Reasons why the washing machine stops during washing

Modern household appliances are crammed with all kinds of electronics, thanks to which manual labor is automated, and the washing machine is no exception. It performs programmed actions during the washing process, but no one is immune from breakdowns. It happens that the machine simply “freezes” without completing the program. Let's look at the main reasons why the washing machine stops during washing.

Simple solutions to emerging problems

During washing, household appliances sometimes stop performing subsequent actions or, in simple terms, may freeze. You cannot eliminate complex reasons for refusal, but there are also simple, sometimes ridiculously offensive ones. Here are the most common causes of simple washing machine failures.

The weight of the laundry exceeds the norm

Some models have a built-in smart sensor that is responsible for exceeding permissible limits. What to do in this case is very clear - remove excess laundry and start the machine again. If everything is normal, then you have correctly identified the cause.

Incorrect task

Sometimes users set a delicate wash, and then panic that the machine has stopped and won’t spin. There is no such function in this mode, and automation has nothing to do with it. Turn on forced drain and then spin mode.

An imbalance has occurred

When washing small and large items, an emergency situation may occur when the laundry collects in a single lump in one part of the drum. The imbalance sensor is triggered and a stop occurs. Not all users immediately understand the reason for the equipment failure, however, when opening the loading hatch, everything becomes clear: you need to evenly distribute the laundry items inside the drum and start the spin mode from the beginning.

Special sensors are installed by the manufacturer to prevent emergency situations: the appearance of unacceptable vibration due to imbalance, a large load on the electric motor when the laundry is overweight. These measures protect household appliances from overload.

Program selection error

Users sometimes make basic mistakes by choosing several washing modes at once. As a result, the washing machine stops without finishing washing. For example, the housewife chose the “Soak”, “Wash” and “Bleaching” program. Smart technology will stop in the middle of the process, because it does not have a combined “Whitening” and “Soaking” mode: they must be launched separately.

Manufacturers of modern automatic devices always very clearly describe all programs and modes, and they do not forget about the features. You should carefully study the attached instructions to avoid annoying mistakes. Household appliances wash in stages and strictly according to the programmed program, so carefully select the desired mode.

Drum overload or imbalance, blockage

The most common reason for a washing machine stopping during a wash cycle is improper loading of laundry into the drum. Errors in loading laundry can be determined by three points.

The amount of laundry placed by weight is greater than the maximum drum load of this type of washing machine.
Items are not placed in the drum correctly.
The laundry is not sorted (for ultra-modern machines with automatic detection of the washing program).

Before you start using the washing machine, carefully read the instructions for it. For some reason, many people neglect this. First of all, pay attention to the maximum drum load . If, for example, the maximum drum load of your machine is 6 kg, and you load 6.5 kg of clothes, then most likely the machine will stop during the washing process. And if your machine has a built-in automatic weighing function, then the washing program will not start at all.

The automatic laundry weighing function will prevent you from overloading the drum. The smart program will determine the weight of the laundry to the nearest gram and display this information on the display.

also arise if the laundry is not folded evenly into the drum . For example, if you put a duvet cover and a couple of dozen small things that are stuffed into it while the drum rotates, all this together tightly curls, forming a lump. The laundry rolled into a ball is located at one wall of the drum, enhancing the negative effect of centrifugal force during its rotation. This causes an imbalance; the machine’s protection system stops the washing process, waiting for the user to correctly arrange the laundry in the drum.

The reason the washing machine stops may be a simple blockage. In this case, it is not immediately possible to determine the place where the blockage occurred, because there may be several options.

In the drain hose.
In the drain pump.
In the drain filter.
In a sewer pipe.
In the drain hole of the tank.

The easiest way is to clean the drain filter; any housewife can handle this task, in a maximum of 10 minutes, after which the problem will be solved. It's another matter if a strong blockage appears in the sewer. In this case, water will not escape not only from the washing machine tank, but also from the drain of the bathroom, toilet, sink, etc. You can try using household chemicals to remove blockages from pipes (Mole or Tiret), if the products do not help, it is better to call a specialist who will quickly get rid of the problem.

