Washing Machine Problems

[Arbu]

Hi, there's something wrong with my washing machine. Clothes are still wet after the wash and the outlet pipe doesn't drain. This has been a problem for about a year. I have cleaned the filter, which is always reasonably clean. There are no kinks or obstructions in the outlet pipe. It's a Zanussi Electrolux Essential 1200, about 15 years old. Do you think that the pump might have failed?

Washing machine filter hole

• Arbu
• 7 Sep 2021

Washing machine with waste pipe

• Arbu
• 7 Sep 2021

 

[CBW]

Try putting it on a quick wash, or rinse and drain cycle and place drain hose into a bucket, might help you rule certain things out.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Your pump's shaft will have a cooling fan on the end of the shaft - try turning the pump round via the fan, it should be free. If not a coin or similar might have got in there.

Try a pump out cycle and see if the above pump fan rotates, that will prove the motor and controls are working.

If above OK, then perhaps the pipe is blocked up. Usually the pump out is for a set amount of time, rather than checking if the tub has actually emptied.

 

[JohnD]

Clothes are still wet after the wash

is it spinning fast enough?

 

[jj4091]

Enter diagnostic mode using this manual https://tds.electrolux.com/others/599/724/080EN.PDF ( not your model but will probably be the same procedure) then run the pump using the codes given

 

[Arbu]

Enter diagnostic mode using this manual https://tds.electrolux.com/others/599/724/080EN.PDF ( not your model but will probably be the same procedure) then run the pump using the codes given

The word "diagnostic" doesn't appear in my manual and there are only two lights on it so I don't think any scope to give me messages. https://www.manualslib.com/download/199527/Zanussi-Zwd-1260-W.html

 

[Arbu]

Try putting it on a quick wash, or rinse and drain cycle and place drain hose into a bucket, might help you rule certain things out.

How much water is used in a cycle? About 50 litres I think. How much water does a typical bucket hold? 15 litres I think. So how's that supposed to work? And what will it rule out anyway?

 

[jj4091]

The word "diagnostic" doesn't appear in my manual and there are only two lights on it so I don't think any scope to give me messages. https://www.manualslib.com/download/199527/Zanussi-Zwd-1260-W.html

I did not mean read error codes I meant see if the pump is running.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

How much water is used in a cycle? About 50 litres I think. How much water does a typical bucket hold? 15 litres I think. So how's that supposed to work? And what will it rule out anyway?

I think the idea is to prove that some water is being pumped out by the machine, but be aware that dropping the pipe to the floor will cause water to flow out anyway, whether the machine is powered or not. The pipe U needs to be kept up in the air.

 

[jj4091]

How much water is used in a cycle? About 50 litres I think. How much water does a typical bucket hold? 15 litres I think. So how's that supposed to work? And what will it rule out anyway?

You have a power off button that you can use at any time before the bucket over flows, again it will prove that the pump is working & the hoses aren't blocked.

 

[CBW]

How much water is used in a cycle? About 50 litres I think. How much water does a typical bucket hold? 15 litres I think. So how's that supposed to work? And what will it rule out anyway?

I think there’s a pause function on the washing machine, to funnily enough, pause the machine. Yes it’s as Harry stated, to establish if the pump is pumping out, and also to rule out a blocked wastepipe.

 

[Arbu]

OK, thanks. It seems that the pump is working fine. Plenty of water comes through the outlet, into the bucket, or ordinarily I can hear it gurgling under my sink and bath.

There's no pause function, but I can turn it off.

I think the problem may be that the machine drains, but doesn't spin. So I've just set it to run on R, for rinse. It did this and then rotated to S, where it drained. Then it stopped there. Photo below of how it ended up. To spin, I had to rotate the dial back to M. To do this I had to turn the machine off and rotate the dial and turn the machine back on (it will start a new cycle if I don't switch the machine off).

I'm running a maintenance cycle now, I'll see if that does a spin at the end.

I found this in the manual:

"Spinning starts late or the machine does not spin ● The electronic unbalance detection device has cut in because the laundry is not evenly distributed in the drum. The laundry is redistributed by reverse rotation of the drum. This may happen several times before the unbalance disappears and normal spinning can resume. If, after 20 minutes, the laundry is still not evenly distributed in the drum, the machine will not spin. In this case, redistribute the load manually and reselect the spin programme."

Maybe I just have to stop assuming that the machine will spin automatically after a wash, and, if I find that it hasn't, rebalance the washing and rotate the dial if necessary.

Dials after wash

• Arbu
• 7 Sep 2021

 

[HERTS P&D]

If it's not working now then bin it. You've had 15 years out of it.

Andy

 

[Arbu]

If it's not working now then bin it. You've had 15 years out of it.

Andy

Indeed. But it's a hassle to replace and I don't want to do so if there's nothing fundamentally wrong with it.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Well, is it working now?

Andy