If you have a Whirlpool or Kenmore direct-drive washer with a weak or lazy spin which gets worse with a heavier load, it may have a bad clutch or transmission. How’s a grasshopper to know which it is? Fret thou not, my leetle seeker of arcane appliance wisdom, for this topic in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum offers some excellent diagnostic advice from seasoned Master Appliantologists and will gently guide you to appliance enlightenment.

Nickfixit, a veteran appliance servicer with a large, national retail and appliance service company and one of the fine Sublime Masters of Appliantology in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum, offered this erudite analysis of the ill-fated Whirlpool Calypso washing machine. Take ye heed…

Ok, I can see Whirlpool had good intentions when they came out with the Calypso. They wanted it to work, but things pretty much went to sh1t. So over the years, Whirlpool has brought out the Duet and now the Cabrio to meet the high efficiency needs of todays market. As the Calypso’s die off, we steer them to the new, and better, product. So far, so good.

But, today I had a customer who had an older Calypso die when covered under a service contract. They replaced it with a NEW Calypso. Here we are waiting for these fetid piles of stinking monkey dung to die off and go away, and these stupid bastards are putting brand new units in peoples homes. This is the last straw, if they are going to be this stupid, I going to start telling the CUSTOMERS what I think.

Some things I have or will say…

“I hate to even touch these, I don’t want the stench of failure to follow me all day.”

“I wouldn’t take one of these as a gift.”

“A child could have built a better machine.”

“I could fix it so it’s like new, but that ain’t saying much.”

Or maybe I should tell every customer to do a web search for “Calypso class action suit.”

Nick

This is usually a bad motor. Follow the gripping saga of one grasshopper’s valiant struggle with this noisy problem.

Mary B. posted this sordid story of schlocky appliance service in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum:

Last week, during a normal load of laundry our HE3 Washer started making a horrible loud sound! It sounded like a car coming through our garage. We got the washer stopped. When we removed our white clothes, there was a rust color all over them. There is a gaping hole under one of the baffles in the seam of the Stainless Steel tub.

I did not buy the extended warranty 3 years ago when we paid $1,000 for this machine. I called Sears, their service guy claims he had never seen this before and handed me an estimate for $1,100 to repair it. I laughed and showed him out!!!! I read in the manual that the Stainless Steel tub has a Limited Lifetime Warranty, so I called Sears to complain. The service guy said nothing about this warranty. When I explained to the woman on the phone what had happened, she looked up my model (Model # 110.42822201) and told me there were two Service Flashes on this model for tub problems. They are sending a different service guy out tomorrow. I am mad that the first service guy did not know the warranty and knew nothing about the Service Flashes.

Where can I go for some of these answers. I have digital pictures of the damage it it helps. (Note from Samurai: the photo Mary posted is shown here, click it for a larger view.)

After a several phone calls to the corporate bureaucrats at Sears and a visit by another Sears tech, Mary ended up with a choice: pay $300 toward the repair cost with Sears covering the rest OR take a $500 store credit toward a new washing machine (limited, of course, to what’s available on the Sears floor). Oh, BTW, they did offer to just give her the parts to do the three-hour, two-man job repair herself. 🙄

Even though the Sears techs claim they have never seen this problem, my latest intel shows that this drum seam failure is an emerging issue with these washers (also sold as the Whirlpool Duet). The problem is aggravated in areas with corrosive water, which apparently accelerates the corrosion at the critical drum seams, resulting in the Mary’s dilemma.

So what should Mary do? I give Mary the same advice I gave Rickie on his Asko washer. Look, if you buy the store brands, you are resigning yourself to bending over for one of the Big Appliance Manufacturers and appliance servicers. Is Sears going to give you technical repair help on the phone or in the form of repair manuals? Is Whirlpool? Is Asko? I think you’ll find that you are SOL, my friend. Why throw good money after bad and buy yet another store brand with all the built-in obsolescence and secretive technical information?

But, hey, this is Ameedica, and we still have some remnant of the free market which means you still have other choices. And your best choice for a washing machine is the Staber washer. You can read my copious writings on the Staber washer here and it was featured in the Fall 2006 issue of our newsletter.

