If your washer won't spin, check these:
It doesn't pump or spin
It pumps, but doesn't spin
It spins only with the lid closed
It doesn't pump or spin
If it doesn't pump water out or spin, check to see if the motor is running, then proceed as follows:
- If
the motor is running, your washer probably has a frozen pump pulley or
a broken pump belt. To check the pulley, remove the pump from the
washer and try to rotate the pulley manually. If it doesn't turn
freely--if it's frozen or stiff--replace it. If the pump belt is broken
or looks quite worn, replace it--but be sure to check the pump pulley
before you change the belt.
- If the motor isn't
running, the lid switch may be defective. If so, the washing machine
can't spin and may not function at all. The switch is inside the
washing machine main housing near the door frame. Often you have to
raise or open the top or front of the washing machine to get to the
switch. If it's defective, you need to replace it.
It pumps, but doesn't spin
If your washer pumps out the water but doesn't spin, check these:
- The
lid switch may be defective. If it is, the washing machine doesn't
spin. The switch is inside the washing machine main housing near the
door frame. Often you have to raise or open the top or front of the
washing machine to get to the switch. If it's defective, you need to
replace it.
- The motor coupler may be broken. Many
Whirlpool®-manufactured washers use a small, relatively inexpensive
motor coupling. It's plastic and rubber and is mounted to the shaft of
the motor on one side, and to the transmission on the other. Over time,
the coupler wears out and fails. You may need to replace it.
- A
belt may be broken. Many washing machines have one or two belts. If a
belt is broken or badly worn, you need to replace it with a genuine
belt from the manufacturer. (Some washing machine belts are designed
with special characteristics not found in automotive belts.)
- The
clutch may be worn. If your washer is a GE, it may use a clutch to come
up to the proper spin speed. As the clutch wears out, it may prevent
the unit from spinning well or at all. If the clutch is worn, you need
to replace it. For this job, you probably want to hire a qualified
appliance repair technician.
- The drive motor may be
defective. Many washer brands use a reversing motor. For agitation the
motor runs in one direction, for spinning and draining, the other. It's
possible for a motor to burn out in one direction and continue to
operate in the other. If this happens, you need to replace the entire
motor.
- The transmission may not be shifting properly.
Older washers produced by Whirlpool® have a transmission with an
electro-mechanical shifter. If the shifter becomes even partially
defective, the unit may drain the water but not spin. This is a complex
system, if your washer has a shifter problem, you may want to hire a
qualified appliance repair technician to repair it.
- The
spin bearing or basket drive may be worn or seized. These components
allow the inner tub to spin freely inside the outer tub. When this is
the problem, you usually hear a loud sound during the spin cycle. Call
a qualified appliance repair technician.
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