DIY washing machine repair: step-by-step workshop

An irreplaceable assistant to every housewife is a washing machine. Before its appearance, washing was a difficult, exhausting process.

In addition to physical effort, the washing machine made it possible to use time for other, equally important things. Now, you just need to ask the program and it will do the rest.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the best gift for the newlyweds is just a good washing machine.

Despite its relatively high cost, cars more than justify it.

But it happens when, for various reasons, the device, after working for some time after the purchase, ceases to function.
In such situations, do not immediately panic. Most often, the breakdown can be minor, and eliminated by your own hands. The main thing is to know how to disassemble the housing and get to the main elements of the machine and understand the principle of operation of each module.

Then it will be easier to determine the place of failure, even without special instruments and knowledge.

An LG washing machine was taken as an example. This machine has a lateral load of linen, like many other similar models, and although manufacturers may differ, the nodes and the principle of operation of all these devices are the same.

The problem with this machine is that it does not want to draw water when the washing program starts, although water enters the inlet and its pressure is sufficient for normal operation of the machine.

Let's see how the washing machine works.

Water flows through the hose to the inlet valve. They can be from one to three or more.

The control unit gives a command to start the water, and the opened valve passes it into the container for powder and rinse aid.
Next, water with powder enters the main tank with a drum. When filling, the water level in the tank increases, and gives a signal to the pressure switch when its level is sufficient.

The control unit closes the inlet valve and the washing process begins.

It turns out that the problem may be in the valve, control unit or pressure switch.

In order to get and check these components, you must remove the top cover. This is not difficult to do. It is enough to unscrew the two screws on the back and slide the cover back.

Then the cover is easily removed up.

Here the gaze reveals the inner "world" of the machine (Fig. 6).

There are two inlet valves in the upper back (Fig. 7).

The control unit is located in front under the buttons (Fig. 8).

The pressure switch is in the middle right.

First check the valves.

To do this, remove the connector from their terminals, and feed 220 volts from the home network to these ends, using a cord with a plug.

It is not worth reminding that this should be done carefully. First connect the ends to the coil, and then plug the plug into the network (Fig. 14).

Also, it is necessary to fix the ends of the cord well on the valve terminals, so that during operation, from vibration, they do not jump off and close together.

If the valve worked and the water went into the powder container, then everything is in order with the valve. In the presence of two valves, we check the operability of each. To diagnose valves in this way, you can not include the machine itself in the network.
The next thing you need to pay attention to is the water level sensor (Fig. 15) or pressure switch.

Water level sensors in earlier models of washing machines had a mechanical principle of operation. That is, a mechanical relay with a group of contacts. The tank is full - the relay contacts are open. There is not enough water - they closed again and turned on the valve.
In this machine, the sensor is electronic. Check it with a simple "dial" will not work.

To do this, you need an oscilloscope, and such a device is only available in specialized workshops. Therefore, the only thing that can be done is to inspect the sensor for the integrity of the body and tube, which approaches it and through which air pressure is transmitted, depending on the water level in tank.

This pressure acts on the membrane connected to the ferrite core, the position of which affects the frequency of the internal generator of the sensor. Changing the frequency directly affects what command the machine controller will give to the actuators: valves, pumps, and so on.

Only an oscilloscope or frequency meter can detect such changes.

Therefore, in order to eliminate damage to the control unit, it is necessary to check whether the voltage of 5 volts necessary for its operation comes to the pressure switch.

To do this, disconnect the connector with wires from the sensor (Fig. 16 and 17). The connector has three wires. Voltage measurements should be made at the two extreme conclusions (Fig. 18).

The diagram shows the purpose of the conclusions.

One of the extremes is plus 5 volts. The second conclusion is general. Medium, designed to remove the signal from the sensor, for its subsequent processing.

So, we connect the conclusions of the multimeter or voltmeter to these two extreme conclusions.

We turn on the car, and look at the device (Fig. 20).

A voltage close to five volts is displayed on the indicator. So, the sensor comes with power, but it does not perform its function. Everything indicates that the pressure switch is defective.

It does not make much sense to repair it, since this requires special devices and skills. And since it has a membrane and other mechanical parts, repairs, even a specialist can do nothing. Therefore, it is better not to spend time and money on ways to repair the device, but to buy the same new one, especially since its price fluctuates around eight dollars.
To replace, you will have to unscrew the sensor mounting screw (Fig. 21) and disconnect the rubber hose.

We install the new device in the reverse order. The main thing is not to forget to connect the pressure hose (Fig. 22).

We connect the connector and try to start the machine by choosing one of the washing programs. For example, quick wash 30 minutes or rinse plus spin. If the water began to fill the tank and stopped at the right time, we can assume that the cause of the breakdown was found and eliminated.

It is very important not to twist the adjustment screws on the sensor, as the factory settings are considered optimal.

If the machine has automatic diagnostics, in case of a level sensor malfunction, it can display “RE” on the screen when it is turned on. But even in these types of machines, this diagnosis can not always give this out. In this particular case, this did not happen. Therefore, it is worth trying the above method, and then positive results are possible.

Another failure of the pressure switch can simulate a rubber hose connected to it.

Sometimes it becomes clogged and does not allow the device to work properly. Banal cleaning of this tube can return the machine to its previous normal operation.