5 Most Common Washer Problems
If you think about it, your washer is a pretty marvelous invention. It fills with water, agitates to whatever speed and duration you set and dispenses softener at appropriate times. Then, after it’s done most of its work, it drains completely.
With all of the water, wear and tear and cleaning detergents involved in operating your washer, breakdowns are nearly inevitable. Parts become worn. Motors wear out. Controls fail. When washers fail, the potential for damage to your home is significant. Washer-caused water damage alone costs consumers and insurers $150 million a year.
Still, with all the things that can go wrong with a washer, there are really only a handful of common washer complaints. We’ll discuss the top five washer problems here, then list some of their most common solutions.
-Washer Won’t Drain
Water-filled washers need to be addressed right away since pooling water attracts all sorts of unhealthy bacteria, bugs and fungus.
-Washer Leaks or Overflows
Water damage resulting from leaking or overflowing washing machines is no joke. Older washing machines use as much as 40 gallons per cycle; newer machines use about 13 gallons. That’s a lot of water to potentially flood your home when leaks go undetected.
-Basket Won’t Spin or Turn
Agitating and spinning are vital to the entire washing process. Without agitating, your clothes won’t get very clean. Without spinning, your clothes won’t properly rinse and they’ll become too soggy for the dryer.
-Washer Stops Mid-cycle
A machine that can’t progress through its cycles leaves clothes soapy and/or sodden. There are various causes of this problem, including faulty door switches and latches.
-Washer shakes or vibrates unusually
If you have to sit on your washer to keep it from vibrating into the wall, it’s past time for service. Vibrating and shaking aren’t necessarily serious problems but they are symptoms of malfunction.
Top Solutions for Washer Problems
-Restoring Washer’s Drainage
There are two likely culprits for a washer that fails to drain. The first is a relatively inexpensive fix: drain hose replacement. Hoses can wear out and crack over time. They can also become clogged with debris from the discharged water.
A failed drain pump can also prevent a washer from draining. Replacing the drain pump can usually be done in about an hour.
-Stopping Leaks and Overflows
One of the simplest fixes for a leaking washer is to replace the water supply hose or the drain hose. Water inlet valves with inadequate water pressure and loose hose clamps can also be to blame. There are a few other potential causes, too, so check with an expert washer repair tech.
-Helping the Tub Spin
Your repair technician will check several parts of your washer if it won’t spin properly. A failed motor coupler, broken lid latch, misaligned speed selector switch or clogged drain pump can lead to spinning issues.
-Complete Cycles
In addition to faulty door and lid latches, bad timers and timer motors can also prevent your washer from completing a cycle. Most of these repairs can be made by an expert within an hour.
-Steadying Your Washer
Water-damaged tub bearings, failed suspension springs and damaged shock absorbers can cause washers to shake. Washers that aren’t level will also vibrate. Replacing damaged tub bearings, suspension springs and shock absorbers are all easily handled by your washer repair expert.
5 Most Common Dryer Problems
The top five dryer problems mostly relate to a dryer’s issues with heating, venting or engaging. Typical breakdowns include dryers that:
-Won’t turn on,
-Won’t heat,
-Heat too much,
-Don’t tumble or
-Are noisy.
While it’s not often that dryers heat so much that they catch fire, this can be a serious problem. So while fire and burning smells aren’t on the Top 5 list, seek immediate help if it happens to your dryer.
Top Solutions for Dryer Problems
-Restoring your dryer’s power
Sometimes the solution to a dryer that won’t turn on is as simple as checking the electrical outlet, fuses, circuit breakers and door latch. If all of these elements are working, call in an expert dryer repair professional. The repair tech will check wiring to the dryer terminal block, thermostats, thermal fuses and start switches.
-Producing Heat
A dryer that won’t heat can be caused by faulty thermal fuses, heating elements, ignitors and wiring. Your dryer repair expert will check the dryer’s heating element with a Volt-Ohm meter. Your repair tech can usually fix these problems in about an hour.
-Limiting Heat
A dryer that runs too hotly can be hazardous to your safety and your clothing. It’s caused by many of the same elements that lead to a dryer’s failure to heat. In the case of too much heat, the culprits can be thermal fuses, heating elements, cycling thermostats, thermistor and exhaust vents. All of these problems can be solved by your repair tech and should be addressed immediately to avoid safety issues.
-Tumbling Dryer
Dryer belts wear with age and can easily break, leading to a dryer that won’t tumble. Other potential causes of this problem include broken supports, seized drive motors and failed idler pulleys. Belts usually can be replaced in less than an hour. The other repairs can be as quick as half and hour up to two hours.
-Quieting Your Dryer
Many issues can cause a dryer to make unexpected noises, from failing dryer drum seals to broken drum supports. Your knowledgeable repair technician can usually fix this problem within a couple of hours.
We know your washer and dryer are vital to the smooth operation of your life. Don’t wait to have a problem checked out; allowing issues to fester nearly always leads to greater problems. Euro Appliance Repair is here to help you, so give us a call. We respond quickly, and we’re very proud of our track record for service.