Won't take Fabric Softener

Where are you putting the fabric softener and when do you put it in? If your washer has a fabric softener dispenser, use it at the start of your wash. Leave the lid closed until cycle is completed. No dispenser? Pour diluted fabric softener in the rinse cycle or the second time water fills the washer.

Manually: If you're adding fabric conditioner by hand, be sure not to add it during the wash cycle. The washcycle will clean away much of the softener, so add it during the rinse cycle. Also, try to avoid direct contact with fabrics to avoid stains; instead, pour Downy into the deeper pockets of water.

How to Use Fabric Softener Without Dispenser ' Downy

where do you put fabric softener in the washing machine Google Search

Hello - There are several things that could cause the fabric softener to not dispense into the washer. Are you sure the liquid in the dispenser after the wash is fabric softener? If it is fabric softener, the solenoid that lets the water into the dispenser is not working. This solenoid is located on the back of the dispenser. It only gets voltage during the dispense time and fills the fabric softener dispenser with water. The fabric softener dispenser fills while the washer is filling for the rinse cycle.

When the washer begins to fill for the rinse cycle, the fabric softener solenoid is energized and water flows into the fabric softener dispenser cup. When the cup is full the water siphons out and softener and water flow into the tub.

If the liquid in the fabric softener dispenser is pure softener you may need a technician to diagnose and repair the problem. The voltage will have to be tested to the softener solenoid and a volt meter is required.

If the liquid in the fabric softener dispenser is water you probably need to clean the dispenser cup. **** will build up in the siphon tube and stop the liquid from going into the washer tub. The incoming water will dilute the softener and overflow the dispenser cup and run into the tub. The instructions for cleaning the dispenser should be located on page 43 of the use and care guide that came with the washer.

If you don't have the use and care guide these instructions will help. Open the dispenser until it stops. In the left rear corner of the dispenser, there is a release that is labeled push. Press down on the push area and you can slide the dispenser drawer out.

Remove the insert from the bleach and fabric softener compartments. Clean the bottom of the insert and the bleach and fabric softener compartments. Reinstall the insert and put the drawer back inside the washer.

To test the siphon action slowly pour water into the fabric softener compartment. When the water level goes above the maximum line stop pouring. The water should all drain out.

Hope this information proves to be helpful however if it is ineffective please contact a professional to move forward accurately.

In my case it was simply a matter of cleaning the nozzles that spray the water into the MAIN DETERGENT compartment. Turns our that when the washer was filling up, some nozzles were partially clogged and were directing water to the side where the softener compartment was, causing the fluid level to rise and therefore releasing the softener early. The washer was NOT spraying water in the softener side, what happens is that the dispenser tray is configured in a way that when the fluid reaches a certain max level in the softener/bleach trays, it completely drains. A way to test for this problem would be to completely dry the softener tray and start the wash cycle like you normally would (including detergent), only without adding any softener to the tray and see if after filling there is any water in the softener tray, this would prove that the water is coming from the other side.

Hi from retired Englishman in SW France,
It's very easy- you pour it into the conditioner tray before you start the washer- like the detergent/powder- and (normally) the washer directs water into the softener tray on the (final) rinse.
A quick and easy way to find out which tray is which is to pull the detergent drawer out just so that you can see into it. Start a pre-wash (pre-wash detergent) and see where the water runs in, then advance to the main wash (main wash detergent) and observe. Finally start a rinse cycle and where the water goes in is where the conditioner/softener goes.
In a few cases I have come across, the pre-wash tray shares with the conditioner/softener part but the pre-wash powder goes in the front and the softener in the back.
If this has assisted you please consider a 4 thumbs up for the rating.
Thanks and good luck!
John C

If the dispensers are in their proper spot it is normal for some water to be left in the fabric softener dispenser. When you add your softener add water to dilute it as some softeners are very thick and don't dissolve well especially in cold water

Purchase some fabric softener and place it in its normal location at the beginning of the cycle. At the end of the cycle check to see if fabric softener has been dispensed and whether there is water in the cup.

If the fabric softener is gone, but there is water in the fabric softener cup, then your problem may be with the water valve assembly. The water valve assembly (as one complete unit) has a separate solenoid for hot and cold water temperatures, bleach and fabric softener. The fabric softener solenoid on the water valve assembly could be defective (allowing water to fill the fabric softener cup).

Contact an appliance service company.

If you can remove the dispenser from the machine try soaking it in HOT water. The fabric softeners can cause a wax like build up that can clog the dispenser. If the dispenser will not come out of the machine then pour Hot water into it, cycle the machine and repeat. It took a long time to clog and will take a while to remove the clog(several cycles). This will work but will take time. Mix water with your softener to keep it from cloging again, it will thin the softener and stop the build up. If you add 50/50 water/conditioner shake well and use twice the normal amount so you are getting the full amount of softener/conditioner into the washer. This will help i had a similar problem with my front loading washer.

I'm sure you heard a small motor running from time to time during a cycle. That moves an "arm" which sends water to the different chambers during a cycle. Fabric softener is dispensed when water goes to that chamber and dilutes the fabric softener. That chamber then empties by a siphoning action.
If you want to narrow down the problem a little to help trouble shoot -- put some wet rags in and run the Rinse and Spin cycle with some fabric softener. If the softener is not dispensed, then you know that the water isn't being sent to that chamber properly.
If you are intrepid enough to take the top off your washer, do that and see if the arm appears to be moving during a normal cycle. Maybe the arm got dislodged or broken during the move.
If water isn't being diverted properly, I think this calls for a real repair person.

I have a 9200SQ Whirlpool duet.  It might be similar.  I think the bleach and fabric dispensers work on the siphon principal--once the level gets above a certain point they will then siphon out until almost nothing is left.  They should not start to siphon until extra water is directed into them during the correct cycle.   It is possible that they are starting to siphon early because 1. the washer is not level, 2. water is being added to the dispenser during the wrong cycle 3.  You put too much liquid into the dispenser and it started the siphon. 
Note:  You should not peek in the dispenser during the washer cycles because it might interrupt the "siphon"action and leave residual bleach or fabric softener in the dispensers.