Washing machine back filling problems
How to stop my washing machine filling when its switched off!
Its very unpleasant when you find stale water inside your washing machine,
especially when you know you correctly turned it off after use. If not noticed quickly
this will result in a very unpleasant smell!
This is a very common occurrence, and if your machine is still under Warranty
from the manufacturer, you may well end up with an expensive bill if you call in the
Service Engineers, as it would be a very rare event if this was a fault of the machine.
Causes for a Washing Machine to backfill:
What happens is that the machine will partially fill with dirty water via the valve. The
dirty water is contaminated with various items including oil, grease, food particles
etc. As you can imagine, this is what causes the machine to smell.
There is only one cause for this problem, and that is the washing machine has not
been installed by following the Manufacturer’s Instructions. If you installed the
machine yourself, then you have probably connected it up as you have in the past,
but this is not the case with more modern machines, and it cannot be stressed
enough that you need to follow the installation instructions to the letter, otherwise
you can end up with this problem.
Its even more galling if you have paid someone to install the machine on your behalf
– some plumbers seem to be allergic to reading any manufacturers information, they
work on the assumption that they know everything, the’ you can’t teach an old dog
new tricks’ syndrome. You will need to recall the fitter concerned, and get them to
refit it properly, following the Manufacturer’s instructions this time. Make sure this will
be done free of charge, as you’ve already paid them once and you won’t be paying
anything further.
What to do first
Whether you, or someone else, was the culprit, the first thing you will need to do is to
drain the machine.
Before you start, I suggest you open a window first as this will be a smelly job.
It is also a very good idea to put something on the floor to soak up any spillage,
newspaper or old cloths that you don’t want again is probably the best thing. You
will also need to have a receptacle ready to collect the waste water. Again, an old
container will be the best thing.
You can drain the machine via the filter, which you will find located at the bottom
of the machine. If in doubt, check in your manufacturer’s handbook. Release the
drainage pipe, which you should see once you open the filter door, and place it in
your container, then slowly undo the filter until the water starts to flow. Its best to
do this slowly so that its easier to tighten up the filter to enable you to empty the
container as needed. You will need to give the filter a good clean once you have
completed the drainage operation, before putting it back in place.
Once you have drained out the water you, or your fitter, will be able to reinstall the
machine but this time using the correct installation instructions.
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