An essential part of caring for yourself and your loved ones is ensuring the cleanliness of your clothing items. The clothes should be washed to prevent germs and keep them clean.
There are a lot of washing machines in the market, but the Whirlpool washer stands out.
Whirlpool washers, irrespective of the model, are known to do a really good job, are durable and affordable.
However, like all things that are constantly being used, sooner or later, mechanical faults may start to show up.
These faults could come in various forms. Worthy of note, however, is a common fault that can be exhausting, which is when the whirlpool washer gets stuck on a wash cycle. It keeps washing even after you’re through with the activity. This could damage the whirlpool washer.
In this article, you’ll get to some of the common factors that are responsible for the whirlpool washer being stuck on a wash cycle. That way, you’ll be able to identify the exact problem and how to prevent it.
Why your whirlpool washer is malfunctioning or stuck on a wash cycle
There are many reasons why your whirlpool washer could be stuck in the wash cycle.
It can be due to unbalanced wash load, faulty machine timer, damaged lid lock, sediments from the water valve and several other things.
Let’s take a look at some of the factors.
Your whirlpool washer might just require a reset
One of the first diagnostic steps that experts would usually ask you to take when you report your whirlpool washer stuck on the wash cycle is to reset your whirlpool washer.
This is usually done by unplugging the power cord of the whirlpool washer from the power outlet.
The door switch of your Whirlpool washer may be faulty
One of the first things that have to happen for a whirlpool washer to function effectively is for the door to be properly shut.
The door lock is responsible for ensuring that the washer door is securely shut and remains shut when it is being operated.
If the door lock is faulty and the washer door is not firmly shut, it could cause a malfunction. The doors switch prevents the washer from functioning or stops its operation mid-cycle.
The lid lock may be damaged
Another factor that can keep the whirlpool washer stuck on a wash cycle is when the lid lock is damaged.
The whirlpool washer lid has a switch assembly that prevents the washer from working when the lead is open.
Just as you’ll find in the case with the door lock, if the lid lock of your top loader Whirlpool washer is damaged, the lid switch assembly could prevent the washer from operating or stop its operation mid-cycle. This could also cause the machine to go on never-ending during the wash cycle.
Your washing machine timer may be faulty
The timer on your washing machine is responsible for controlling the wash cycle, the rinse cycle and the spin cycle.
Your whirlpool washing machine being stuck on the wash cycle could be a pointer to the fact that the timer might be damaged. This is because the timer is responsible for the machine advancing to the different cycles in the washing process.
The control board might be faulty
This is one of the less frequently occurring faults. Before the control board can be diagnosed as faulty, every other possible factor would have been eliminated.
It is only after other potential causes have been eliminated and preliminary methods of diagnosis, such as unplugging and plugging back the power cord to reset, pressing holding the start button for 12 seconds etc have been carried out, that you entertain the possibility of the whirlpool washer control board being faulty.
The fault may be from in water inlet valve
If your water inlet valve is clogged or damaged it may cause a whirlpool washer to stop operating mid-cycle or spiral out of control.
The drive belt of your washing machine may be faulty
Another factor that could be responsible for your Whirlpool washer being stuck and on a wash cycle is if the drive belt is faulty.
When your washing machine successfully starts but stops mid-wash it can be pointed to the fact that the drive belt is faulty or it shifted from its proper position during a previous wash cycle. Ignoring this factor could worsen the condition of the machine.
After identifying the problem with your washer, the next step is to find out the possible causes of the problem, find out the extent of the damage as well as what can be repaired or what needs to be replaced.
What to do when your whirlpool washer is stuck on a wash cycle
After identifying the cause of the whirlpool washer being stuck on a wash cycle, the next thing to do is to take steps toward the repair or replacement of the affected part(s).
Depending on the result of your diagnosis, actions to be carried out to fix the whirlpool washer could be one or all of these steps
- Reset the whirlpool washer.
- Use a multimeter to test for continuity.
- Fix the faulty door switch.
- Fix the washing machine lid lock
- Repair the control board
- Fix the drive belt
- Seek help from a whirlpool washer specialist
How to maintain the whirlpool washer to avoid a recurrence
Ideally, a whirlpool washer that is relatively new or still under warranty should not be having any problems.
To help you prolong the life of your whirlpool washer, here are some steps to take:
- Clean the whirlpool washing machine after every wash.
- Clean the water inlet valve and hose to get rid of accumulated impurities and sediments once a week.
- If you hear any strange noise during a wash, immediately stop the machine and investigate the cause of the noise to forestall any extensive damage to the washing machine.
- Regularly check water hoses for any damages and replace them accordingly
More whirlpool washer repair related article at howtofixup you may like –
Whirlpool Washer Agitates but Won’t Spin
Whirlpool Washer Not Draining Completely?
Conclusion
Your whirlpool washer is one of those gadgets you can’t do without as long as you put on clothes. It saves you a tremendous amount of time and makes life so much easier washing them.
It has become a vital part of your daily life and as such, you want to pay attention to its state, watch out for signs that a fault might be brewing and carry out regular maintenance activities.
Doing these will help you get the best out of your whirlpool washer and prolong its lifespan.