Washing Machines
A washing machine that stops mid-cycle with a drum full of water is one of the most common household breakdowns. The good news is that many faults are cheap to fix: a blocked pump filter, a worn door seal or a failed heating element. A visit from a technician usually starts with the symptom and the error code, and goes from there.
Faults and what usually causes them
- Won't drain: a coin, hair clip or sock in the pump filter, a kinked drain hose, or a failed drain pump.
- Won't spin: unbalanced load, worn carbon brushes on the motor, or a faulty door lock that the machine doesn't recognise as closed.
- Leaks on the floor: a split door gasket, a loose hose, or a cracked detergent drawer housing.
- Washes cold: a burnt-out heating element, often coated in scale first.
- Loud banging on spin: worn drum bearings or broken suspension springs and dampers.
- Door won't open: water still inside, or a stuck door interlock.
Hard water and washing machines
Cyprus water carries a lot of calcium, and it builds up on heating elements and inside pipes. Signs include white residue on clothes, longer cycle times and a musty smell from the seal. Running a hot cleaning cycle with descaler every month or two, leaving the door ajar after use, and wiping the seal folds all help. Using less detergent than the box suggests is often better too, because excess soap feeds mould in the drum.
Repair or replace?
On a machine under about seven or eight years old, most repairs are worth doing. Bearings on older or cheaper models can cost almost as much as a new machine, because on many the drum and tub are one sealed unit. A technician can tell you which case you're in once the machine is open.
Helping the technician
Before the visit, write down the brand and model number (usually on a sticker inside the door or on the back) and any code on the display. Say whether it's front or top loading, freestanding or built in, and where it sits, since machines on a balcony or in a narrow kitchen space are harder to pull out. If the drum is full of water, put towels down and, if you can, drain it through the filter flap into a shallow tray before the technician arrives.