MORE Plumbing Issues...

I can't escape this crap. This time, the wife calls me up and says, 'I put a load of laundry in and it won't fill with water.' So, I asked "By not fill with water, what do you mean?"

Apparently, she can't get it to turn on. At all. The dryer works fine but she can't get the washer to turn on. She's not getting water. I get home and tear the back of the washer apart, sure as *censored* it's clogged so I clean it. But when I go to turn it on nothing. It won't turn on. I grab the manual but of course, Electrolux/Frigidaire doesn't have an exploded parts list and a troubleshooting guide because they expect you to call Sears to have a service idiot come out and just throw parts at it until it works for $500. Well, that ain't happening. I can throw my own parts at it until it works for far less money.

So, I"m gonna go ahead and assume there is no real "pump" that fills the tub as it just works off of the pressure from the well. My first instinct is that the switch is bad. Luckily for me my Google-Fu is working and I found a Factory Parts Catalog for my washer/dryer in PDF format and can easily look up part numbers and order them myself.

I'm guessing it's the timer/washer switch. But I'm not 100% so is this a good place to start or should I look at other things?

Where the hose hooks up is usually the back of the solenoid valve that fills the washer. Timer if it isn't getting power. Valve if it is.

coaledsweat wrote:Where the hose hooks up is usually the back of the solenoid valve that fills the washer. Timer if it isn't getting power. Valve if it is.

Oh, I had no idea the fill valve had power. OK, I'll check both parts for power. I'd much rather buy a fill valve than a timer. The valve is half the cost.

It will only power up when the water is supposed to run to fill. More than likely, that power will come from the timer.

Also check pressure switch tube for blockage, take off and blow into it, I had this happen
in the past

and there's usually a screen right inside of where each hose hooks up that can clog

smokerdude wrote:and there's usually a screen right inside of where each hose hooks up that can clog

Yeah, we have an issue with the screens clogging I cleaned both.

I'll check the tube as well. And I was afraid it was the switch. I'll check it tomorrow. Wife said she'd go to the laundromat until I can trouble shoot and get parts.

Thanks for the help. Again.

Anthracite Ed wrote:Also check pressure switch tube for blockage, take off and blow into it, I had this happen
in the past

If this tube is blocked there will be no water in the whole house, not just no water at the washing machine.

McGiever wrote:

Anthracite Ed wrote:Also check pressure switch tube for blockage, take off and blow into it, I had this happen
in the past

If this tube is blocked there will be no water in the whole house, not just no water at the washing machine.

There is a pressure switch in some washers. It tells the timer what the water level is. Sometimes they get plugged and give erroneous readings. If the timer thinks it is full, it should start to run though so I doubt that is the problem here.

Pressure switch tube inside the washer, it runs from switch to inside washer tub
sensing water level in machine, laundry soap crud builds up over time on tube in outer
tub telling machine " I AM FULL" of water

Awh, gotcha.

coaledsweat wrote:If the timer thinks it is full, it should start to run though so I doubt that is the problem here.

hmmmm.......but it will only run if the lid is down, right? so if the lid is kept up because IOF or his wife is watching for the water to start filling it even though the timer thinks the washer is full, the wash cycle won't start.

if you haven't already tried it, close the lid and see if the timer starts the wash cycle.....

titleist1 wrote:

coaledsweat wrote:If the timer thinks it is full, it should start to run though so I doubt that is the problem here.

hmmmm.......but it will only run if the lid is down, right? so if the lid is kept up because IOF or his wife is watching for the water to start filling it even though the timer thinks the washer is full, the wash cycle won't start.

if you haven't already tried it, close the lid and see if the timer starts the wash cycle.....

I left the lid open but used a screwdriver to pin the switch down to simulate that the lid is down (closed) and the washer didn't even make an attempt to turn on. I'm really thinking it's the timer but will check out the fill valve tonight to see if it's getting power.

So this *censored* never *censored* ends. No, I have not fixed the washing machine yet. Parts are expensive and I've been put on a spending freeze from the wife.

Here's a new issue though. We've been battling air in the lines the entire summer. I tried bleeding then with all the faucets open, didn't help. I just checked the air level in the tank and it was at 38 psi. It's only supposed to be at 30. I knocked it back down to 28 and refilled.

It helped. But when the pump turns on I can hear air in the line. I understand this can mean, holes in the line from the pump to the house, the nipple on the pump could've deteriorated our worst case, well is going dry. I pulled the vent cap off of the well head but can't see anything down the well save for the wires to the pump. What I want to do is pull the cap of the well and check water level. How does one so this?

I'm absolutely sick of the water condition in this house. Not only are we dealing with air we have virtually 0 water pressure. Next step I burn the bitch down.

In assuming I just take all those bolts out?

I can't wait to get out of this house.

IOF

To look in the well remove cap as you mentioned. Take a hand held mirror and deflect the sunlight down the hole. you must have direct sunlight for this. I highly doubt your well went bad as there would be other signs, like cloudy water. Do you by chance have a green sand filter? If so those things can introduce air in your system during the regenerate cycle.

have a cocktail or three and dive in. after each step completed have another , soon youll be too drunk to care one way or the other. If you don't get it fixed, get up tomorrow ,repeat. Ima send powerful McGiver vibes your way. Get crackin

waldo