How do I open up a Miele w921 ? - picture added!

[janglesoul]

Hi,
While cleaning the area behind the detergent drawer on my Miele w921 I accidently dropped a small triangular lid down the pipe/hose going into the machine. The lid was covering some small hole on the left side behind the drawer. It’s approximately one inch wide, and just big enough for falling down the pipe/hose.

Since I had water in the machine after cleaning I put it on the emptying program and had the water pumped out. After a while there was a noise indicating that the small lid was now blocking some moving part. I’m assuming it’s some kind of pump/propeller? I quickly turned the machine off and emptied the remaining water manually on the front.

So, I need some direction how I can open up the machine to have the object removed. I’m reasonably practical, but a newbie on washing machines.

Is it doable or should I just call for Miele service? I've found information for how to open up (swing open) the front. But from there I don't know where to look or what difficulties I'm likely to expect.


I’d be most grateful for any help! Thanks in advance.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Have you checked the filter (if that's separate from your front drain point)/

Usually with Miele it's in the little door at the bottom front and has a bayonet style cap.

 

[janglesoul]

Thanks for your reply!

Yes, I did open up the "little door" and the big "screw" draining the machine. (I regularly clean this area). The hose/pipe leading water up to this point doesn't seem to be wide enough for the lid to travel all the way there.

I have acess to the regular owners manual, so I guess I have done everything Miele wants consumers to do themselves. So it's either call a tech or open it up and see what I can find.

My guess is it can't have travelled very far. I'm just a bit unsure about unscrewing parts containing water and not knowing if I'll get it all tight together again.

Thanks again!

 

[janglesoul]

Hi there, still working on my Miele w921.

I opened up the machine last night. (disconnected from all electricity of course). Swung the front open. Removed the thick rubber hose where the water and detergent comes into the machine (no 1 in pic), and made it really nice and clean.
I also removed the big coneshaped rubber hose at the bottom (no 2 in pic) where I found a wire from some bra b. (Was surprised to find that there was a small ball in there, but apparently thats how it works).
So far, so good. I haven't made any mistakes yet, and I can still call a tech if I don't manage.

Questions:
Number 3 in the picture is what interests me now. The small missing lid must have made its way into this thing. What is it? Is it easy to remove and put back on.?

Apart from the pump at the bottom front which you can easily unscrew, is there some other pump at work in a Miele to drain water (at the back)?

When I talked to a tech on the phone he seemed to imply that there was some other propeller at work in the machine apart from the small one (easily reachable) at the front. I wondering which pump it is that drains the machine and sends the water out the through the hose on the back.
I'm assuming the missing lid must be lurking there somewhere.

I'd be most grateful for any input/direction on this. My apology for my somewhat homemade sentencenses. Appliance-vocabulary isn't what they teach you in school.

Thanks,
Carl

 

[zipper]

Nr. 3 is simply a trap to stop objects entering the drum.
The locating bolt at the top holds it in place & there is a drum seal behind it.
It is removable but if you take it off make sure the seal is fitted properly again.
There is only one drain pump (lower left).

 

[janglesoul]

Thankyou for chiming in!

I guess if I had known there was a trap in there I should have been more careful before flushing the little lid further into the machine. It would have been really easy to take it out if I hadn't been in such a hurry to make things more complicated
I'll have a look behind the trap later today. I'll make sure to put it back tightly.

Opening things up certainly is interesting. I'm going to do a little more detective work to see if I can understan where this little plastic object has gone.

Any suggestions for something that could be used for probing?

Thanks again!

 

[OwainDIYer]

Any suggestions for something that could be used for probing?

Chinese USB endoscopes are quite cheap on Ebay (under £30 in UK) so you can make a video of your miele-intestines.

 

[janglesoul]

Any suggestions for something that could be used for probing?

Chinese USB endoscopes are quite cheap on Ebay (under £30 in UK) so you can make a video of your miele-intestines.

Well, it really is a bit like surgery, isn't it?

 

[zipper]

I would just take it off, turn it upside down & give it a shake. Chances are whatever you lost will fall out, that's why there is a trap in the first place. It only takes a couple of minutes, remove the bolt & pull the trap towards you. You may find by pushing the drum slightly back it will give you a bit more room between trap & frame. Good luck

 

[janglesoul]

Great idea!
It just got me thinking that maybe the noise I heard could have been the lid scraping against the rotating drum. Can't wait to get home from work to try this out. This actually beats the fun in changing broken glass on my iPhone. I just hope the outcome is a similar success.

At least I've given the machine a proper cleaning in the process

Thanks!

 

[janglesoul]

Sure enough! I removed the water trap and like I suspected that little plastic lid was scraping against the drum. I thought about turning the drum to make it glide to the bottom where I could get hold of it. But when I carefully moved the drum back and forth...

... IT FELL OUT by itself!

Putting the water trap back wasn't that hard. But I had to put the rubber gasket in first, then push the trap firmly back, making sure the gasket got hold around its edges.

Once again thanks to everybody who took the time to chime in trying to help. Much appreciated!!! I love the Internet for this.

 

[zipper]

Good job