Is the Staber just as vulnerable to the drum seam failure that we’re starting to see in the Kenmore HE3/4t and Whirlpool Duet washers? Short answer: NO. Why? Completely different construction which doesn’t rely on cheesy little folds in the stainless steel to hold the drum together. I’ve posted a picture here– see for yourself (as always, click the thumbnail for the larger, annotated view).

Isn’t it time to finally wake up from your life-long marketing-induced slumber and buy a Staber? 8)

In the Fall 2006 issue of our newsletter, Appliantology, I talked about the Staber washer and the typical happy Staber owner. I mentioned that, “If you’re not a DIYer and expect to call for service, get a commercially available washer from your favorite appliance dealer. Some good ones are Whirlpool Duet, Miele, Asko and Fisher-Paykel.”

Rickie, a frequent reader of these hallowed pages, disagreed vehemently with my mentioning Asko as a suitable brand to consider. In the interest of equal time, I am including her comments here:

MESSAGE SENT THROUGH YOUR WEBSITE

This form was submitted: Sep 14 2006 / 13:58:19
by a visitor with this IP Address: 4.252.98.112
name = Rickie ****
email = ********
country = USA

I have to take issue with your endorsement of Asko washers and dryers. I paid $1000 each for 2 units in 2000, and had NOTHING but trouble with both of them. I got a run around with the 800 number, and the regional rep didn’t return my calls. My washer and dryer had something like 8 service calls each in the first 4 years (I gave them away with my house when I sold it last year–that’s how little I valued them), and I mean for serious stuff that required hours of service and complete tear-downs. I called the company I purchased them from wilthin the first year and wanted to return my lemons, but they wouldn’t deal with me and only referred me to the above mentioned rep and 800#. I went sometimes months without using the units because I couldn’t afford the service charges. I would no more recommend an Asko appliance than I would jump off a cliff. I searched the internet for comments after I had so much trouble (I had done my research before, too, and found good stuff to recommend Asko), but after, I came across forums where people had the same complaints as I, so I know it was not just my units. The company is just plain unworkable. I will never never never use or recommend an Asko anything ever again.

–Rickie ****

Rickie’s saga is a perfect illustration of why you should buy a Staber!

Look, one of the big missions of this website is to empower you, average Joe or Jane appliance owner, to become appliance self-sufficient. That means learning how to fix your own appliances so you’re not at the mercy of know-nothing parts-changing monkeys, jive-turkey “repair” men, or manufacturer bureaucracy. And the simple fact is that if you’re not a do-it-yourselfer, you ARE at the mercy of other people and organizations!

“Ok, Mr. Samurai Cyclops, wouldn’t I still be at the mercy of Staber Industries if I bought a Staber, just like I would any other brand?”

Listen, bubble-boy, if you buy anything from anyone, you are entering into a relationship with that person or company. You are trading Federal Reserve Notes (mistakenly referred to as “Dollars”) for a product or service which you are having to trust is what you are expecting. The only way to avoid this is to live on a deserted island, alone, just you and your coconut.

See, it’s all matter of degree of dependancy. What you’re getting when you buy a Staber is a washer that is designed to be serviced by you, Average Joe or Jane appliance owner. And they help you do that by making available to you, the Staber owner, all the free service information and free manuals you need to repair the washer yourself. Staber offers excellent, free service support to owners– they’ve made it easy for you to have a low energy, low water-consuming, high-efficiency washing machine and be able to maintain it yourself.

That’s why Staber washers and dryers are such a home run with the self-reliant crowd, those living off the grid, and folks like Rickie who are sick and tired of being taken for a ride by manufacturers who could care less that you got stuck with a lemon. As far as they’re concerned, you’re one of the ignorant helpless bastards who expects to call for service every time your machine breaks so you get whatever they damn-well feel like giving you because they know you don’t have a choice. That’s also why I have 10,000 grasshoppers a day visiting this website seeking pearls of appliance repair wisdom to avoid having to call Cheeky the repairclown or 1-800-GE-CARES and then pressing “2” for English and waiting 45 minutes for the corporate bureaucrat to come back from her smoke break and pick up the damn phone.