You can also take the risk of dealing with a clogged washing machine drain hose yourself. To do this, you need to remove the hose that goes from the machine to the sink siphon or to the sewer pipe. To do this you will need a screwdriver. Unscrew the clamps, and then disconnect the hose from the machine, and then from the siphon. Use a wire and a stream of hot water to break through the blockage, then return the hose to its place.

If a blockage occurs in one of the units of the washing machine: in the drain pump or, especially, in the tank. This also leads to the machine turning off without completing the washing program. It is best to entrust the troubleshooting of such a malfunction to specialists. You can, of course, try to clean the drain pump yourself, but no one can guarantee a positive result.

You made a mistake in choosing a mode or there was a problem with the electronics

The simplest but most common reason for a washing machine stopping during washing is the wrong program selection. Again, we return to the fact that before washing, you need to carefully read the instructions for the washing machine. The manufacturer usually describes in great detail all programs and washing modes, not forgetting to indicate their features. Therefore, if you encounter a problem with the machine stopping when choosing the same program, re-read the instructions.

For example, if you select a soaking program on a modern machine, and then wash and bleach, then most likely the machine will stop in the middle of the program. Bleaching and soaking cannot be started at the same time!

If you have problems with the electrical or electronics of your washing machine, it is best to contact a specialist. Solving this problem on your own will require too much effort and time. The specialist will have to remove the control unit and test all its elements with a multimeter, detect and eliminate the malfunction.

The leakage protection has activated, the hatch door does not lock

Almost all modern automatic washing machines are equipped with leakage protection systems. The task of the system, in the event of damage to the hoses, pipes or units of the washing machine, is to prevent the “escaped” water from leaking onto the floor and at the same time shut off the water supply. This way you won’t get problems with flooding, since there won’t be any flooding, but you won’t be able to do laundry either until the problem is fixed.

If the reason for the leakage protection program to be triggered is a torn hose, then you can easily replace it yourself. Changing the drain hose is no more difficult than removing it to clean it from blockages, as described above. It’s another matter if we are talking about a breakdown of the locking mechanism of the washing machine hatch cover. Here you cannot do without the help of a specialist, although sometimes the hatch cover does not close tightly due to a breakdown.

Some budget washing machine models are equipped with rubber cuffs that do not fit well enough. The cuff is a large rubber seal installed on the hatch cover; it may not allow the cover to close tightly. To close the hatch more tightly, you just need to press the lid with your knee until it clicks and then the machine will wash until the end without stopping.

Note! In the future, to prevent the problem from recurring, you can treat the edges of the cuff with fine-grained sandpaper, thus removing the excess rubber that prevents the hatch from closing.

Serious damage

If the washing machine freezes during washing, and the above actions did not bring success, then there are much more serious reasons. It will not be so easy to detect them - you will have to contact a technician from the service center.

If the machine does not perform the specified functions completely, then the following parts and components may fail:

the electric motor has closed;
the heating element or contacts of the supply wires have burned out;
the drain pump filter or pipe is clogged;
the drain pump has failed;
failure of electronic equipment or programmer;
The loading hatch lock is broken.

The user needs to understand what happened, what part is responsible for the equipment failure, and what to do in each specific case. You cannot act at random - this can only aggravate the current situation. You should forget about further operation of household appliances without consulting a specialist, otherwise repairs may cost more than the original cost of the unit.

The heating element does not work

If the washing machine freezes at the very beginning of the washing process, then there may be a failure of the heating element, or burnt wires supplying power to it. Such a breakdown creates problems in heating water, and the entire algorithm of specified actions is disrupted.

If the timer freezes, it is unlikely that anyone will immediately give you an accurate answer: you need to scrupulously check the entire electronic circuit.

Drain system contamination

When the washing machine stops during the spin cycle, the reason may be a clogged filter or a clogged pipe connecting to the drain pump. Here you need to check:

drain hose;
drain pump;
filter;
tank drain hole;
sewerage system.

