My mother-in-law tried to wash her comforter (may be too heavy). I was not there, but she described to me that the machine stopped working while flashing a F02 message and loud beeps. Also, there is still some water stuck in it that will not drain. When I got home, I tried unplugging it several times and pause/cancel. I also tried turning on the different cycles, I hear the click, but the inside will not spin. But now another problem arised, the door will not unlock. Can you give me some advice on what to look and what your thoughts on the problem is? Thanks very much for your help!
The drain pump is blocked/clogged.
Fortunately Whirlpool designed the pump with easy access and a simple solution.
Tools you'll need...
1.) A "Torx" bit set (I think it's a #8 bit, but I'm not sure.)
2.) A shop vac that sucks water and has more than an 8 gallon capacity.
3.) A pair of normal pliers
OK... here we go....
Look at the front of the machine. See that panel just below the door? You have to remove that. Look below that panel... there are 3 screws. One on the left, one in the center and one on the right. (these are the "torx"screws, btw) After the screws are removed, pull the panel down then toward you. This will expose the pump.
Now that you have the panel removed, you'll see the pump assy. right there in front of you. It's the unit that has big, black hoses connected to it and is located right there in the center.
Here's where the pliers and the shop-vac come into play. Use the pliers to un-screw the pump filter. (it's the thing that is facing you, white plastic.) When you unscrew this water will start to leak out... turn on your shop-vac and **** up the water that comes out. Do this until no more water comes from the housing.
Now.... remove the drain trap completely. You'll find all kinds of garbage in there. Clean it out completely then re-install in the reverse order of disassembly.
This'll get you back to washing clothes.
Felix,
Way to go!!! Good job. Yes the thing you unscrewed is the "trap". It's supposed to keep big bulky stuff from getting into the pump impeller, thereby saving it from a horrible death.
Remember how to do this repair, because you'll need to do it again sometime. This and the door lock assy's are the Achilles heels on these units. (you may also consider putting this washer on a high quality surge protector... there are 2 circuit boards on it that need protection)
Again, way to go!
Thanks - your directions helped me recover my wedding ring!
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SolutionGuy,
Thanks so much for your advice. I did exactly what you told me and pulled out one of my baby girl's sock that was lodged in the propeller of the pump assy. Now it's working again! The only thing I didn't have was the dry vac so it was a bit messy for me trying to catch it with towels. Also, I wanted to confirm on your message about cleaning out the drain trap, that is the pump filter that I unscrewed and pull out, right? Thanks again, you are the best!
Well, well...you guys are so much better than my local appliance shop..after having them come by 3 times to check to see why the machine was draining slowly and keeping suds in the water...NOT rinsing well at all.. they never took of the kick plate to check the filter...nor told me about it...and as others have said it is not in the manual!!!!!! grrrrr....so thanks... I am about ready to reassemble it to see if the pump needs to be replaced...Where can I get information on how to do that?
BTW: I do use HE detergent and sometime no detergent..and the new cleaner available from Whirlpool...but none of this really solved my problem of clothes not being rinsed well....Perhaps this clogged filter fix will solve this issue
I am having problems with my whirlpool duet washer. I can wash two or three batches of clothes with no problem at all, and then the washer will not drain. There is always about 10 minutes left on the cycle when I have the problem. If I let it sit for awhile and then turn it to "Drain and Spin" it will sometimes start. I can then wash a batch that runs fine, and the next one I may have a problem. It doesn't seem to be related to the size of the batch. It works for a few days and then I spend a day trying to get a batch out of the washer. Thanks for any suggestions that you may have.
I also had F02 (drain problem) failures. SolutionGuy's solution (open the bottom front cover, remove drain trap, clean) worked great. Thanks!
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