Servicing the Valves, Tub and Agitator

If your washer is overflowing or is excessively noisy, the tips on this page may be able to solve your problem.

Servicing Water Inlet Valves

If the washer won't fill or fills very slowly, if it overfills, or if the water is the wrong temperature, the water inlet valves could be faulty. These components are easy to locate and very easy to replace, at little cost. When you suspect an inlet valve is faulty, first check to make sure the water faucets are fully turned on and properly connected to the hot and cold inlets of the valves. Then check the screens in the valves; if they're clogged, clean or replace them. If water doesn't enter the tub, set the temperature control to the HOT setting. If there is no water, set the control to the WARM setting. If all that comes out is cold water, the hot-water inlet valve is faulty. Reverse the procedure to test the cold-water valve, setting the control first on COLD and then on WARM. If the tub overfills, unplug the washer. If water still flows into the tub, the valve is stuck open. In any of these cases, the valves should probably be replaced. To check the valve assembly:

If an inlet valve is faulty, check the water connection and the valve screens.
©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
If an inlet valve is faulty, check the water connection and the
valve screens. Try gently tapping the solenoids;
if this doesn't work, replace the inlet valve assembly.

Step 1: Remove the back service panel and disconnect the hot-water and cold-water hoses to the valves.

Step 2: Remove the hoses connected to the valves inside the cabinet. Also disconnect the wires from the terminals. Back out the screws holding the valves to the machine. The inlet valves have solenoids (a coil of wire that carries a current) inside the housing. These can be tested, but chances are the valves are simply worn out.

Step 3: Tap the solenoids with a screwdriver handle. If this doesn't work, replace the entire inlet valve assembly. Repairs usually cost more than a new part. Make sure the replacement valve assembly is exactly the same type as the old one. Install it in reverse order of the way you disconnected the old one.

Servicing the Tub and Agitator

Replace a damaged agitator with a new one of the same type.
©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
Replace a damaged agitator
with a new one of the same type.
Unscrew the cap on top of the
agitator and pull straight up;
the agitator should lift off.

The washing machine tub, or basket, generally doesn't cause problems. However, at times it may cause damage to the laundry, make a lot of noise, vibrate, or stop completely.

If laundry is torn during the wash cycle, feel around the tub. If you find a rough spot, you may be able to smooth it with an emery board. Sand the spot lightly. If this doesn't work -- or if you have to cut to bare metal to remove the roughness -- the tub should be replaced. In this case, it's probably much wiser to replace the entire washer.

The agitator -- the finned part that fits on the tub shaft -- can also tear laundry if the fins are cracked or broken. You may be able to solve the problem temporarily by pinching off the splinters with pliers and lightly filing the plastic smooth, but this is just a stopgap measure; the agitator should be replaced. Replace a damaged agitator with a new one of the same type. To do this, unscrew the cap on top of the agitator. With the cap off, pull straight up on the agitator; it should lift off. If it doesn't move, rap its side with a hammer. If it still won't lift off, drive wedges under the bottom rim of the agitator to dislodge it. Then set the new agitator into place and replace the agitator cap.

Damage to the snubber, a padlike device sometimes located under the agitator cap, can cause the machine to vibrate excessively. The snubber may have a suspension spring in it. Lift off the agitator cap and examine the snubber. If the spring is broken, or if the pad is visibly worn, replace the entire snubber. Snubbers might also be found at the splash guard at the top of the tub, under the transmission, or as part of the water pump housing. Look around until you see it.

If the machine doesn't have a snubber, listen for noise at the suspension unit between the tub and the machine cabinet. The suspension unit has fins or pads that may need replacement. In some cases, the entire unit may have to be replaced. Another noise point is the basket support nut. Tighten the nut or, if you can't tighten it, replace it.

Sudden tub stops can be caused by a broken motor belt, but they are usually due to poor tub loading. Check to see if wet laundry is wadded around the bottom of the tub shaft, or under the basket or agitator assembly. Remove the basket or agitator in order to remove the laundry easily.

We will conclude our tour of the washing machine on the next page with tips for servicing the water pump, the belts and pulleys, and the motor.