Self-draining washing machine

Sometimes the washing machine begins to “hack”: it seems to work, carrying out the given program, but does not wash well. Moreover, all the water collected for washing is immediately drained into the sewer, which is why the pump is constantly humming. As a result, the laundry remains dirty, and the machine threatens to break. Self-draining in a washing machine cannot be ignored, otherwise the situation will be aggravated by a flood, breakdown or “fatal outcome” of the equipment. It is better not to hesitate and start diagnosing.

Why does this phenomenon occur?

A working washing machine takes in water for no more than 2-4 minutes, after which it starts washing, and starts draining only at the final stage. If the machine does not stop drains and immediately drains the water, then one of the elements of the system has failed. As a rule, the cause of self-draining is:

• Drain hose incorrectly connected to the sewer,
• Intake valve not working correctly,
• A faulty pressure switches.

According to the instructions, the main bend of the drain hose should rise above the bottom of the tank, which is on average 50-80 cm from the floor level. If the hose is connected to the washbasin siphon, then the rule is observed, but when connecting directly to the pipe, lowering the bar is often allowed. As a result, due to insufficient pressure, the water in the machine is not retained and flows by gravity into the sewer.

The second possible cause of an unplanned drain is a faulty inlet valve. If the membrane, sealing rubber or sensor is damaged, the device begins to work incorrectly, or rather, does not close back. After a signal from the control board, the valve mechanism opens, water enters the tank, but at the right time the supply does not stop. An overflow occurs, the pressure switch detects that the maximum level has been exceeded, the protection is triggered, and the system activates an emergency drain. And so on in a circle.

The pressure switch that controls the degree of filling of the tank is also suspect. If a sensor breaks down, it incorrectly displays the water level without noticing critical values. It is logical that the board does not receive a signal to stop dialing, the drum overflows, the security system detects the danger and triggers an emergency drain. The situation is similar to the previous one - self-draining occurs.

How to fix a machine?

It is not difficult to fix the problem on your own and stop self-draining. It is necessary to consistently check each possible “culprit,” moving from simple to complex. Diagnostics begins with the easiest thing - the drainage hose. The drain hose is checked as follows:

• The hose is disconnected from the siphon or sewer,
• The freed end of the hose is lowered into the sink or toilet,
• Any wash starts,
• The quality of the drain is assessed.

If the washing machine continues to fill and drain, then we start the wash again, wait for the drum to fill, forcefully stop the cycle, and activate the drain. After 1-2 minutes, we repeat the stop and look behind the hose. Does water continue to flow out? This indicates that the corrugation is connected incorrectly - its height needs to be adjusted.

It is more difficult when the intake valve fails. To diagnose it, it must be found and examined. The mechanism is located under the top cover in the place where the inlet hose is connected to the machine body. To remove the device, disconnect the supplied wiring, loosen the fixing fasteners, and unscrew the retaining bolts. Next, the check begins:

• Inspect the valve for damage,
• We call the contacts with a multimeter.

The valve cannot be repaired. The situation can only be corrected by replacing it. If everything is in order with the hose and valve, then the pressure switch is to blame. You should remove the top cover, remove the sensor, inspect the tube, and blow it out. Is the device broken? Then repair will not help - only replacement.

Do not delay in solving the problem.

Having noticed “oddities” in the behaviour of the washing machine, you cannot postpone diagnostics. Reasoning in the style of “once it erases, it means everything is fine” and “until it breaks, it’s better not to interfere” more often have disastrous consequences. As a result, either the cost of repair increases significantly, or repair becomes impossible - the machine fails irrevocably. So, continuous self-draining is not only inconvenient, but also dangerous. Without human intervention, the problem will not be solved, but will only get worse. Poor laundry washing will be complemented by:

• Constant freezing of the system - the machine will generate errors, pause the cycle, cancel the program,
• An increase in costs for electricity and water (the washing machine will take more water from the water supply, and the heating element will constantly work, trying to warm it up),
• Wear of key components of the machine (pump, heating element, pressure switch, circuit board and inlet valve operate continuously during self-draining, which reduces their service life),
• Risk of flooding of the room (if the drain hose is damaged or comes loose, water will flow into the apartment in a continuous stream).

It is not always possible to see the self-draining. More often this happens unnoticed, especially if the user starts the wash and goes to another room. Therefore, experts recommend periodically listening and taking a closer look at the working machine. If the pump hums without stopping, and the machine does not stop dialing, then there is a failure in the system.

You can deal with constant drainage yourself; the main thing is to act consistently and according to the instructions. If you could not solve the problem yourself, then do not delay contacting the service center.