What is wrong with a washer when it does this?

[episodic]

It won't spin down and drain. It still agitates. I'm sitting here with a tub of water and clothes in it, and it when it should start spinning and draining it just stops.

What is this typically? Cheaper to repair or replace? Any stupidly easy things a non-mechanical person could check?

 

[Eli]

Hmm. Does it drain at all? Maybe the pump went out.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: episodic
It won't spin down and drain. It still agitates. I'm sitting here with a tub of water and clothes in it, and it when it should start spinning and draining it just stops.

What is this typically? Cheaper to repair or replace? Any stupidly easy things a non-mechanical person could check?

Did you try pressing down on the cover(assuming you have a top loading washer of course)?

Our machine sometimes stops like that.
The problem with ours is that the cover doesn't go all the way down properly unless you press it or put something on it.

After we press the side when closing it, it works normally.
If you simply just close it, there's a 20% chance it will stop midway through.

Usually when I load clothes, I close the top cover and put our detergent box on top of it.
I don't want to come downstairs expecting to put clothes in the dryer that I may need within the next hour or that same day only to discover that the machine stopped midway and hasn't drained.

 

[Twista]

Our use to do that. We got a new one and the problem went away.

 

[Leros]

Does the timer continue on and finish? (I'm thinking the timer might be getting stuck)

 

[episodic]

Here is what I found so far.

If I lowered the hose into a bucket, it drained fine, so it isn't stopped up.

The timer simply stops. Won't go forward.
I'm going to check the other stuff now.

 

[episodic]

I'm trying to remember - should I be able to twist the plastic agitator thing with my hand? Shouldn't it turn?

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: episodic
Here is what I found so far.

If I lowered the hose into a bucket, it drained fine, so it isn't stopped up.

The timer simply stops. Won't go forward.
I'm going to check the other stuff now.

That means your pump isn't pumping. But if the timer is stopped, that means the pump is never being switched on. My guess is the timer/control unit is getting stuck.

Can you set the washer to the draining/spinning portion of the cycle and start it there?

 

[episodic]

Nope. It will agitate on any cycle - but on drain - it is just dead - no matter where you put it.

 

[Leros]

I don't know how washers work. I can see two things:

a) the timer is broken

b) the pump is broken and the timer won't continue on until the water has been drained

 

[Shawn]

then it's the pump

 

[SlitheryDee]

Originally posted by: episodic
I'm trying to remember - should I be able to twist the plastic agitator thing with my hand? Shouldn't it turn?

My washer was doing something similar a couple months ago. Turned out the agitator had broken loose from the central rod that caused it to move. This also stopped the tub from spinning for some reason. I think the agitator interlocks with the tub somehow at the bottom to cause it to spin. Anyway, I bought a new agitator for $22.00 plus shipping from an online appliance part store and it fixed the problem.

Edit: Wait you can't turn the agitator? I think it should turn along with the entire tub if you try to twist it. If you can't turn it at all you may have a different problem than I had.

 

[Leros]

My agitator spins freely in one directly, but will drag the tub with it in the other direction.

 

[gooseman]

Originally posted by: Twista
Our use to do that. We got a new one and the problem went away.

Sheer genius! I like your way of thinking.

 

[mizzou]

to answer your question, home appliances have entered the home electronics style of repair.

It's cheaper (in the long run) to simply purchase a new appliance.

I would only get it repaired if it's under warranty or if you are savvy enough yourself to find the faulty part and order it

 

[episodic]

Well I took out the front panel. I have an old 'galaxy' washer from way back in the sears days in the 90's. they don't even make these any more. It has a very simple mechanical timer. I took off the cover and the timer seems to be doing what it should. I checked the switch that tells you the door is down. It seems to be fine. I jiggled all the wires, unplugged them and reseated them. Nothing.

Yea the the agitator won't spin freely in either direction when emptied. I thought that it use to spin at least in one direction.

So what is a washing machine worth in scrap metal these days

 

[episodic]

Also does anyone know the following:

Home depot is a few blocks from me. I go online and they have a web only sale on a maytag centennial that is a good price. When I click on buy it, it says that they can't deliver. I know for a fact my home depot does deliver. Will they honor the 'web only' price if I can't seem to get the system to let me buy it online?

 

[KK]

My bet is on the timer. Whats the model number of the washer?

 

[mizzou]

if you are looking for a new washer, I HIGHLY recommend Fisher and Paykel products. Our washer is one of the most efficient energy wise out there and it was the 1st model they brought to America from over-seas and it is EXCELLENT

Plus it makes sweet beeping sounds

 

[AMDMaddness]

Have any babies in the house or wash small things? Sounds like you may have a sock or some other thong thing stuck in the pump impeller... happened to me when i had an old kenmore a couple of times.

Pete

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: KK
My bet is on the timer. Whats the model number of the washer?

Sears and Roebuck Galaxy

 

[Slew Foot]

Originally posted by: AMDMaddness
Have any babies in the house or wash small things? Sounds like you may have a sock or some other thong thing stuck in the pump impeller... happened to me when i had an old kenmore a couple of times.

Pete

Geez the kids start young these days.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: episodic

Originally posted by: KK
My bet is on the timer. Whats the model number of the washer?

Sears and Roebuck Galaxy

yeah, how about any model number of the washer.

 

[DrPizza]

There are a couple simple to repair things that can go wrong and cause those symptoms too. Can you look underneath where the motor is?

Hmmm, on second thought, it wouldn't agitate if the part I'm thinking is bad was bad... (depends on the model, it's a rubber piece on some of the Sears washers that transfers the power from the motor to everything else - it's the weakest link, thus the part that usually breaks (especially if you have a habit of overloading the washer), and it's an easy part to replace.

However, since it agitates, it's not that part. And, while other here suspect the pump, that wouldn't prevent it from spinning. I'd almost guarantee the problem is somewhere in the door switch or wire to the door switch. If the door is open, those are the two things that are supposed to stop. I doubt it's the timer.

If you've already abandoned hope, give the switch a shot - just eliminate the switch and connect the wires. I'm not positive if it's on a relay or not, so be careful - the wires may be low voltage, or they may be 110Volts.

edit: I hunted around and found two articles from a while apart.
here
According to that one, the timer (if it were the timer) is around $65 + shipping.

But, your symptoms are described better in this one (oddly, by the same guy 7 months after the timer was a problem) here

Either way, if you're even slightly handy, I don't think it's too difficult or expensive of a problem to diagnose & repair. If you do decide to replace the washing machine, the motor probably has the most scrap value. Seems like they were around $1 per pound last time I was at the scrap yard, but I really can't remember for sure.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: episodic
Well I took out the front panel. I have an old 'galaxy' washer from way back in the sears days in the 90's. they don't even make these any more. It has a very simple mechanical timer. I took off the cover and the timer seems to be doing what it should. I checked the switch that tells you the door is down. It seems to be fine. I jiggled all the wires, unplugged them and reseated them. Nothing.

Yea the the agitator won't spin freely in either direction when emptied. I thought that it use to spin at least in one direction.

So what is a washing machine worth in scrap metal these days

It still could be the timer. Contacts may be bad inside the unit. My dryer had something similar happen (no smartass comments about a washer being a dryer either! ) and replacing the timer unit corrected the issue.