If your washing machine door is not working, then you cannot use your washing machine in the right way. Fixing the problem will often involve diagnosing the problem, which is why it can be helpful to understand some of the common causes that can make a washing machine door break.
To try and help you to get the best possible assistance, we are going to be taking a look at some of the common causes of washing machine door faults. Please be advised that this guide is intended purely for identifying problems. Do you not attempt to fix any washing machine issues without the assistance of a trained professional.
Power Supply Issues?
Sometimes, the issue is with the power supply. When you plug the appliance in, do all of the lights come on? If they don’t, then there could be something wrong with the plug socket, or the power supply itself. You can test the former quite easily, because all you need to do is plug a different device into the same socket.
During this period, leave your machine unplugged for around 20 minutes, then try opening the machine door without turning the machine back on. This may solve the problem.
Broken Door Handle?
Your door handle will work on a lever. This pulls on the latch, which then opens the door. However, if any components of this circuit are not working properly, the door just doesn’t open.
Thankfully, unlocking the door isn’t too difficult. All you need to do is to loop some wire around the door. You’ll want it to slide between the bodywork and the door itself. When this happens, stand on the opposite side of your door handle, and pull towards you with some force. In a lot of machines, this will unlock the door manually so you can see where the problem is.
Door is Stuck?
Generally speaking, you will find that the safety lock can be damaged and that prevents the door from opening. If this happens, you will need to check the condition of the lock itself, and replace the electrical components if they are faulty. Now, all you need to do is take a proper look at this to figure it out.
Clogged Drain Pump?
Sometimes, you will see that the drain pump is faulty. This is the part of your washing machine that drains the water away, and it has a filter to protect it from sharp or damaging objects. If the washing machine can’t drain the water, the door will not open. So, if you can see water still in your tub, then you need to drain it via the filter, and then properly clean the filter and the pump out. If either of them look damaged, you need to make sure that you replace it immediately.
Defective Temperature Sensor?
Every washing machine has a temperature sensor, and you find this near your heating element. If the sensor developed a fault, then it will register the interior of the machine as being too hot, so the door will not open.
What you are going to want to do is use a multimeter to test the sensor, and if things are not within acceptable standards, which is anywhere from 20 to 30 on the meter depending on the brand of washing machine, you need to replace the heat sensor.
Broken Pressure Switch?
A typical pressure switch is one that allows your washing machine to work out what kind of water level exists inside the machine. When the pressure switch is broken, the washing machine can’t tell what level of water exists anymore. This means that it won’t unlock the door as a standard safety mechanism.
Thankfully, this isn’t too difficult to work out. Remove the top panel from your machine to get to the pressure switch, once you have obviously unplugged it. Then, clean the pressure chamber out, which should resolve the problem. If it doesn’t, test your pressure switch using a multimeter. You will want to check for continuity, and if you can’t find it, then you should replace the pressure switch.
Fault Codes?
There will be some cases where your device displays a fault code. These different types of codes correspond to different faults in the machine. If you still have the instruction manual, check to see what kind of fault code you are dealing with, as this will help you to advise a professional.
Faulty Motherboard?
If your motherboard doesn’t work, you may have an issue because these are the central points for your entire device. They can be quite expensive to replace as well, so if there is an issue with that, you may well have to consider simply buying a new machine outright.
