/DIY washing machine repairs (part 1)
DIY washing machine repairs advice. Help on fixing common washing machine faults
This section gives diy appliance repair help for washing machines but if you simply want to find a reputable repairman then try this section - Find a reputable washing machine repairer and get advice related to finding a repairer
Can I fix my own washing machine?: Some people can, and some people shouldn't even try. It depends on your competence, and understanding of electricity - especially DIY safety issues. Many washing machine breakdowns though are not serious, and can be repaired pretty easily - if you just know what to do.
You must be aware that electricity can and does kill - even qualified engineers. Never work on an appliance that is not totally unplugged. DIY repair safety and tips The following washing machine repair help contains general advice only. It may help to solve some basic washing machine faults that don't require an engineer, or to give an idea of how serious a fault may actually be. Never work on a washing machine that is still plugged in! Using this advice is at your own risk.
Please feel free to link to Washerhelp. Feel free to use small quotes as long as there is a link to the original source. The contents of Washerhelp are protected by Copyright. Please don't plagiarise my hard work. 
DIY help on common washing machine faults
- Washing machine won't fill with water (or no water goes into washing machine)
- Washing machine sticks or stops mid-cycle
- Laundry (washing) isn't coming out clean (still dirty) or has marks on it (marks on clothes)
- Holes in washing (laundry) (Goes to one of my Blog articles)
Washing machine won't fill with water (or no water goes into washing machine)
Most modern washing machines are now cold fill only - so if yours is, ignore all references to the hot water. To check that the washing machine is taking in both hot and cold water -
- Make sure both hot and cold taps are turned on
- Put the washing machine onto the whites program, which should take only hot water in. Pull the soap dispenser drawer out a little to check that hot water is coming in and at a decent flow rate
- When you are satisfied that the hot water comes in OK, either turn the program to the last rinse, or if you can't alter the program because it's electronic, cancel it and then put the washing machine onto the last rinse and restart. Open the soap dispenser drawer to check that cold water is coming in at a decent rate.
If the washing machine wont take in any water at all and the drum doesn't start turning - plus you can hear a humming noise, check that both your taps are turned on or that the water supply hasn't been cut off in someway. The gentle humming from the back of the washing machine could be the water valves being energised and trying to take water in, but there's no water coming through the hoses.
If no water enters the washing machine, but the drum starts turning (as though washing normally) then you should stop the washing machine as there may be a fault in the pressure system that controls the levels of water. This fault can cause the timer to receive a false signal that water is already in the washing machine and the heater may be energized. This can damage the heater or burn the clothes inside. A blocked pressure chamber can trap air in the pressure tubing and leave the pressure switch on. If this happens, when you put the washing machine onto a wash program it doesn't take any water in and starts washing because it thinks there is water inside. This fault should also prevent the washing machine going into spin though too.
If the washing machine is not taking in water from one side only, (i.e.just the hot or just the cold) then the obvious thing is to check that water is actually available through the plumbing from the offending pipe. Turn off the tap on the affected supply and unscrew the hose from the valve at the back of the washing machine machine. Then simply hold the fill hose into the sink or into a bucket and turn the tap back on. If water comes through at a decent flow rate then check the filter in the water valve on the washing machine. You can pull it out with a pair of pliers and clean it. However, this will only explain your fault if it is severely blocked up, which is rare.
If no water comes through the hose, or the flow is very slow, then the fault is in the plumbing. This is actually also quite rare, but if your machine was plumbed in using those self plumbing taps that clamp on to the copper water pipes then they do sometimes get clogged up and need the hole clearing. If this happens to the cold supply it can be achieved by turning the stop tap off first, but if the hot supply is blocked - which is the most likely of the two - then you have to turn off the cold supply and then drain the hot water tank by turning on the hot tap until the water is drained out (unless you know where the valve is to turn the hot water off in your water cylinder).
If water is coming through the fill hoses OK, then the fault lies elsewhere with the washing machine. Call an engineer or research Washerhelp's forum archive
Go to top of pageWashing machine sticks or stops mid-cycle
A very common fault on washing machines is when the program timer fails to complete the cycle and stops part way through. Many people blame the program timer for this but although it is a possible cause, there are many more likely causes for this fault. The program will stick if the heater isn't working, if the thermostat fails, if it can't fill up with cold water for the rinses, if it can't empty the water etc. There are too many possible causes of this fault to be able to give anything other than rudimentary advice. However, the common causes of a washing machine sticking that can easily be fixed are filling and emptying problems.
Check that the cold water supply is available to the washing machine, which is a common cause for sticking on rinses. If the washing machine appears to stop mid-cycle and isn't filling with water on rinses then see Washing machine won't fill with water (or no water goes into washing machine) before calling an engineer. If the washing machine can't drain the water out then it will stick on the rinses, or it will abort with an error code. If you can see water still inside the washing machine then check the following advice Washing machine won't empty water
Washing machine error codes
These days, most washing machines are controlled by software in computer-type modules. If a fault occurs, the washing machine will often abort the program and display an error code. This could be in the form of a letter and number (such as F10 or E2) or by flashing neon lights. If your washing machine is aborting the program, and lights are flashing, make a note of which neon(s) are lit up or flashing. This is invaluable information which can be reported to an engineer. For information on other washing machine error codes, see Washing machine displays an error code
Indesit error codes
If a modern Indesit washing machine has option buttons on the front panel, which come on when the corresponding option is selected, then the error fault codes are shown by flashing the on off light rapidly and lighting one or more of the option lights. At the same time, the selector switch will often click round and round. Make a note of exactly which option lights are lit, and an engineer can look up the error code.
Modern Indesit washing machines that don't have option lights will usually convey the error code by rapidly flashing the on off light a certain number of times. For example, error code 7, will cause the on off indicator light to flash seven times, pause for a second and flash seven times again.