# Washing machine problems.



## garryks (14 Jul 2004)

It's about 4 years old and used a few times a week. We always close the door to stop little hands getting in there. But the damp smell is very stong and similar to the mildew type smell you get on walls etc.

Any tips on how to treat this??

Thanks!


----------



## sueellen (14 Jul 2004)

*Re: washing machine has damp-mildew smell, any way to get ri*

I had a top loader when the kids were small due to space shortage in the kitchen so did not have this problem with small 
hands    Have a front loader now and always leave the door open because I've noticed the same smell if we close it.  

Just wondering if you were to use a capful of one of the clothes bleaches on just a spin setting occasionally would it help get rid of the problem?  Don't put any clothes in and let it just spin with the special clothes bleach and water.

We occasionally had a problem with one of our machines where small bits of tissue like substance appeared in the wash (and no I had not left any tissues in pockets).  One of the repair guys told me its good for the machine to sometimes put it on the hottest setting and don't put any clothes in and just let it run on a full wash.


----------



## Allie (15 Jul 2004)

*Smelly dryer*

I have a combined washer dryer and for the first minute or so when we turn on the dryer it really stinks of rotten food or something. I suspect some clothes were washed with food on them and its now sitting in the pipes somewhere rotting. The smell goes away after a minute though. Any ideas? I shoudl ring manufacturer I suppose....


----------



## sueellen (16 Jul 2004)

*Re: washing machine has damp-mildew smell, any way to get ri*

You might find something helpful in these links:
www.washerhelp.co.uk/
[broken link removed]
www.wm1.com/


----------



## Kildrought (22 Jul 2004)

*smell from washer*

What happens is that a small residue of water is left behind all the time and if you only ever wash on a low-temp wash (as most people tend to), bacteria grows in the residue.  Hotpoints are particularly bad for this.  Simple solution is to put in a cup of ordinary bleach straight into the drum; put the machine on it's hottest, longest wash (empty that is) and that will solve the problem.  Best of luck.


----------



## affected (23 Jul 2004)

*washer*

Have you got a filter on your machine. If so open up the little door (when not on) and unscrew plug and if you have never cleaned it - there will be your problem.


----------



## garryks (23 Jul 2004)

*Re: washer*

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried the hot wash, 95degrees with a cup of Milton Sterilising bleach. It helped a bit but I don't think it was strong enough. I'll try again with some normal bleach.

I also thought that maybe using a bio powder might eat/destroy the bacteria/mould in the machine. I've always used no-bio so not sure if its worth a try. Any comments?

BTW it is a hotpoint.

Thanks again!


----------



## sueellen (24 Jul 2004)

*Re: washing machine has damp-mildew smell, any way to get ri*

We had a thread a long time ago here about bio and non-bio washing powder but unfortunately it has long gone.  As far as I can recall most people opted for the non-bio because it causes less irritation/skin complaints.  

I switched a while ago and almost immediately it caused problems and I duly had to revert back.  I notice that you mention 'little hands' and you might well find that the children's skin is even more sensitive than adults.

It might take another wash or so to get rid of the smell or have you tried cleaning the filter as _affected_ mentions?

P.S.  I see this problem is explained here The washing machine smells


----------



## glenamaddy (24 Jul 2004)

*Re: washing machine has damp-mildew smell, any way to get ri*

Check where the waste hose is connected to the waste pipe.

Then describe what you see.


----------



## cobalt (10 Jan 2005)

*washing machine repair in Dublin*

Can anyone recommend a good washing machine repairer (Dublin city centre, so I guess anyone in Dublin would do it)? My washing machine's on the blink, and it's not something simple I can fix myself. A personal recommendation would be nice - I really don't want to be ripped off.


----------



## sueellen (10 Jan 2005)

I have not used these people myself for a washing machine repair but have bought parts from them and they were very helpful:

www.mastercare.ie/

For spare parts these guys are also very good:

Spare Parts Centre, 9, North Frederick St., Dublin 1
Phone 8726565/8746141 Fax: 8746860.

Have used a guy called I think Paul Harding maybe Dublin 14 or 16 in the telephone book.  He does not appear to be in the Golden Pages but if you cannot find him in the tel book tomorrow post back and I will look up a mobile no. that I have somewhere for him.  

