My Kenmore washing machine won't drain or spin?
Question:I have an older Kenmore top loading washer. In the past when it has had this problem I have removed the clothes, put some bleach in the water, and run a cycle without any clothes in it--and that usually fixes it. This time however that trick is not working. The motor is running and it will fill and agitate, but then it will not drain; the pump is going and I can sort of smell a "hot rubber" smell when it is trying to drain but the water just stays there. I have tried straightening the drain hose and pouring bleach into it--still nothing. The washer has been sitting for two days full of water (yecch!). The nearest laundromat is 12 miles away, too!
Anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks!
Answers:
considering it is a kenmore that means it is either a GE washer or a Whirlpool washer as kenmore doesnot make appliances..they have them made for them and just put their name on them...now there is a few things could be wrong..1 their is a coupling between the motor and the pump and this has finally worn out...2 on some models the pump is belt driven and the belt could be bad...3 on some models the pump is seperate from the drive motor and has its own motor just for the pump...this could be running but the pump part could be bad.even if it worked somewhat before that still does not mean the pump or the coupling that connects the pump to the motor wasnt going bad..nearly all machines will allow the water to drain out if you just lower the drain hose lower than the tub...try letting the water drain into a small bucket and then see if it wil spin...it should spin once the water is drained out but you will have to keep the drain hose in the bucket lower than the tub through the spin cycle.this should work and allow you to get all the water out of your machine.dont use it anymore once you do this as you could damge other parts by trying to make it work...the parts and labor to fix this shouldnt be over 100 dollars...
It is probably the belt but could be the pump or something else for that matter. Might want to consider buying new instead or repairing if it is that old.
You may want to check inside or around the pump for something clogging it. I had the same issue with my front-loader. Turns out my 2-yr-old had a ladder from a Matchbox firetruck in his pocket and it got lodged in the piping leading to the pump. Be ready with buckets and towels, just in case.
There is a "drain solenoid" which is on the line that allows the water to pump out. It has likely failed. Until it indicates the tub is empty, it will prevent the machine from spinning. If you lift it up and look underneath, you will see this device attached on one side to the drain hose and on the other to the tub. Use a pair of pliers to open the wire clamp on the tub side (all the water will drain out!!!), and if (when it is empty) it will spin, the solenoid is bad.if it still will not spin, the controller is bad & you need a new machine!
If it is the solenoid, take it to Sears & they will sell you a new one.
Don't make too much mess! (Put a LOT of old towel underneath and have a supply of buckets handy when you disconnect the hose!)...
it sounds like you have a loose belt,or the motor is going.
Check the following site and you may find some possibilities: http://www.repairclinic.com/0047_11.asp... ...Good Luck...
Check the door switch.? these tend to break just enough to lose contact...
Why guess ? This is a simple one and you are on the wrong track. Like one fellow said - a door switch sometimes will make good contact and sometimes not. Go to http://appliancequickfix.com/ to find out how to find out.
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