Question about Whirlpool LHW0050PQ Front Load Washer
The washer worked great first few times, then last night wouldn't fill with water, would spin twice and then get stuck on Wash cycle without doing anything. Now all the clothes are stuck and the washer won't do anything. Has power, has water coming to the washer. Went through the entire troubleshooting manual. Called Whirlpool and they said we had to go through store we purchased from. I live in the Virgin Islands, so noone will come service for weeks. Help!!!
I took mine apart this night. The top comes off by removing two torx screws from the top-rear and lifting at the rear and lifting in the rear until the front edge slides out of the sheet metal. Regarding the door switch. It appears to cut the power to to the control PCB so if you can turn on the power and press the plunger on the door switch (located on the right side above where the door latch catchs) and the control panel lights up - it isn't the door switch. My local "service tech" has been waiting for a replacement door assy for (4) weeks. I finally got frustrated and took the unit appart myself. Mine will not spin or move the drum in any way but does run the pump. I will try setting at different locations in the cycle and turning the power on and starting it. It definately is not the door switch - what a waste of time.
Posted on Sep 20, 2007
I assume one can also ask a question in this box. Ican't figure out how to start a new thread so I hope there are still some interested folks paying attention to this one. The LHW0050 does not have a traditional spin timer and this makes cycle diagnosing a pain in the .... You can turn it off and restart it on separate settings but you can't easily advance it through the cycles to test them. I have a LHW0050 washer that is filling and then not doing much else although it seems to agitate a bit, even if I set it to spin. It does drain and then goes into various relatively slow spins in opposite directions and speeds but nothing like the real spin cycle. Maybe these are precursory to clear more water and weight out before engaging the high speed but a guy could have fixed 10 traditional timer appliances while waiting around to see what this one would do. I am assuming if it does anything after filling that it is not the door switch, but maybe the door switch is making occasional contact and then losing it giving unusual results. Are you speaking about an LHW0050 when you say pull up on the top. There are no visible means of dissassembly (I've had the back apart to clear a clog out of the hose that overwhelmed the clever front access filter),but I don't see how the top comes off. Do you pull it forward or backward while pulling up, any screws to undo first? Finally, where is the timing regulation on this machine, is it some solid state unit. Is there any available theory of ops material that can aid in these conditional diagnoses. If there is actually a spinning motorized timer hidden from view, I'm tempted to cut the covering and expose it so I have more control over the cycles, both for repair and operation. I have half dozen of these in service and was reasonably satisfied so I got one for my wife and the inability to address timing or change cycles on the fly or even know what is really going on during the wash cycle is very frustrating. OTherwise doesn't seem like a horribly engineered machine. It is high on the vibration side, obviously especially if a load gets unbalanced. I actually had one jump off one of its 4 shock absorbers during a violent spin cycle. Maybe they tried to put too much in a relatively small package, but, know on wood, performance has nonetheless been pretty good. I recommend only in slab on grade or solid concrete basement floor applications. I've tried to construct various vibration damping devices from layers of heavy 1/2" think rubber stallmatting attached in multiples to a wood frame with only modest improvement for my installation on a first floor that shakes the whole house. thanks, brian
Posted on Jun 13, 2007
FINALLY A REAL MANUAL for the LHW0050PQ
try:https://secured.whirlpool.com/Service/Sr...$FILE/WPWASHER1.pdf
found it on this thread:
http://www.applianceguru.com/forum2/8139...
It's not the most superb manual, but much better than the owners manual that came with it. There are instructions on entering diagnostic mode. Joe Rex was right about the door switch but he apparently has not looked at this particular model which leads to some of the confusion. There are two door switches.
One is a standard plunger, the other is an end switch on the door latch mechanism that only makes when the bimetal element is energized.
The first protocol in the diagnostic mode tests this switch, but the caveat I have found is that it doesn't go 100% bad. It may work sometimes and not others. I tested my switch according to the manual and it passed, but then I ran the test 15 minutes later and it didn't.
This switch is the lower of the two and includes the latch mechanism. To test it off the machine I held the door closed by hand and it actually energized made let a cycle start and then dropped out part way through. This is the symptom I had experienced on another identical machine and I assumed that it couldn't be the door switch because the machine was starting and running through part of the cycle.
But just having the lights on is only an indication that the upper door switch is made. To complicate matters, the latch switch communicates through the printed circuit board. I actually tried just making BP1 to BP3 which (Brown to Red) which is what the diagram in the manual shows, but the washer still wouldn't run although if I took the switch out of the machine and gave it a physical assist to make and the bimetal heater was thus also engaged, then the machine ran. I don't know if the diagram of the switch is wrong in the manual or if the PCB is smart enough to know that the bimetal isn't drawing current even if the door latch is showing made.
I ordered a door switch. Will report results.. But it appears that this switch could be responsible for symptoms that occur at the beginning and during the cycle. I have experienced this problem on two washers that are in relatively unheated space. I don't know if this is a coincidence or not, but I have two of these washers in fully heated locales and they have not exhibited this door switch symptom. Since it is a bimetal heater, it seems remotely conceivable to me that cold ambient temperatures could have an impact. I wouldn't think the heating element would be that sensitive to ambient, but you never know.
A. Harry Tuttle
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I got mine yesterday. On the 4 load, the same thing happened to me! I will call customer care first thing and see. adobe montreal, canada
Posted on Jul 16, 2007
THE FIRST THING TO ALWAYS CHECK ON ANY WASHER IS THE "SAFTEY LOADIND DOOR SWITCH. WASHER WILL FILL-UP AND THATS IT. IT SHUTS YOUR WASHER OFF IF A CHILD OR SOMEONE TRIES TO OPEN DOOR WHILE RUNNING. IF IT GOES BAD WASHER WILL JUST FILL AND THATS IT. NEVER ATTEMPT TO REPAIR OR BY-PASS SAFETY DEVICES. CALL A LICCENSED (BBB MEMBER) APPLIANCE REPAIRMAN WHO IS "FACTORY CERIFIED" TO GET A "FLAT-FEE DIAGNOSTIC TEST" TO CHECK. NEVER LET OLD PARTS LEAVE YOUR HOME. HUNDREDS OF HOME OWNERS ARE BILKED EVERY YEAR BY "SO-CALLED FIX-IT MEN. Joe_Rex (New Member)
Posted on Apr 27, 2007
second thing that goes bad is the cle timer.
you can manually check all functions by manually setting the knob or switch to all modes (FILL, WASH,RINSE,SPIN.) IF IT DOES ALL THESE MANUALLY, IT IS USUALLY YOUR TIMER ON THE CONTROL LNOB OR SWITCH ASSEMBLY.
YOUR IN THE VIRGIN ISLES???
THIS IS TO TEST DOOR SWITCH ...
UNPLUG YOUR WASHER !!!!!!!!!!!
STAND IN THE FRONT ... LIFT THE TOP OF WASHER FIRMLY UNTIL IT SNAPS OPEN. USUALLY A 1.5" LIP AT TOP. ATH THE TOP AROUND WHERE THE DOOR EDGES ARE .... SHOULD BE A SMALL SWITCH ASSEMLY WITH 2 WIRES.
WITH POWER - OFF !!!!!!!!!
JUMP THESE TWO WIRE TOGETHER AND TAPE THEM TO AVOID CONTACT WITH ANY OBJECT.
CAREFULLY CLOSE COVER TO WASHER AND PLUG-IN.
IF EVERY THING RUNS WELL YOU FOUND THE PROBLEM.
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I have the same problem, except I never got 1 cycle to work. The power is one. Water is going through the hoses. And it runs through cycles, but with it won't fill up with water.
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