Washine Machine Problems

[nobber9999]

This is more of a check it out posting but it may save a few baht rather than take your front loader to the repair shop. I experienced the problem of detergent powder stains being left on clothes but by using a longer rinse cycle this was resolved. However, since doing that, it would appear that you only need to put in half the normal quantity you would use in the UK. Ignore the detergent marker on the scoop which comes with the powder and also ignore the conditioner level marker in the machine tray. My shirts were also a bit niffy after drying and also had a grayish dirty appearance. All trouble shooting manuals will get you to check if the conditioner if left in the tray after the machine has finished. The answer being pretty logical...... just clean it because it will be blocked with congealed softener. Now, believe it or not, that may be a contribution to the niffy clothes but not the dirty looking clothes. Through trial and error, I discovered that in my machine the conditioner was in fact being emptied out with the first wash and as a result the garments seemed to attract all the grime which comes out of the was. This is a problem you may not know about because all the fault finding manuals and internet sites have no mention of it happening let alone the resolve. I disconnected all the connectors and cleaned them, cleaned the pipes from the supply to the tray but still no luck. It was only after talking to a LG engineer that I was told it must be the water pressure. Now, back in the UK, you buy a machine, plug it in connect up the water and that's it. I assume that the European machines all come with a water pressure valve as standard but of course here you have to bodge up the well pump regulator and make something similar yourself!! However, my water which is pumped to everything by a mitsubishi auto pump does not provide a constant uniform pressure so you need to find a happy medium. Fit a standard bathroom pipe valve to the machine feed pipe, turn it off completely and then on just a fraction. It sounds like there is not enough water going into the machine but it clears the trays and fills the machine to the normal level. Anyway, put something in the machine and set to quick wash. After it has completely filled and is washing, pull the draw out slightly to see if the softener is still there. If it is, it should be working fine and the clothes should smell nice. Two other points to remember, get the washing out of the machine as soon as you can after it stops and also, get washing in off the line before it dries to a crisp. This wont help the washing but makes the ironing a lot easier. Hang indoors afterwards to dry completely before putting in cupboard. If it rains whilst on the line..... go back 2 paces and run the rinse and spin cycle again and include softener again. Someone, somewhere may find this info useful..... BTW, all my clothes smell great now and look clean!

[selftaopath]

This is more of a check it out posting but it may save a few baht rather than take your front loader to the repair shop. I experienced the problem of detergent powder stains being left on clothes but by using a longer rinse cycle this was resolved. However, since doing that, it would appear that you only need to put in half the normal quantity you would use in the UK. Ignore the detergent marker on the scoop which comes with the powder and also ignore the conditioner level marker in the machine tray. My shirts were also a bit niffy after drying and also had a grayish dirty appearance. All trouble shooting manuals will get you to check if the conditioner if left in the tray after the machine has finished. The answer being pretty logical...... just clean it because it will be blocked with congealed softener. Now, believe it or not, that may be a contribution to the niffy clothes but not the dirty looking clothes. Through trial and error, I discovered that in my machine the conditioner was in fact being emptied out with the first wash and as a result the garments seemed to attract all the grime which comes out of the was. This is a problem you may not know about because all the fault finding manuals and internet sites have no mention of it happening let alone the resolve. I disconnected all the connectors and cleaned them, cleaned the pipes from the supply to the tray but still no luck. It was only after talking to a LG engineer that I was told it must be the water pressure. Now, back in the UK, you buy a machine, plug it in connect up the water and that's it. I assume that the European machines all come with a water pressure valve as standard but of course here you have to bodge up the well pump regulator and make something similar yourself!! However, my water which is pumped to everything by a mitsubishi auto pump does not provide a constant uniform pressure so you need to find a happy medium. Fit a standard bathroom pipe valve to the machine feed pipe, turn it off completely and then on just a fraction. It sounds like there is not enough water going into the machine but it clears the trays and fills the machine to the normal level. Anyway, put something in the machine and set to quick wash. After it has completely filled and is washing, pull the draw out slightly to see if the softener is still there. If it is, it should be working fine and the clothes should smell nice. Two other points to remember, get the washing out of the machine as soon as you can after it stops and also, get washing in off the line before it dries to a crisp. This wont help the washing but makes the ironing a lot easier. Hang indoors afterwards to dry completely before putting in cupboard. If it rains whilst on the line..... go back 2 paces and run the rinse and spin cycle again and include softener again. Someone, somewhere may find this info useful..... BTW, all my clothes smell great now and look clean!