These web sites might be worth a read in the meantime:

www.washerhelp.co.uk/
www.wm1.com/
[broken link removed]


----------



## penang (10 Jan 2005)

I have used both of these

Kenilworth Electrical 
253 Harolds X rd, 6W
(01) 4968036 

And


Dundrum Service Centre
8 Olive Mount Tce, (Windy Arbour) Dundrum, 14
(01) 2695505 

and could recommend either.
P


----------



## cobalt (11 Jan 2005)

*thanks*

Thanks sueellen & penang!
I don't see any Paul Harding (or Paul Harden) in D14/16 in the phone book online but thanks for the links. Unfortunately, I think my problem may be an electrical fault with the door sensor which I don't feel equipped to tackle.

I'll try the Harold's X/Dundrum companies.

Thanks.


----------



## Popsy (11 Jan 2005)

*Re: thanks*

I'll second Dundrum...excellent service!


----------



## cobalt (12 Jan 2005)

*thanks*

Thanks Popsy.


----------



## Brynick (23 May 2005)

*Odour from Washing Machine*

I'm getting an awful smell from the Washing machine,I've checked it out to see if anything is caught in it, and cleaned out the filter, anybody got any ideas of how to get rid of it. Apart from the smell it's working perfectly!


----------



## Merrion (24 May 2005)

*Re: Odour from Washing Machine*

Try putting half a cup of white vinegar inside an empty machine and put it on a boil wash. Because the first bit of water goes into the sump hose and is sealed off, I recommend that you wait until the washing machine has been filling for about 30 seconds and then pour the vinegar into the soap drawer to let it wash down into the machine.


----------



## garryks (2 Jun 2005)

*Re: Odour from Washing Machine*

Hi
I started the last thread and followed most of the advice. 
There was no filter in our washer as it uses a pump that goes both ways to get around blockage problems.

What worked for me was to run the washing machine empty on a hot cycle with some bleach in the drum.
Run a rinse cycle when that finished also just to make sure all the bleach had gone.

When not in use leave the washer door open when possible to allow it to dry out, not always possible in busy a busy house but can help if you go away for any periods of time.

hope ths helps.


----------



## hamlet (18 Jul 2005)

*Washing Machine Parts*

_I have a whirlpool awm321 washing machine about 5 years old which is fairly sound and I reckon will go on for another 5 years, the problem is that the 'box' that has the water inlet and soap drawer has cracked at the inlet pipe.  Whirlpool want to screw me for over €100 for a replacement part, so the question is, is there somewhere where I can get this part second hand - kind of a scrap yard for white goods?_

_H_


----------



## Digger (18 Jul 2005)

*Re: Washing Machine Parts*

You can try Kenco parts up in the glasnevin ind estate, they have parts for most appliances and they are very helpful. the only downside they are very busy and so rarely answer the phone but it would be a worthwhile trip if in dublin. they are in the goldenpages.


----------



## BlueSpud (10 Aug 2005)

*Washing Machine problem*

Our whirlpool washing machine, about 3 years old, is destroying our cloths.  It is leaving scummy grey streaks on a lot of the cloths, and they are hard if not impossible to remove.  We never had this problem with our previous wm, which we bought 2nd hand and had for 9 yrs.  We had the engineed out & he said it was a problem with the length/level of the outpipe, he showed us the gunk in the pipe.  He cut the excess from it, told us to do the occasional wash at 90C to shift any residue, and to use less powder.  All sounded okay, but has made little or no difference.

Does this sound like a valve is not working properly and allowing this stuff to wash back into the machine.  Any ideas?


----------



## Carpenter (10 Aug 2005)

*Re: Washing Machine problem*

Is your external drain clean and clear flowing, if not water could be backing up?  There could be a blockage further down, due to fat/ grease from kitchen etc.


----------



## Sue Ellen (10 Aug 2005)

*Re: Washing Machine problem*

We had a slightly similar problem with our last machine although no one ever mentioned about the outpipe. Little flecks of what looked like chewing gum appeared all over the clothes. They dried off though and could be lifted away.

When we got the new machine the problem disappeared. The old machine was a Whirlpool top loader. I regularly tried the 90 degree wash which only helped for a short while each time it was done.

Maybe a root thru these might give some help:

www.washerhelp.co.uk/
www.wm1.com/
[broken link removed]


----------



## hansov (10 Aug 2005)

*Re: Washing Machine problem*

Yeah, as Carpenter says, check your drain and ensure that it is running clear. I had a drain problem earlier in the year and caught it just in time. And when I went to clear it, I could attribute a lot of the gunge to washing powder residues (as well as to a lot of other horrible stuff). From then on mrs h was being watched every time she filled the powder cabinet!! So to save yourself additional hassle, lift the AJ and have a look.


----------



## Teabag (9 Oct 2005)

*Washing Machine Repair person*

Anyone know a good washing machine repair person in Galway area ?


