Washer Woes: Expert Tips & Tricks
At Cavalry Appliance Service, it’s our mission to “provide highly skilled service and advice for all makes and all models of all major home appliances and treat our customers the way we would treat the people we love most.” Part of living out that mission is sharing advice on how to avoid paying for unnecessary service calls. We are here for you when you need us but, if we can help you do some things to prevent a failure in the first place, then we’ve succeeded at treating you the way we “treat the people we love most.”
This month, we thought we’d share a few tips on some common causes of washing machine failures and what you can do to either prevent them or try to resolve them on your own. And we’ll also share when it’s time to call in the experts at Cavalry.
Overloading is one of the most common causes of washer failure. When you overload your washer, you put a strain on the motor and other components, which can lead to premature failure. Make sure to follow the manufacturer's guidelines for load size. A good rule of thumb is the half way up the tub.
You can tell you’ve overloaded your washer if your clothes are not spinning properly, not coming out clean or if you smell a burning smell.
You can divide the load and try again, but call Cavalry if you continue to smell a burning smell or your washer begins to leak.
Not all soaps are created equal, and using the wrong soap (for example, liquid dish soap or hand soap) or using too much soap can cause damage to your washer and your clothing.
You can tell your washer is over-sudsing if you see an overabundance of soap suds, your washer won’t drain and/or your clothes will not get clean. You would think that extra soap would do a better job cleaning, but excess soap can cause the washer to become clogged, lead to poor performance and potential failure and is also damaging to your clothing.
Joe usually recommends using about 1/3 of the soap recommended on the back of the detergent box. If you’ve been using the full amount, you could likely skip the detergent in your next load altogether because your clothing fibers have stored enough!
Another cause of over-sudsing could be using the wrong soap. Always use a detergent that is specifically designed for high-efficiency washers. Here’s an extra tip: Powdered soaps are better for outdoor stains, while liquid soaps are good for kitchen and indoor stains.
If you notice this problem, you can run the unit through a wash cycle with cold water to flush out the soap. But, if it’s suds-locking or won’t drain, call Cavalry.
Unbalanced Loads are another common cause of washer failure. When you wash heavy items like towels and sheets together, it can create an unbalanced load that can damage your washer's drum and other components.
To prevent this, always separate heavy items from lighter items when doing laundry. Also, make sure you have enough clothing inside, as loads that are too small can also have a hard time balancing.
To fix an unbalanced load, remove some of the heavier items or try to redistribute and spin again.
Call Cavalry if you can’t get your machine to finish the cycle and spin properly even after re-balancing the load.
Leaking can be caused by faulty hose connections.
You can try using stainless steel fill hoses, check the hoses and connections to make sure they are nice and secure and fix loose connections.
But, if the hoses look ok, the problem may be inside the unit and calling Cavalry would be the answer in that case.
If your machine is not spinning or agitating properly,
You can check to see if there is anything caught in the drum or the pump.
But, if you don’t see anything obvious, it’s time to give us a call.
Strange noises are more of a symptom than a failure, but should not be ignored.
You can try leveling the machine and ensure it’s on a stable surface.
But, call Cavalry if that doesn’t work and get it on video if you can so we can share it with your technician.
Control Board failures are a frustrating failure and can sometimes be prevented by installing a surge suppressor on the outlet. For an in-depth look at common causes of board failures, read one of our previous blog posts: Clutter & Critters & Circuit Boards, Oh my!
Sometimes unplugging the washer, waiting two minutes, and resetting the board will work.
If the functions still don’t work or the display is out, give us a call.
As long as you feel safe doing so, you can try any of the above solutions to save on a service fee. But, if nothing seems to help, we are here to serve you at 252-772-1264.
Cheers,
Joe and Ginny Seeley