WOW. Thanks for the great post. My wife insists on washing by hand telling me the machine doesn't clean the clothes. I'll be sure to let her see this. LOL I throw my clothes in the machine thinking they'll get clean b/c that's what washing machines do, but perhaps I am not observant. Cheers, and thank. Keoki

[toptuan]

Good and helpful information here!

I moved it to the housing forum for wider exposure, and for the fact that this forum tends to also deal with household appliances from time to time (air conditioners, etc.)

Cheers,

TT

[kimamey]

Of course the amount of detergent you need is related to the hardness of the water. Harder water needs more detergent as far as I know. I have no idea of the water hardness in Thailand or if it differs depending on where you are in the country as it does in the UK. I live in Southampton on the south coast and our water is very hard.

Good post.

[parryhandy]

I have a water pump like yours and my problem is it takes ages for my LG TOPLOADER to fill with water? Is this normal ? Have no problems with water pressure in the rest of the house.

I start the cycle and it tells me say 47 minutes duration but it will stay on 47 for ages because it takes so long to fill.

Edited June 10, 2010 by parryhandy

[lopburi3]

It should not take ages to fill if you have normal pressure - have you removed the hose where it attaches to machine to see if the screen filter is blocked with gunk/stones? When detached does water flow through the hose normally with tap open? Is there a filter where the hose attaches to the tap that may be blocked?

[wpcoe]

lopburi3's suggestion to check the inline screen filters brings up something that I've been wondering:

The next condo I get, I plan to put a front-loading washing machine in the kitchen under the counter. If I do so, how would I ever get to clean out the screen filters? Currently I have a top-loading washing machine in a closet and can easily (and routinely) unscrew the water line and clean the filter. Especially when the condo has to resort to trucked-in water (due to the unreliable municipal water supply in the Pattaya area), that screen can get clogged as often as every week. How would I deal with that with a "built-in" machine under a kitchen counter?

I thought about putting the machine on casters (wheels), but I think that might be a problem when the machine goes into hyper-drive during the spin cycle, no?

[selftaopath]

lopburi3's suggestion to check the inline screen filters brings up something that I've been wondering:

The next condo I get, I plan to put a front-loading washing machine in the kitchen under the counter. If I do so, how would I ever get to clean out the screen filters? Currently I have a top-loading washing machine in a closet and can easily (and routinely) unscrew the water line and clean the filter. Especially when the condo has to resort to trucked-in water (due to the unreliable municipal water supply in the Pattaya area), that screen can get clogged as often as every week. How would I deal with that with a "built-in" machine under a kitchen counter?

I thought about putting the machine on casters (wheels), but I think that might be a problem when the machine goes into hyper-drive during the spin cycle, no?

A low tech way would be to hook a flexible tube e.g. hose to a water supply eh? :-) No need to clean any water filter then - perhaps. :-)

[kimamey]

lopburi3's suggestion to check the inline screen filters brings up something that I've been wondering:

The next condo I get, I plan to put a front-loading washing machine in the kitchen under the counter. If I do so, how would I ever get to clean out the screen filters? Currently I have a top-loading washing machine in a closet and can easily (and routinely) unscrew the water line and clean the filter. Especially when the condo has to resort to trucked-in water (due to the unreliable municipal water supply in the Pattaya area), that screen can get clogged as often as every week. How would I deal with that with a "built-in" machine under a kitchen counter?

