problems which repeatedly crop up. By now, you must have realized that repairing washing machine is not a simple job. You have to go about troubleshooting washing machine problems like a detective. See the symptoms and think logically about the direct cause that could lead to this anomaly. To avoid problems later, have a look at the list of top rated washing machines, before you go for buying them. This may save you a lot of hassle later.

Washing machine trouble shooting like all other appliances' trouble shooting jobs is an art, that requires a willingness to think! I know a master technician who repairs just about all of these gadgets and he is the greatest 'do it yourself guy', i have ever seen. He told me, that to repair a device, first, know its working. Then, understand the causal relationship between its various parts. Then just think in terms of the machine, as if you are the machine! Keep working and you will eventually find the anomaly.

Fixing up things on my own, gives me a high. Try doing such things like DIY washing machine repair, once in a while. Do it yourself washing machine repair or any such endeavor does a lot of good to your self esteem. After all, the reward of doing something, is in the doing of it, as said by Burt Munro, the greatest DIY guy I have ever seen! I hope this article has given you a fair idea of how to go about, do it yourself washing machine repair! This kind of DIY washing machine repair, not only saves money, but gives you a chance to appreciating the ingenuity of machinery which we normally take for granted!