----------



## SineWave (9 Oct 2005)

*Re: Washing Machine Repair person*


----------



## Teabag (10 Oct 2005)

*Re: Washing Machine Repair person*

Thanks SineWave !


----------



## SineWave (10 Oct 2005)

*Re: Washing Machine Repair person*

No problem. No connection, but they're established and know their stuff.


----------



## Peanut (14 Oct 2005)

*Mouldy Washing Machine....*

Hi,

I just got a washing machine out of storage...i.e. my parents shed....and the seal is mouldy.  Its black spotty mould and most of it has come off with a cloth and some clenaing products, however there is some on the inside of the seal that is hard to  reach.  I was hoping that it might come off if I put on a boil wash and that would sort it out.  Would that work or do I need a new seal?  Is a new seal expensive and would I be able to fit it myself?


----------



## Carpenter (14 Oct 2005)

*Re: Mouldy Washing Machine....*

It's is quite normal to find some mould/ mildew staining on the rubber seal, particularly on an older machine.  You are advised by manufacturers to wipe the seal after each wash to remove standing water and to leave the door ajar.  In your case I'd just give the seal a wipe with soapy water and run a hot wash- the mildew won't affect your clothes in any future wash cycles.


----------



## Peanut (14 Oct 2005)

*Re: Mouldy Washing Machine....*

Great, that's the answer that I was hoping for.  I didn't know you were supposed to wipe down the machine after each wash either....every day's a school day!  Thanks for your reply.


----------



## oulu (19 Oct 2005)

*Broken Washing Machine*

Machine will not spin at the end of the wash like it use to, does anyone know of good person who is also fair with his price who would call out to a house please let me know cheers, only 2 years old but out of warrenty


----------



## stobear (19 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*

Have you checked the filter and drainage pipe connected to the machine? My mothers machine struggled  with a spin cycle and it turned out the waste pipe was totally blocked. In this case the waste pipe goes from the washing machine outlet to a sink drainage


----------



## oulu (19 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*

Filter is ok, so what is best way to check drainage pipe,  ie can it completely come off the machine and then I could flush something throught to make sure it is clear, ie Zanussi 1200 make or what is the best way to check cheers



			
				stobear said:
			
		

> Have you checked the filter and drainage pipe connected to the machine? My mothers machine struggled with a spin cycle and it turned out the waste pipe was totally blocked. In this case the waste pipe goes from the washing machine outlet to a sink drainage


----------



## stobear (20 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*

Erm, sorry for the delay. In my mothers case I disconnected the pipe from the connection under the sink, I could see the blockage in the pipe without removing the connection from the washing machine end (which I think is probably inside the machine). I used a coat hanger to loosen the blockage and ran a spin cycle, which helped dislodge the blockage into a bucket. I ran it again once it was cleared just to make sure


----------



## Omega (20 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*

This can also be caused by the filter getting blocked by some object which may have fallen out of clothing while being washed. On some machines, you can access the filter on the bottom of the front panel and clear it.....


----------



## beldin (20 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*

Just a question , is the machine draining out the water. 
Firstly it drains the water and then goes into spin cycle.
You just said it doesn't spin , but is there water still in the machine.


----------



## Grumpy (20 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*

Could also be carbon brushes on motor are worn down.Symptoms are drum not turning during wash and/or spin?
It starts from poor wash/spin to none at all.
If this is the problem, set of brushes cost about Eur20 and can be fitted in less than one hour.
In my DIY experience, most faults have turned out to be worn brushes.


----------



## lz1 (20 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*

if the water drains out and still wont spin it could be that small pieces of clothes (underwear, socks etc.) have got in at the side of the drum and are in under the drum in a ball and block the drum spinning.

Take off the drainage pipe get a flash light and put it in the machine and use a clothes hanger to "fish" out the offending sock via the drainage pipe opening.
I have had this several times with the kids bibs, socks, knickers doing this, the cause is overloading the machine.


----------



## oulu (20 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*

Ran the machine empty and spin worked, tried with clothes and spin would not work, took hose off under the sink blew into a few times no luck,  so am I right in thinking it is the hose at the other end that might be the problem, is it recommended to take this off and blow again, cheers


----------



## Grumpy (21 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*



			
				oulu said:
			
		

> Ran the machine empty and spin worked, tried with clothes and spin would not work


Sounds like it might be carbon brushes.
When they`re are worn down to a certain point, there is just enough to turn an empty drum. 
Once, the drum wouldn`t turn at all for me, took off the back of machine and I happened to manually turn wheel slightly....motor came to life immediately.
Be careful when back of machine is off.Don`t open back if you have no experience with machinery.
Put machine on a wash cycle with a few clothes.Check to see if drum moves during this cycle.No movement may indicate motor not working and brushes may be reason for this
Motor can be awkward to get to and brushes tricky to take out, but will clearly show as being worn or not.


