hotpoint wma 10 drain problem

[briershire]

please can you help i have a rather aged wma 10 recently it has been unable to drain and will only do so by lowering the drain pipe into a bucket. when it tries to start to drain without the bucket method it makes a strange clicking noise which appears to be coming from the drain pump , i have stripped this part and found no blockage in either the pump or the in or out pipes but when turning the blades manually they seem to almost pulse 1/4 turn before some resistance is felt is this normal? i thought his may be a problem with the pump so i replaced it but the pump i have replaced it with is second hand and feels the same under manual turning is this one also deffective ? please can you help with some info as i am skint and would normaly be able to afford to just buy a new washing machine, but needs must i just need clean clothes!!!
please help

 

[tockworth]

My first thought is a partial blockage in the pipe from the bottom of the drum to the inlet of the pump. If there is a drastic loss of flow you would hear a differnt noise other than normal coming from the pump. I would first check this by disconnecting pipe to the pump to make sure there is a rapid exit of water from the drum.Secondly to check the drain hose from the pump to the drain/sink I have had a five pence piece stuck in this pipe which is the exact diameter of the drain pipe and although I could blow through it which would normaly indicate it was clear when water was pumped into it, the flow of water turned the coin to completely block the outlet. Check this thoroughly. The slight resistance you feel on the pump impeller is normal.

 

[briershire]

thanks but all the pipes have been removed and are free from any blockage, the pump housing has been taken off and the impellor is free from blockage, and the plastic sump thingy under the drum has been emptied of various coinage, the water exits v fast as i would expect under gravity through the waste pipe.
when on a normal cycle the pump does not kick in at all and i can only make it do so by over filling the machine water level , when i do this it makes a clicking noise empties some water and then dies
could this be a problem with the programme board or perhaps the vaccum switch doofer?

 

[tockworth]

Just to try and understand this when you say on a normal cycle the pump does not kick in at all do you mean at the point of the programme when the pump should start the machine stops at that point without progressing unless you fill it with more water(how do you do that)

 

[briershire]

at the point where the programme should kick the pump in to empty the drum nothing happens and it will try to spin but because there is to much water in the drum it will try several times to spin the water out and then give up and light up the programme end light.
during this process the pump makes no noise and no water is emptied.
the only way i can get the pump to try and work is by putting it on a rinse and spin cycle, which will eventually fill it to about halfway up the glass then the pump will try to kick in making a clicking noise and emptying about half of the water before giving up the ghost.
we are now using the machine in what i call semi automatic mode starting the wash cycle and lowering the exit hose at the time that i think would be the water pump out time this envolves 2 tilted buckets and a wet floor !
this appears to be working but is time consuming and i cant help but think that this has got to be a pump or programe problem , due to the fact that everything has been taken apart ,cleaned , checked and emptied and all is fine .
i worry that maybe the second hand replacement pump is defective, but the absence of the noise during a standard wash cycle is puzzling causing me to suspect a programing fault or maybe some problem with the vaccum type switch that is attached to the side of the filter via a clear pipe that reaches to the top of the machine
i have a reasonable understanding of mechanical engineering but this ones got me stumped!!
i think its getting you too!
lol

 

[breezer]

why not "plug the pump in" and see if it runs. at least that way you will know if its the pump

 

[briershire]

the pump is plugged in!

 

[breezer]

no, i meant take the pump out (or try the other one) and plug it direcly into the mains

(most can be connected via a couple of insulated spade terminals)

 

[briershire]

ok ill try that do you know if it matters which way round the + and - are?

 

[breezer]

its L + N when mains is concerned, and no it doesn't

 

[briershire]

hi breezer checked the pump and is working and running quietly away from the washing machine

 

[breezer]

so its not the pump then.

 

[tockworth]

The fact that you have the same symptoms after replacing the pump second hand or not would indicate this is not the fault. The pump is not operating because the programmer is not enabling it when it should which could be a programmer fault. But because of the fact that when you add more water it triggers the pump it would then indicate a possibility that there is something amiss with the pressure switch.(the pipe vacuumy thing) It would seem that the pressure switch is not being activated when the water level is at a point were it should switch which tells the programmer to activate pump.Any air leak in the pipe would give this symptom or even a lazy switch itself or possibly a partial blockage in the chamber or pipe causing resistance. I would suspect this before the programmer

 

[briershire]

hi when i blow through the vaccum pipe the switch clicks in , but have removed the cover from the vaccum switch and when manualy depressing the rubber seal the switch clicks but does not start the pump so am i right in presuming this is a faulty switch
cheers darren

 

[tockworth]

At this point I would replace the pressure switch but dont forget the programmer is still not eliminated as it is the switching in the programmer tha feeds 240volts to the pump. Also check any connections from pressure switch to programmer for intermittent connections.Please also be aware this is a class 1 appliance and should not be worked on live.