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I have an older washer / dryer set and I think the spinner might be gone (what I mean by that is that clothes are coming out soaking wet so it's not working properly however it goes through the motions and sounds like it is). Does anyone know if that's a difficult and costly thing to fix?
If not, I might fix it and keep them another year as I've had some astronomical unexpected expenses ($5,000+) this past couple of months and could really use keeping them another year.
They are 20 years old but have worked perfectly until now.
My washer did the same thing many years ago and I replaced mine. I never realized that there are plastic 'teeth' that will break off if the washer is overloaded. This keeps the motor from burning out.
Look up 'replace washer dogs' on Youtube. I found a video of how to do it and bought new washer dogs for about $3 at my local plumbing supply store. Only problem I had with the repair is that I had to borrow a longer wrench from my neighbor to get everything tightened.
If you can't or don't fix your washer - check Craigslist for a good used washer. I got a great Maytag that was about 1 year old for $125!
Is your washer a Whirlpool or Kenmore? Some of the older belt driven Whirlpools/Kenmores had an issue with a solenoid mechanism known as a wig wag, and typically the spin cycle solenoid of the wig wag was the first to fail. We replaced two of them in our old Kenmore we had in Virginia.
If you decide to service the washer yourself, you can test the wig wag with a multimeter. If you don't get any voltage on the left solenoid, then that is the cause of your problem. If your washer is a Whirlpool or Kenmore, be sure to check if your washer is a belt drive model or a direct drive model. If it is a belt drive model, then the wig wag may be the cause of your issue.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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As you can see, there are many possibilities. I'll add another. If the machine is actually spinning but the clothes are still wet, you could have a partial clog in the pump and/or hoses to/from the pump. I have replaced several but have also been able to take them apart and clean. One had a baby's sock in it, another had thread wrapped tightly around the shaft and blue lint from using liquid fabric softener. Washers are fairly easy to work o if someone is pretty good mechanically and has tools. Almost every procedure is available on Youtube.
Thanks everyone. I have hope I can salvage these for another year or so.
The brand is Magic Chef, not a brand I'd heard of until I bought this house a year ago. It's a 20 lb. heavy duty capacity (probably a 1994 model as that's how old the house is) and I can't find the model # but the model # for the matching dryer is YE205KA.
I am certain that the machine does spin on the spin cycle and today it worked better than last night, spinning most of the water out of the wash. Last night I did large towels and even after doing 2 extra spin cycles, they weighed a ton when I took them out and they took forever to dry....weird that it's better today... this happened last year a couple of times too.
I would venture a guess that it's a hose issue as Hemlock said.
I'll keep you posted and thanks for all the links etc.!
A) Along the bottom panel; on the left or right corner.
B) Inside or underneath the lid.
C) Somewhere on the back of the washer.
D) Side or top of the console
If you can hear draining during the beginning of the drain cycle, then its not the hose. The high speed spinning is what causes the water to leave the towels.
For what you are describing, it will depend on how handy you are in using tools and doing repairs.
Things to check or repair in order (the same order also gets more expensive): Belt, Washer transmission pulley/thrust washer/bearing repair kit, transmission/seal kit.
Thanks everyone. I have hope I can salvage these for another year or so.
The brand is Magic Chef, not a brand I'd heard of until I bought this house a year ago. It's a 20 lb. heavy duty capacity (probably a 1994 model as that's how old the house is) and I can't find the model # but the model # for the matching dryer is YE205KA.
I am certain that the machine does spin on the spin cycle and today it worked better than last night, spinning most of the water out of the wash. Last night I did large towels and even after doing 2 extra spin cycles, they weighed a ton when I took them out and they took forever to dry....weird that it's better today... this happened last year a couple of times too.
I would venture a guess that it's a hose issue as Hemlock said.
I'll keep you posted and thanks for all the links etc.!
Are you overloading it?
Maybe it doesn't spin dry correctly when you overload it.
I fill up my washer all of the time with clothes, but I never fill it up with towels because they get so heavy when wet.
This happened to me a few times at one of the places I used to live and I think it's because I was putting too much stuff in it.
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but have worked perfectly until now.