----------



## Carpenter (21 Oct 2005)

*Re: Broken Washing Machine*

You must be referring to an older machine type I would have thought that newer machines would be fitted with induction (brushless) motors?  Induction motors are more efficient, offer longer life and do not contain user serviceable parts.


----------



## ClubMan (20 Mar 2007)

sueellen said:


> I have not used these people myself for a washing machine repair but have bought parts from them and they were very helpful:
> 
> www.mastercare.ie/


Good call _sueellen_. Just got a replacement fridge thermostat/switch unit and a replacement washing machine door gasket/seal from them and they were very helpful and fairly competitive even compared to _eBay_.


> For spare parts these guys are also very good:
> 
> Spare Parts Centre, 9, North Frederick St., Dublin 1
> Phone 8726565/8746141 Fax: 8746860.


 I have recommended them myself before but this time around they were quoting twice the price for the same parts from _Mastercare _and seemed a bit ill informed and hesitant about parts etc.


----------



## Sue Ellen (20 Mar 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Good call _sueellen_. Just got a replacement fridge thermostat/switch unit and a replacement washing machine door gasket/seal from them and they were very helpful and fairly competitive even compared to _eBay_


 
Good to hear. I'm convinced they were once upon a time based at the top of Capel St, you might recall them yourself. If its the same crowd they were/are great for unusual sized hoover bags.


----------



## ClubMan (21 Mar 2007)

I don't recall them being in _Capel Street _but it could have been before the time that I found myself needing spare parts!


----------



## Riverside (28 Mar 2007)

Hi, 
I have a zanussi aquacycle. The rubber door seal has black mould on it and I have tried bleach at 90 degrees which improved but did not get rid of the problem. So I bought a new door seal. I was just wondering if it is difficult to change this or should I just call a professional? I thought it would be easy enough, but now the seal has arrived I dont know how to go about it. I gave it a tug but it looks well sealed on to the outside of the machine. Does it need to be separated with a blade?


----------



## ClubMan (28 Mar 2007)

Riverside said:


> Hi,
> I have a zanussi aquacycle. The rubber door seal has black mould on it and I have tried bleach at 90 degrees which improved but did not get rid of the problem. So I bought a new door seal. I was just wondering if it is difficult to change this or should I just call a professional?


Had the very same problem with our _Ariston _machine (the rubber was worn and was marking clothes) so I changed the door seal/gasket at the weekend. It was a little tricky but worked out in the end. There will probably be a clamp at the front holding the gasket in place at the door and another one inside holding it onto the drum. The latter was tricky to remove and I ended up having to take off the top and remove part of the front panel in order to get enough working/leverage room to unscrew the clamp. Obviously I had to isolate the machine from the mains while working on it and I had to disconnect some of the internal wiring too (if you do this then label all wires so you know how to connect everything back up). Some people suggest taking digital photos before you do anything so that you can reference them if you get confused later on! I also managed to dislodge the powder drawer water feed and ended up having to adjust this to correct the damage that I had done... I presume that most machines are similar in the way that the gasket is fitted and some may be easier or more difficult than mine to work on. If it all sounds too much then get a professional. If you can get you hands on a technical manual for your machine (e.g. online or from a parts supplier like www.mastercare.ie) then it might help you to plan the job.


----------



## Riverside (30 Mar 2007)

Hi Clubman,
Thanks for your helpful response. It all sounded a bit much though, so I called the guys you recommended (mastercare) - they were out the next day. €50 and 15 minutes later the job was done.  So thanks again!


----------



## ClubMan (30 Mar 2007)

Fair enough. €50 in total? If so that's not that bad since the rubber seal/gasket would probably cost €20-€30 alone. I know that it took me a few hours on Saturday to do mine (at least it was more entertaining than the _Ireland-Wales _game!) so if I was charging myself for labour....


----------



## Washerhelp (30 Jun 2007)

This link tries to answer the question in detail and offer prevention tips. Replacing the door seal will get rid of the black mould but if nothing else changes the new one will also eventually get ruined too.  Washing machine smells - causes of grease, slime and black mould inside washing machines


----------



## ClubMan (30 Jun 2007)

Excellent link/guide - thanks for posting that. It's a strange niche/speciality site but very informative all the same.


----------



## polly2000 (30 Jun 2007)

I've gone back to using regular biological powder. The tabs etc cause the mould etc


----------

