Washing Machine Flooded when switched off.

[adam81]

Hi,

Put in a new (graded) washing machine yesterday. fagor fwm714it

It has been sitting in position with the cold feed plumbed for a while. Yesterday I realised I was getting funny tasting water so put a double check valve on the supply before it got to the appliance tap. This cured the water from the WM supply hose getting into the drinking water.

I have an appliance tee feeding both the WM and DW. Yesterday I put the plug and did a test run on the WM. No issues appeared to drain correctly.

Then I came down this morning and the WM had flooded the kitchen. I'd turned the kitchen sockets off as I was doing other things last night so the WM was off all night. As soon as I turned it back on it pumped the majority out of the drum.

It should obviously not fill when it's off and until I put on the check valve it hadn't. But it had remained without power previously.

Doing a bit of reading it seems if the water pressure is not enough, the inlet valve may not switch off fully. Would the double check valve have done this?

Thing is I've done 2 things at once I suppose, power it up, test it and put in the check valve.

The waste hose drops to the floor, runs along the floor then up into the sink cupboard where it goes into a U bend.

The water in the drum was clean so don't see that it's siphoned it from anywhere.

Any ideas?

 

[jj4091]

I'm not familiar with that make of washer,but the ones I am familiar with are not affected by water pressure. I would have thought it more likely that disturbed foreign bodies have gotten into the inlet valve & jammed it open when you have been fitting the check valve. Suggest you strip & clean it.

 

[adam81]

Done a bit more playing..

If I blow in the back of inlet I can't blow suggesting the valve is OK or not?, so leads me to think the waste hose might be routed incorrectly?

I had to extend it so currently it drops to the floor runs up into the sink cabinet, looping it up above the point it enters the spigot on the waste. Could it have back filled under these conditions? Still seems big climb for the water back into the machine.

I disconnected the waste hose and was easy able to fill it up by moving this around suggesting there was water still in the hose. (This still looked the same clean water so not sure where the issue is really)

I've since moved the hose so it now comes up and straight over the cabinet next to it, and dropped it into the spigot. The problem still appears mind you, although it seems to a lesser degree as there will be less standing water I assume.

Do you still a loop on the back of the WM if the hose goes straight up and over the carcass next to it?

 

[adam81]

Another update..

I think it certainly is the inlet valve. More tests have shown that when I removed the supply hose and reconnected it after also taking off the inlet valve (I did nothing other than remove it take a look) it did not appear to take on water after being left for a few hours.

Also I could turn off the iso tap and back on again an no moving water was heard. I've since ran another cycle, and it is doing it again. So I mopped all the water out of the drum and removed the waste hose and drained this down into a bucket. So I'd be pretty confident now that it cannot possibly be that.

On looking again water is still in the drum.

The question is could the double check valve be doing this?

I found this help page realating to low water pressure and check valves

http://www.whitegoodshelp.co.uk/washing-machine-fills-with-water-overnight/

 

[jj4091]

Double check valves only stop the water flowing backwards when the pressure is removed, it should not decrease the forward flow rate. I think stripping & cleaning or replacing the inlet valve is going to be the only solution to your problem. I am presuming you have checked there is no voltage measured across the coil when the machine is in standby

 

[adam81]

Double check valves only stop the water flowing backwards when the pressure is removed, it should not decrease the forward flow rate. I think stripping & cleaning or replacing the inlet valve is going to be the only solution to your problem. I am presuming you have checked there is no voltage measured across the coil when the machine is in standby

Thanks jj. I've not done any checks the machine came with a 2 month warranty so I will call the supplier and return it on the basis of this confirmation. I just wanted to make sure I was not doing anything wrong as I have floor layers coming on Friday to fit that so wanted all appliances in and sorted.

Further proof I left it over night with water on, waste drained and still the drum filled up.

Thanks all

 

[jj4091]

If it is under warranty then you should have no problem, but one final thing you might do is repeat your last experiment with the machine unplugged which will prove whether the fault is electrically based or mechanically.