Why does the Indesit washing machine not drain or spin?

It often happens that washing on an Indesit washing machine suddenly stops, the washing machine freezes in the middle of the program, and there is neither draining nor spinning. Why the washing machine does not drain the water and does not wring out Indesit, Ariston, Samsung or another brand does not matter much, but there is still a difference. In this article we will talk about breakdowns that cause this symptom specifically on Indesit washing machines, focusing on the technical weaknesses of washing machines of this brand.

Main causes of the problem

Without delaying the matter, let’s immediately begin discussing the main reasons why the “home assistant” of the Indesit brand refuses to drain and wring out. Much will depend on the condition of the washing machine itself. If the equipment is old and, moreover, unkempt, almost any malfunction can emerge, so you will have to check all the internal elements one by one until we come across a breakdown. If the technology is relatively new, then we recommend focusing on the most typical “sores” that are characteristic only of Indesites.

However, first of all, check the washing machine filter for blockages and accidental items. Even if you regularly clean the filter of your Indesit washing machine, there is no guarantee that a sock, handkerchief or women's panties did not get caught under the cuff during the last wash.

In any case, we need to drain the water from the tank, which means we cannot do without unscrewing the filter. Lift the front of the washer body, tilting it back, and place the edge of a shallow container under the body to drain the water into it when you unscrew the filter. Unscrew the garbage filter and drain all the soapy water from the tank. If the filter turns out to be clean, this does not mean that there are no blockages in the machine, then as we disassemble the machine, we will also check the pipes, but that will come later. Now we need to decide on a list of parts that need to be checked for breakdowns. These are the details:

• Drive belt,
• Water pump,
• Tachogenerator,
• Engine,
• Brushes,
• Control module.

Drive belt

A budget washing machine from the Indesit brand has two main weak points: the engine and the drive mechanism. Moreover, both the design and the quality of these two elements leave much to be desired. According to statistics, already in the first year of operation, every fourteenth car of this brand has problems either with the motor, or with the drive belt, or with the tachogenerator.

In our case, this is very important, since each of the above problems potentially leads to the Indesit washing machine stopping draining water and spinning clothes. We start checking with the drive belt.

• We take the machine out to where there is more free space.
• Unscrew the corresponding screws and remove the back wall.
• We inspect the internal parts of the washing machine.

The internal parts of the washing machine were revealed to our eyes, namely: a large and small pulley, a drive belt stretched between the pulleys, the rear wall of the tank, the central bolt of the large pulley, a motor, a heating element, and a drain pipe. We will be primarily interested in the drive belt. We take hold of the large pulley with both hands and begin to rotate it in one direction or the other.

The pulley should rotate with some effort, while the belt should be tensioned as it should. If the belt bends or moves when the pulley rotates, it needs to be replaced. Some craftsmen, trying to tighten a loose Indesit washing machine belt, loosen and then tighten the motor mounts, thereby displacing its pulley by several millimetres. As a result, the problem is solved and the machine works for 1-1.5 months, then the problem occurs again. If you want the machine to work for a relatively long time, replace the belt. How to do this, read the article How to put a belt on a washing machine?

Drain pump

Some units of the Indesit washing machine are not very reliable and efficient. In particular, its pump has a very limited-service life, especially this statement applies to washing machines assembled in Russia. Just a few days ago, our experts came across a rather interesting case. The Indesit washing machine worked for 3 years without interruption, then it stopped draining water and spinning. The technician checked the pump and, making sure that the electric motor had failed, replaced it.

However, the new pump also began to work with a load higher than normal by about 2 times, which will inevitably lead to its breakdown in the future. As a result, it turned out that the main reason for the very limited-service life of the pump was that the drain hose was too long. The fact is that the longer the drain hose, the greater the load on the drain pump, which is forced to push a larger volume of water through it. And if the hose is also connected incorrectly, then the load on the pump may increase by not only 2, but 3 times.

In the case we described, when the owners connected the washing machine, it was far from the sewer pipe. We had to lay a drain hose with a total length of almost 8 meters. There was no other way to connect the washing machine. This is a lot, considering that the pump is designed for a hose no more than 3 meters long. In general, there are 2 options: either change the pump more often or park the car closer to the sewer pipe; as they say, it’s up to the owners to decide.

You can learn how to check the drain pump on an Indesit washing machine and then, if necessary, replace it from the article of the same name. We’ll just say that this is done in much the same way as with any other brand of washing machine, and you won’t have to deal with any incomprehensible nuances.

Motor, tachometer, brushes

To check the motor, tachometer and brushes of the Indesit washing machine, you will have to climb into the washing machine through the bottom. However, if you have already checked the pump, it means that the car is in a horizontal position, and some of the parts have been removed, including the drain pump and pipe. We have to remove the check with a bundle of wires from the washing machine motor, unscrew the screws that hold the motor “in the claws” and pull out the motor itself.

Having removed the engine, we find a small sensor on it that looks like a ring, remove it and check the resistance with a multimeter. If everything is fine with the sensor, remove the brushes and visually check the extent of their damage. We change the brushes, if necessary, and at the end, check the resistance of the motor winding. If necessary, you can change the brushes or tachometer; if problems arise with the winding, it is more advisable to change the entire motor.

Control board

The control module can also cause problems with draining and spinning in the Indesit washing machine. True, it breaks down, showing similar symptoms, very rarely, however, it cannot be excluded from the list of potential culprits. The main problem is that few people know how to properly approach the electronic part of the washing machine so as not to damage anything. Indeed, for an amateur this is a serious difficulty, but for a professional it’s a piece of cake.

Let's not risk an expensive washing machine module and turn to a specialist. Of course, the master will take money for his work, but you will save time. By the way, if you break the control module, you will have to pay even more to replace it, so it may be better to pay a professional than to throw money down the drain.

In conclusion, we note that the Indesit brand washing machine is far from the most reliable washing machine, rather the opposite. For this reason, owners of these cars have to deal with various breakdowns. One of these breakdowns is manifested by the machine’s refusal to drain water and spin clothes. Is it possible to solve the problem myself? It's almost always possible. How? Check one by one all the parts of the washing machine listed in the article, and you will definitely get to the bottom of the reason.