No one is immune from trouble with the washing machine. This can happen both after several years of operation of the device, and soon after purchase. And the reasons here can be different, from a breakdown of the washing machine itself to related problems that prevent it from working fully, such as damage to the surge protector, failure of the outlet, or a banal power outage in the house.
Everything seems to be in order: the day before you washed it, everything was fine, now you have loaded the laundry, poured in the powder, pressed the button for turning on the selected washing program … and nothing happens. The washing machine does not respond, does not turn on, the indicators do not light up. Obviously, for some reason, the device does not receive power. You frantically start looking for the cause.
This is where the fun begins. Please note that if the machine does not turn on, as a rule, you can fix it yourself. It will take a little patience, skill and understanding of the principle of operation of the device. First you need to focus and figure out what is the reason. Consider possible problems that can provoke such a situation.
What to do first
No need to despair ahead of time. First of all, check the health of the power supply. By mere chance, the power cord may be twisted and the plug pulled out of the socket or not fully connected. It is clear that in this case, power is not supplied to the washing machine. If the smell of burning is felt, the plug and cord are blackened, then the matter is in them, and they must be replaced.
If an extension cord was used when connecting to the network, try connecting the device to the network directly – the extension cord may have burned out. Also check the outlet to which the washing machine is connected. Just plug the machine into a different outlet and see if it works. With prolonged use, the socket may fail due to burnt contacts. Then it needs to be replaced.
Another common reason is that there is no electricity in the house. Check the power supply by inspecting the electrical panel and circuit breakers. If you find that the electricity has gone out, just turn it back on.
Power button failure
This is one of the more obvious problems with some washing machines. If you checked the connection of the washing machine to the network and made sure that everything is in order, the cause must be sought in the device itself. The power button is used frequently, so its contacts may fail. Due to the ingress of moisture, oxidation is not excluded, and, as a result, a short circuit. If it’s the button, you will have to re-solder the contacts or replace it completely.
Main control board fuse blown
Most often, this happens with Samsung, Whirlpool and LG washing machines. The fuse can fail as a result of sudden voltage drops. Please note that not all devices have fuses. It depends on the place of production of household appliances. Washing machines made in Europe are equipped with fuses, since electrical equipment without fuses is not allowed to be sold there. In most devices manufactured in the CIS countries, in Russia and in China, the presence of a fuse is optional.
To figure out if it’s a fuse or not, you need to find the main control board:
- Move the washing machine away from the wall so that you can get to the back panel and make room for work.
- Turn off the water and disconnect the water supply hoses. Loosen the screws and remove the back panel of the washing machine.
- Please note: the control unit for some washing machines (in particular, for Samsung) consists of two boards. You need to look for a smaller one with a fuse.
- Finding the fuse, see if it is blown. Use a multimeter to check if it’s working.
- If the fuse is melted or blown, it must be replaced. And if everything is in order with the fuse of the whirlpool washing machine, it may be the main control board.
Problems with the main control board
The reasons for the failure of the board are different:
- circuit due to voltage drops, as a result of which capacitors, triggers and other elements of the board may burn out;
- the negative impact of high humidity on the control unit;
- damage to the power wire: if it is accidentally cut off, then due to a power surge, the module may malfunction;
- failure of the relay.
To get to the main control panel, follow the same procedure as for checking the fuse. After removing the back panel of the machine, find and inspect the board (or both, if there are two), for visible damage, and if any elements have melted. If everything is in order, there is no visible damage, connect the washing machine to check the power supply to the board (boards).
Careless movement or touching the wires is dangerous. Inspect the main board: is there an LED indicating that power is being supplied to it? Check if voltage is being supplied to the main board and whether the output voltage of the board is correct. To do this, refer to the user manual for your washing machine. If the voltage in tests No. 9 and No. 10 is higher, the board must be replaced.
User interface board failure
In accordance with the incoming signals, the board activates one or another function. Depending on the model of each particular washing machine, the processor firmware or the set of possible signals may vary. The board is responsible for the following functionality:
- water temperature control;
- the inclusion of a specific washing mode;
- countdown of time intervals;
- control of operation of drain pumps;
- water pressure control;
- blocking.
The user interface board is located behind the washing machine control buttons. To get to it, unplug the washing machine, turn off the water. For some devices, such as LG, for this you need to remove the handle and open the machine door, for other washing machines you need to remove the top. Inspect the board for visible damage. You can figure out where exactly the signal disappeared using a microcircuit. Most washing machines come with this. If not, the data on the board marking can be found on the Internet. If the board is damaged, it must be replaced. If no damage is found, you need to check if the board is receiving power.
Problems with the noise filter
The filter suppresses the negative effects of electromagnetic noise, which harms the operation of other devices and electronic components of the washing machine itself. The failure of this filter is essentially a break in the power supply circuit, since the filter is part of this circuit. Often this problem happens with LG machines. If the noise filter fails, the washing machine will not turn on.
The filter is easy to change. Unplug the washing machine, turn off the water, move the machine so that you can get to its back panel, remove the top cover. Find the filter: it is closer to the back panel. Remove the screw holding the old filter, and by pressing the tabs, disconnect the wiring harnesses. Then connect the two wire harnesses to the new filter. Reinstall the removed panels.
The listed reasons are the most typical in situations where the washing machine does not turn on.