So, the advice I gave is quite accurate, “If you’re not a DIYer and expect to call for service, get a commercially available washer from your favorite appliance dealer. Some good ones are Whirlpool Duet, Miele, Asko and Fisher-Paykel.” And, as far as the store-bought brands, that, sadly, is about as good as it gets. The corollary to this is, “Why in the world would you NOT want to be a do-it-yourselfer?”

Presumably, if you’re reading this, you have some interest in learning to repair your own appliances. Well, you’ve come to the right place because the Samurai makes it easy for you to do that. With over 3,000 pages of free detailed help, the world-famous Samurai Appliance Repair Forum, a Live Help subscription service for real-time, personal help, and convenient parts ordering, Fixitnow.com Samurai Appliance Repair Man has everything you need to become appliance self-sufficient.

A young Samurai Apprentice posted this problem in the repair forum. Sublime Master of Appliantology Stumpowitz rendered the illuminating initial diagnostic advice:

Magnetic reed switch on left side below the gray rubber bumper, shown here. Release two spring clips in front between main top and front panel using putty knife. Lift the main top and access the left and right door locks here. To access and see if the magnet is in place, remove the dispenser from lid. Gently pry the bottom of the plastic inner lid toward you then down. This will let you see if the magnet is in place on the right front corner of the innrer lid.

Which, naturally, was precisely the right prescription.

Further investigation by an inquisitive grasshopper revealed the reason why these lid lock switches are failing, click the thumbnail for a larger view.

Seems to be a common problem with this washer. Apparently, the lid isn’t completely watertight and allows water to get into this switch corroding the contacts and the wires. See the attached picture of my water-damaged switch. Note the black wire disconnected.

All is revealed under the power of many good minds focused on a single problem. This is the strength of the forum. Buy your new lid lock switch here.

Looking for a new washing machine? Consider the Staber washer. Read some detailed commentary from a happy Staber owner after using it for a year.

Here’s a common way that this fault will appear:

I can wash a load of clothes and it gets down to the last few minutes (ranging from 11 to 3 minutes) and it goes to the F02 error or SUD. I can let the washer sit for a few hours and then run it on the rinse/spin or drain/spin cylce and it will finish.

First thing to do here is take out the filter and clean out the grunge and gookus. If you find lots of stuff in there like pencils, nails, coins, etc., then it’s possible that these things have damaged the pump impeller. You can tell this visually by peering intently into the suction port of the pump with a flashlight. If any of the impeller vanes are broken off or if the impeller is jammed, then you need a new pump. Come git you one.

To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.

So, the motor in your washer runs and you’ve laid eyeballs on the belt to confirm that it’s not broken, but still no spin. Trying to Help, a Sublime Master of Appliantology in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum, explains how to tell whether the problem is the transmission (that’s bad), the thrust bearing and pulley assembly (that’s not as bad), or something else:

Pop the top of the unit up like you were going to take the front panel off and start the machine in the spin cycle. With the unit running, and sounding like it is spinning, reach in and see if you can turn the inner tub easily by hand, almost like a roulette wheel. If you can turn it freely by hand, then your brake has released. This would mean your belt, brake, motor pivot and trust bearing kit are all fine and your transmission is slap tore up (defective). IF you can not turn the tub freely at this point, then your brake is still holding. At that point, make sure your motor is pivoting back and forth freely and inspect your thrust bearing and pulley assembly as the Samurai suggested, and check for items stuck between the tubs such as a sock or wash cloth.

Most of the motors in the high-efficiency (HE) washers, such as front loaders, use what’s called brushes to conduct current from the rotor to the stator. You’ll find these kind of motors in common-brand washers made by Frigidaire and Whirlpool (also sold under the Kenwhore label), as well as the over-priced, under-performing, so-called higher-end brands.

A common failure of the these motors is that the brush breaks, cracks or simply wears away. Many of the manufacturers will not sell the brush alone– they want you to buy a whole new motor. But if you can prove that the only thing wrong with the motor is the brushes, then you can save yourself a whole butt-load of cash if you replace only the brushes and not the whole freakin’ motor. Sound too esoteric for an appliance repair virgin to take on? Nay, nay, my feckless grasshopper; grok upon these wise words from Keinokuorma, a Master Appliantologists at the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum who hails from Finland:

Tips on substituting motor brushes, if you just can’t find the original brushes with reasonable price, and especially if warranty is out. After all, a motor brush is just a motor brush: A piece of anthracite or similar conductive material, that carries the current to the commutator lamels.

