Help! Washing machine not draining, or doing spin cycle ...

[peanutter]

Help!

All of a sudden, my washing machine is flatly refusing to do the final spin cycle ... it was fine yesterday.

There *may* be a correlation ... yesterday I did a heavy duty load with our Stampede clothes, and when I pulled out the stuff, there were some small rocks and bits of grass that had snuck in, and there was a fair bit of dried mud residue in the laundry trough ...

So possibly, I did the wash, it washed fine, but mud has since caked up on the inside ... oops ...

We've tried different things (pulling out some clothes, emptying it altogether, feeling around for anything blocking the little holes - no bone.

How do I fix it?

Help!

[Rouge]

If its a front loader you'll need to drain the lint filter. It's usually a little door on the front bottom of the machine. There will be a hose put this in a bucket first as it will drain it. Then put a tray under before unscrewing the filter (looks like plug) run a hot wash after assembled. Sometimes this happens after detergent build up.

[Rouge]

I hope you haven't killed your pump with the mud. Eek!

[peanutter]

Top loader.

I'm a bit worried that there's mud stuck in the pump, yes ...

I've got NO clues about mechanical thingies, so am seriously hoping that someone has an answer, like, "oh, all you need to do is put some eucalyptus oil, lemon juice, bicarb soda and vinegar in a hot wash ... the stuff will dissolve any mud during the wash cycle, so by the time it gets to the rinse cycle it will all clear through ... do a plain wash to clear it all out, then proceed as normal!"

But I will wait until someone gives me instructions ... I don't want to guess and make it worse!

[Rouge]

How full is the machine? I'd poor some boiling water in then just go to drain and see if it drains.

[peanutter]

We emptied it out (well, there's maybe 1L along the bottom of it) ...

Will try boiling water

It won't hurt the plastic in the machine?

[Rouge]

I don't think so. But if you are worried just do a hot cycle instead.

[peanutter]

With anything fancy in it?

DH suggested draino

I like my clothes sans causticly caused holes ...

[Rouge]

Drains dissolves fat and scum. If its mud anything else won't really make a difference. Maybe vinegar for good measure

[peanutter]

Will do that

DH is trying to figure out how to get the back of the washing machine off, so we can run some water through the drain pipe, to see if that's blocked, but there's no obvious way to get the panel off ...

We have to be the least "handy" people I know.

[Rouge]

I've brought many a washing machine and dryer back from the dead. Check out the fix ya site for your model and instructions.

[peanutter]

Gah. Hot cycle didn't help - it stopped at the same spot.

DH can't find any way to remove any of the panels, so we haven't even been able to check whether water runs through the hose.

Looking for the manual now, to see if I can find a fix ya page ...

This is an emergency!! I use cloth nappies!

[wysiwyg]

Did touch try the thing Rouge said? Mine did the same and I found the little hatch - bottom right at front and when pulled out filter our piece of wood in it. When that can't turn the machine wouldn't do anything.

[peanutter]

It's a top loader, so doesn't seem to have one of those things ...

Still haven't figured out how to get the back off it, and there's no page for our model on fix ya ...

I did some more googling etc, and also got out the owners manual ...

Also tried turning it on and off again, but leaving it off longer ... and that appears to have fixed it

My littlest bro, who loves the IT Crowd, would have a field day ...

About to put a proper load on again and see if it works

[onthefly]

How old is the machine? Is it all electronic?

[Phteven]

Run an empty cycle before a full load and next time hose and soak before washing.

[LuluHB]

If it happens again sans mud . . .

I had this problem but with a front loader so not sure if its the same. Mine was caused by a build up of washimng powder, liquids etc. It apparently upsets their little brains and tells them that there's still soap so they shouldn't spin. I had to run a few completely empty full cycles to really flush it out, and then on every now and then I would run an empty one - no cleaning agents etc

I hope its behaving now.

[peanutter]

thanks, girls