Having a washing machine in your home makes laundry day easy and efficient. When everything is working as intended, washing your clothes and linens is just another chore. It’s easy to take the convenience of appliances for granted when they all work properly and help you get those chores done in a timely manner!
However, no washing machine is infallible or exempt from malfunction. Washing machines are comprised of several moving parts, all of which can fail at one point or another. Luckily, those parts can be replaced; you’ve just got to know what’s wrong to give your repair technician the information they need.
There are a variety of signs to look out for when your washing machine needs repairs. Read Capitan Appliance’s handy guide and think about the way your own washing machine functions—or doesn’t function. Do any of these warning signs apply to your machine?
Excessive Grinding and Thumping Noises
It’s normal for a washing machine to make some noise. If you’ve had your current washer for a while, you’re probably used to the sounds it makes when it’s cleaning your laundry. A steady, rhythmic hum is familiar and normal.
But if it sounds more percussive than usual, something may be amiss in the inner workings of your machine. Loud thumping, bumping, scraping, and grinding noises are valid causes for concern. If your washer is making noises that are excessively loud and unfamiliar, contact an appliance repair company near you to make a service appointment.
Pro Tip
Listen carefully to your washing machine and use precise language to describe the sounds it makes. If you need repairs, you’ll need to tell the repair technician exactly what you hear so they can diagnose the problem. Grinding noises imply that metal parts are scraping against one another—and that something needs to be moved or replaced.
Water in the Drum After a Cycle
When your washing machine ends its cycle and notifies you that the clothes inside are clean, you should open the door to see wet clothes—not a pool of water. Your washer is supposed to drain the excess water from the drum after a spin cycle.
If you find yourself dealing with sopping wet clothes and leftover water in the drum after a wash cycle, call a repair service right away. There could be a malfunction with your water pump or a clog in your drain hose that’s preventing the excess water from being drained out.
Not Enough Water in the Drum
Now, let’s discuss the opposite problem. During a wash cycle, the drum is supposed to fill with water so all of your clothes get properly wet. What do you do if you open the washer after a cycle to find that your clothes are still dry in spots?
You could be tangling with a damaged hose or a broken water intake valve. Luckily, these parts are easy for washing machine repair experts to identify and replace! Consult with a washing machine repair service like Capitan Appliance; these repairs are best left to seasoned professionals.
The Drum Stops Spinning
Your washing machine’s drum needs to spin to agitate the clothes inside and get them clean. Uneven loads of laundry can occasionally cause the drum to not spin. Try rearranging the clothes inside so they’re evenly dispersed around the drum, and ensure that you close the lid fully before turning it on again.
Still can’t get your washer’s drum to spin? There may be a problem with the belts inside your machine or even a malfunction with your lid switch. Both concerns can be fixed with the assistance of a washing machine repair expert; they’ll identify the source of the problem and replace any faulty parts.
The Machine Is Leaking Water
When you step into your laundry room to move clothes between machines, do your feet get wet? Do you see a puddle around the machine? A leaky washing machine is not only highly annoying but a flood risk for your home. If you’ve got a leak on your hands, stop using your washing machine until you can get it serviced by an expert.
The source of the problem could be a leaky washing machine hose, a clogged drain, or a loose connection to the water supply. Luckily, these are all straightforward fixes for an appliance repair technician! Give Capitan Appliance a call and we’ll make quick work of repairing the source of the leak.
Pro Tip
While you’re waiting for our repair technician to arrive at your home, mop up any puddles and dry the floor thoroughly. Water can easily seep into cracks in floorboards and encourage mold growth—which is the last thing you want near your laundry!
The Machine Won’t Turn On
So, you’ve loaded your washing machine with dirty clothes and poured in the necessary amount of detergent. You go to turn the machine on—and nothing happens. Or perhaps the machine has shut off mid-cycle, and you can’t get it going again.
This issue can have a variety of causes. If a load of laundry inside is uneven, the washer can agitate hard enough to pull the power cord out of its socket. If that’s the case, plug it back into the wall socket, rearrange the laundry so it’s evenly dispersed around the drum, close the lid, and try again.
Does the machine still refuse to turn on? If your power source is not the problem, your washing machine could have some faulty wiring. Instead of trying to tackle an electrical issue yourself, call a repair expert to take a look.
Pro Tip
Washing machines should always be plugged directly into a wall socket—not into an extension cord or surge protector. These machines require so much power that they can overheat or shut down when not plugged right into the wall.
The Machine Smells Strange
Washing the occasional load of smelly clothes in your machine shouldn’t cause it to emit a consistent foul odor. If you notice a stubborn musty smell coming from your washing machine, check for leaks right away. Even small, barely noticeable water leaks can encourage mold growth, which may be the source of that foul smell.
If your machine smells like something’s burning, shut it off and unplug it immediately before calling an appliance repair company. Burning odors can indicate electrical problems with the motor or drive belt and should only be remediated by certified repair experts.
Your washing machine is one of the most crucial components of a comfortable and functioning home. These machines can last for well over a decade with regular maintenance and necessary repairs!
If you notice any of these signs that your washing machine needs repairs, call Capitan Appliance to book a service appointment as soon as you can. Don’t wait until your washer breaks down completely or damages your home to fix the underlying problem. Our reliable and trustworthy repair experts will make quick work of diagnosing and repairing the faulty parts of your washing machine.