Whether the original brushes are flattish or square-looking at the end, measure both thickness and width, and you can probably get brushes that match those measures. Also, measure the brush chute and the load spring entirely compressed if you can. Do the math – the brush must fit inside the chute with the spring inserted a bit loosely.

One thing – check the new brush head that is to come into contact with the commutator. It may be flat or concave-curved to contour the commutator. If it is entirely flat, you can install it, but the motor will not give optimum output until the curve has formed. If it is curved, I recommend rounding out the edges a bit with a file. If you use a brush that is curved for a smaller radius of commutator, and you don’t round out the edges, there may be trouble lurking around when starting the motor.

Also, the chute probably has a pinch that grabs the copper twine going into the brush. From the old brush, measure the distance of the warp in the twine to the brush, make a mark at that distance to the twine on the new brush, and lock the mark inside the pinch. This will keep the brush from wearing completely out and the spring hitting the commutator. I’ve seen that happen on motors without such pinches, and usually that means there are a couple commutator lamels stuck into the spring and torn off.

If you can’t get an exactly matching brush, you can think about replacing with brushes that fit the brush chutes width-wise (following the rotation) as closely as possible. Of course, loose is better than tight. And, if you really can’t get matching black carbon brushes, try and find a fitting replacement from car alternator brushes. They are usually of a harder material, and way shorter, but I have successfully used them on old appliances when original spare parts haven’t been available. While they are shorter, you may want to leave a little more twine between the pinch and brush.

WARNING: May cause drowsiness. Do not read this post while operating heavy machinery. Consuming alcohol while reading this post will enhance the sedative effect. Use of this post in a manner not in conformance with labeling may be a violation of Federal, State, or Local Laws, Statutes, or Regulations and may or may not subject the user to maximum enforcement under these laws, statutes, or regulations. Caveat emptor. This post is provided “as is” without any warranties. Reader assumes full responsibility. An equal opportunity post.

Maytag Dependable Care

• Remove the screw holding the inlet valve mounting plate to the washer.
• Remove the two screws holding the valve to the mounting plate.
• Lift the plate up slightly and pull it out of the washer.
• Label the wires and remove them.
• Disconnect the water feed tube from the valve.
• Install the new valve.
• Flush out the water fill hoses.
• Reassemble in reverse.
• Turn on the water supply valves.
• Check for and correct any leaks.
• Restore power and test operation.

Whirlpool, Kitchen Aid, Kenmore, Roper, Estate, after 1985

• The valve will be mounted to the back of the washer with two screws. However, you must remove the valve from inside the washing machine, and this requires you remove the entire washer cabinet, which consists of the top, front and sides.
• Remove the two screws in the lower corners of the control panel.
• Lift the control panel up high enough so it stays up and back.
• Disconnect the wire harness connector.
• Using a flathead screwdriver, snap out the two gold-colored spring clips at the top of the cabinet on the left and right sides.
• The cabinet will now lift up at the back. Pull the cabinet up 10-12 inches and then slide it forward 2 inches.
• Remove the cabinet completely and set it aside.
• The valve will be on the right side of the washer at the back. It’s the device to which the water fill hoses are attached.
• Label the wires from the valve and remove them.
• Remove the water feed tube(s) from the valve.
• Remove the screws holding the valve to the back panel.
• Install the new valve in the reverse order.
• Reinstall the cabinet. (Note: As you follow this procedure, do not force the cabinet in any way. When done properly, the cabinet will go back together very smoothly.) First, tilt the cabinet toward you 10-12 inches while you “walk” the cabinet back onto the lower frame of the washer. (This will be easier if you have the washer lid open so you can see inside the cabinet at the same time.) The front edge of the cabinet slides underneath the base frame, and the sides of the cabinet rest on top of the base frame.
• When the cabinet is resting on the frame squarely, check to be sure the back of the washer is aligned with the cabinet. There are two plastic strips attached to the back of the washer that must line up with the sides of the cabinet as you set the cabinet down.
• Reinstall the two spring clips at the top.
• Reattach the wire harness connector.
• Rotate the control panel back down and reinstall the two screws.
• Flush out the water fill hoses.
• Reattach the water lines.
• Turn on the water.
• Check for and correct any leaks.
• Restore power and test.