The simplest way out is to check the drain filter, if it is clogged, clean it and the entire structure from foreign impurities or replace it with a new one. The whole operation will take you no more than 10-15 minutes.

It’s worse if the sewer outlet or the entire home system is clogged: you can’t do it without a professional plumber. You can still clean the outlet using chemicals like Mole or a folk remedy (soda and vinegar), but you may not be able to cope with the entire system.

If the drain hose stops while rinsing, you can clean it yourself. Unscrew the clamps to disconnect the hose from the machine and the sink siphon for washing dishes or washing, depending on where the machine is located - in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Then rinse it inside with hot water under pressure. If that doesn’t work, carefully remove the blockage using a wire, but bend the sharp end so as not to damage it.

In the event that your machine stops during washing due to a blockage in another place, it is better to call a specialist. Without certain skills and abilities, it is better not to take risks.

Broken hatch door

If the washing equipment has stopped working, the reason may be that the loading hatch is not closed tightly, which is due to a broken lock or a loose rubber cuff. Budget models are often fitted with rubber seals that are quite rigid and poorly fitted.

To prevent the problem from recurring, sand the edges of the cuff to remove excess rubber.

Malfunctions of important parts lead to the fact that the equipment can stop at any washing mode, and an inscription appears on the electronic display indicating that the upcoming repair will cause serious damage to the family budget. In conclusion, I would like to warn you: there are many reasons why the washing machine suddenly stops during washing, and only a certified service center specialist can establish the correct diagnosis.

What could cause the malfunction?

Usually, if the washing machine suddenly stops during washing, then after some time an error code is displayed on the display, by which we can determine what kind of malfunction we are dealing with. This happens in 90% of cases, but even if we find out what malfunction caused the stop, we will still have to think about how to solve the problem, because the washing machine itself will not fix itself.

First, you need to understand the typical causes of malfunctions that cause the machine to suddenly stop during washing. Then you will need to move on to studying the nuances of these faults and methods for eliminating them. Let's start with typical breakdowns.

You put too much laundry in the drum or put it in the wrong way.
The user has selected the wrong washing mode.
There were problems with the washing machine's electrical system (sensors, wires, terminals).
There are problems with the electronic control unit of the washing machine.
The leakage protection system has been activated.
The hatch door does not lock properly or suddenly unlocks.
There is a serious breakdown of the most important components of the machine: the engine, heating element or drain pump.

Note! In addition to the above breakdowns, problems sometimes arise with filler and drain valves. If the machine cannot fill or drain water normally, this in some cases can also cause the washing to stop.

The motor, drain pump or heating element is broken

Malfunctions of the most important units of the washing machine occur at the most inopportune moments. In most cases, this happens during intense work. At the same time, the washing process naturally stops, and a terrible error appears on the machine display, indicating future expensive repairs. In some cases, repairing a washing machine motor and replacing it is more expensive than buying a new washing machine, so consider whether it’s worth spending money on a new unit.

In any case, it is better to carry out the replacement by a professional, especially if you do not have the necessary skills for this work. Replacing a drain pump or heating element will cost a little less, however, before deciding to purchase a new part, read the information offered on our website, also consult with specialists, and only then make your final decision.

In conclusion, we note that there can be many reasons why the washing machine stops before finishing the wash. And finding this reason on your own is not always possible. Therefore, if, using our advice, you have done everything possible, and the machine still stops without washing the laundry, contact a qualified technician.

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readers

02/04/2018 at 18:59
Vladimir:
I don't have a display on my car, no weighing sensors. There is nothing at all, just a program switch knob. And after turning it on, it pours water and starts.
Answer
04/15/2018 at 13:43
Vyacheslav:
Same problem. It might wash for five minutes and stop, and that’s it.
Answer
12/27/2018 at 11:26 pm
Hello, I am Azizbek:
Hello, why does the machine stop while it is running?
Answer
02.09.2020 at 22:00
Ilshat:
Hello, there is a problem: the washing machine stops during washing. It shows that there is no water flowing, what could be the reason?
Answer