I thought about putting the machine on casters (wheels), but I think that might be a problem when the machine goes into hyper-drive during the spin cycle, no?

I've got a dishwasher under a counter and it just slides out on the ceramic tiles and my mother has a washing machine that does the same. I think a lot of them have plastic feet on them so they won't damage the floor.

I seem to remember when I was in Thailand that the machines seem a little different. a lot of them seem to be top loaders which are almost unheard of in the UK and they seem to be on some sort of raised plinth if that makes any sense.

[nobber9999]

Mine is an under work surface front loader but I am sure the internal works are similar. I think the problem is that unless you have the latest all singing and dancing machines none of them have any water pressure regulators. Having said that, yours may well have because of the slow fill up speed. These machines do not have a by-pass where water can flow freely into the machines without first going through the dispenser trays so this is why the water flow appears to be very slow. The actual times shown on your display are calculated from water sensors in the machine which also tell the machine to stop filling etc. Have you checked your water inlet filter? I live outside of Korat and the water coats everything with limeslace and probably many other mineral deposits. If your shower heads and taps need cleaning regulary then I would probably say its your inflow filter needs a good scrub. If the filter is plastic, take it out and pour some Vixol over it and leave to soak for a couple of minutes. That stuff seems to do the trick.

[nobber9999]

lopburi3's suggestion to check the inline screen filters brings up something that I've been wondering:

The next condo I get, I plan to put a front-loading washing machine in the kitchen under the counter. If I do so, how would I ever get to clean out the screen filters? Currently I have a top-loading washing machine in a closet and can easily (and routinely) unscrew the water line and clean the filter. Especially when the condo has to resort to trucked-in water (due to the unreliable municipal water supply in the Pattaya area), that screen can get clogged as often as every week. How would I deal with that with a "built-in" machine under a kitchen counter?

I thought about putting the machine on casters (wheels), but I think that might be a problem when the machine goes into hyper-drive during the spin cycle, no?

[nobber9999]

Thanks for the suggestion but the input filter is always the first thing I check - needless to say, clean as a whistle.

An under the work surface front loader is no problem at all. The supply pipe or pipes (some people have hot water tanks so one supply is from the mains and the other from tank), are long enough to be able to pull the machine out far enough to access the inlet and drain pipe. I would suggest that the connector for the water supply is positioned in line with the machine connector. All of these machines (as far as I know), are fitted with rolling wheels to the rear and then adjustable supports at the front. Just take the load off the front of the machine and pull at the same time. The machine will slide out dead easy. Make sure that you fit a stop cock or on/off valve near the wall mounted water connector(s) as you will need to isolate the machines supply should you need to disconnect it for cleaning the filter(s) or whatever.

[rgs2001uk]

Thanks for the suggestion but the input filter is always the first thing I check - needless to say, clean as a whistle.

An under the work surface front loader is no problem at all. The supply pipe or pipes (some people have hot water tanks so one supply is from the mains and the other from tank), are long enough to be able to pull the machine out far enough to access the inlet and drain pipe. I would suggest that the connector for the water supply is positioned in line with the machine connector. All of these machines (as far as I know), are fitted with rolling wheels to the rear and then adjustable supports at the front. Just take the load off the front of the machine and pull at the same time. The machine will slide out dead easy. Make sure that you fit a stop cock or on/off valve near the wall mounted water connector(s) as you will need to isolate the machines supply should you need to disconnect it for cleaning the filter(s) or whatever.

"a stop cock or on/off valve"

That may well be the problem parryhandy has.

I have one fitted and it need replacing every couple of years because of all the crap and crud that accumulates.

[wpcoe]

I've got a dishwasher under a counter and it just slides out on the ceramic tiles and my mother has a washing machine that does the same. I think a lot of them have plastic feet on them so they won't damage the floor.

Thanks. As long as it slides easily out, then I won't worry. Just have to make sure that it is installed with a long enough hose to allow the machine room to move.