GE, Hotpoint, (valve on middle right side of washer)

• The water inlet valve is attached to a metal plate, which is attached to the washer.
• Remove the screws holding the metal plate to the washer.
• Remove the screws holding the inlet valve to the metal plate.
• Label the wires to the valve and remove them.
• Remove the water feed tube from the valve.
• Install the new valve.
• Flush out the water fill hoses.
• Reassemble in reverse.
• Turn on the water supply valves.
• Check for and correct any leaks.
• Restore power and test operation.

GE, Hotpoint, (valve inside upper control panel)

• Open the main control panel by removing two screws.
• Remove the two screws holding the valve down.
• Label the wires to the valve and remove them.
• Disconnect the water feed tube.
• Install the new valve.
• Flush out the water fill hoses.
• Reassemble in reverse.
• Turn on the water supply valves.
• Check for and correct any leaks.
• Restore power and test operation.

Frigidaire – Valve Inside Upper Control Panel

• Open the main control panel by removing two screws.
• Remove the two screws holding the valve down.
• Label the wires to the valve and remove them.
• Disconnect the water feed tube.
• Note: The new water inlet valve mounting screw holes may not be threaded. That is because the screws that hold the valve in place are self-threading. It may be easier for you to twist the old screws into the valve while the valve is out, rather than wait until it is in place. Then, remove the screws from the valve for installation.
• Reinstall the new valve in the reverse order.
• Flush out the water fill hoses.
• Reinstall the fill hoses in the proper order.
• Turn on the water supply valves.
• Check for and correct any leaks.
• Restore power and test operation.

Frigidaire – Valve in Main Body of Washer (not in control panel)

• Use a putty knife to press in the two spring clips at the front of the washer top near the sides. (You may need a flashlight to see the clips.) While you’re pressing in on the clip, lift up on the top, and will lift up like the hood of a car. Be sure to support the lid properly so it doesn’t fall backward or forward.
• The valve will be to your left behind the washing machine tub.
• Remove the two screws, which are on the back of the washer, holding the valve.
• From the inside of the washer, carefully pull the valve up toward the top with the wires and feed tube still attached.
• Label the wires to the valve and remove them.
• Remove the water feed tube from the valve.
• Note: The new water inlet valve mounting screw holes may not be threaded. That is because the screws that hold the valve in place are self-threading. It may be easier for you to twist the old screws into the valve while the valve is out, rather than wait until it is in place. Then, remove the screws from the valve for installation.
• Reinstall the new valve in the reverse order.
• Flush out the water fill hoses.
• Reinstall the fill hoses in the proper order.
• Turn on the water supply valves.
• Check for and correct any leaks.
• Restore power and test operation.

Others: If you didn’t see your brand and model above, and you’re sure you need to replace your water inlet valve, we can help you in the Samurai Appliance Repair Forum.

To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.

The unsuspecting neophyte may be tempted to shotgun this one and just replace the water inlet valve, hoping to get lucky. And you just might get lucky IF your valve has the built-in thermistor AND the thermistor is bad. However, the temperature control board in these washers have been a troublemaker and can induce this same symptom. How can a grasshopper tell which is the real problem? By grokking this topic in the laundry forum.

To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.

First, buy the replacement door boot kit here. This excerpt from the gen-u-wine repair manual will hepya do it to it.

Replacing the Door Boot in a Maytag Neptune Washer

To learn more about your washing machine, or to order parts, click here.

This problem is usually big trouble in Little China, budrow, because it can be an indication that the drum bearings are shot and you have a big repair in your future. One sure sign that the bearings are the root of all evil here is if you see brown splatter all over the back of the drum and bottom of the washer, as shown here (do I really need to say, “click the picture for a larger view?”).

But, fear not, my leetle grasshopper, for other grasshoppers, like unto yourself, have successfully undertaken this very repair and have emerged victorious. Yea, verily, read all about it ratcheer.