Top loader washing machine is filling up with water, when switched off.

poiuy1234 on 17/07/2015 - 10:03

I recently bought a second hand top loader washing machine. After the first time I used it I noticed it was dripping water. Not outside the washing machine, but instead from the inlet hose end, if that makes sense. It's a drop every 20 seconds or so. I could initially get around the problem by switching off the water at the tap every time whenever I wasn't using the washing machine, but this somehow is no longer working and the water is dripping all the time.

Does anyone know what may be causing it, and how I could easily fix it? Or at least find out exactly why this is happening?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • nocure on 17/07/2015 - 10:12
    +1

    Faulty inlet valve.Should be an easy fix for a handyman.

    • DarkOz on 17/07/2015 - 10:38

      ^ Yup. That! The valve should remain closed until activated to let water in but it's faulty.

      • JimB on 17/07/2015 - 10:51
        +2

        Still doesn't make sense why it is dripping when turning off the water supply.

        I wouldn't bother getting it fixed as the cost of calling out a repairman may be more than what the second hand top loader washing machine is worth.

        The water isn't wasted, just make sure you do a load of washing once in a while before it overloads :D

        • DarkOz on 17/07/2015 - 10:57

          Maybe the gap had opened up and the suction from turning off the water supply no longer works. The remaining water in the hose still drips until it's empty.

        • JimB on 17/07/2015 - 10:58

          @DarkOz:

          Good point, it's only a little bit of water so I wouldn't worry about it myself.

        • DarkOz on 17/07/2015 - 11:01

          @JB1:
          Yup. A drip every 20 seconds, especially inside the washing machine, isn't much to worry about. At first I thought the drip cause the washing machine to overflow onto the floor.

        • poiuy1234 on 17/07/2015 - 11:58

          @DarkOz:

          I haven't done a load in 4 days, and the washing machine is now half full :)

        • DarkOz on 17/07/2015 - 12:42
          +2

          @poiuy1234:
          Isn't that great? Saves you a minute or two for the water to fill up and starts washing immediately;)

        • JimB on 17/07/2015 - 13:25

          @DarkOz:

          Saving you time! brilliant.

          However there is no way 3 drips a minute will fill up half a washing machine in 4 days.

  • poiuy1234 on 17/07/2015 - 10:48

    Thanks for that. I never use the hot/warm cycle. Is it ok for me to switch the hoses around?

    • JimB on 17/07/2015 - 10:53

      That's fine.

      Just set the machine to the hot cycle.

      • poiuy1234 on 17/07/2015 - 12:01

        Ahhh. Forgot about having to set the machine to the hot cycle. This won't work, because the rinse always only uses cold water :(

    • DarkOz on 17/07/2015 - 10:59

      The problem might not be at the hose but yeah it's ok to switch the hoses around.

      • JimB on 17/07/2015 - 11:08

        It's not the hose, but the fact the hot water inlet valve may be still working fine.

        • DarkOz on 17/07/2015 - 11:11

          Ahh I got it. I thought switching the hose completely but he meant filling the cold water into the hot water inlet…That's too much hassle to reprogramme the washing machine for mine. I would just let it drip.

  • Baysew on 17/07/2015 - 11:57
    +1

    I could initially get around the problem by switching off the water at the tap every time whenever I wasn't using the washing machine, but this somehow is no longer working and the water is dripping all the time.

    If water is still dripping, even though the tap is turned off, wouldn't it mean that the tap is dripping ?

    • DarkOz on 17/07/2015 - 12:46

      Good point. That depends on how long the water still drips after the tap is turned off. I assumed the OP only checked for the first few minutes after turning off the tap. If it keeps on dripping for a day then it's the tap fault.

      • kima on 18/07/2015 - 07:45

        the op said the washing machine gets half full so I was thinking the same thing. wouldn't it be the tap and not the machine?

        maybe a washer needs changing in the tap

        • DarkOz on 18/07/2015 - 08:10
          +1

          I thought about it but now it doesn't make sense. The OP said it was dripping until he turned the tap off to stop it and it worked for a while. That meant the inlet valve was leaking when the tap was on.

          Could that mean the inlet valve was faulty followed by the tap?

        • Daytripper on 18/07/2015 - 11:09

          The water inlet on the machine controls the water flow so, even if the tap washer needs to be replaced, the machine inlet should not allow water to drip - otherwise the water would immediately fill the machine when the tap is turned on. Of course it is possible that both the tap washer and the machine inlet are faulty - disconnect the hose from the tap and see if the tap drips. Fault finding 101…

        • poiuy1234 on 20/07/2015 - 09:30

          @Daytripper:

          I can now confirm that the tap is ok. It's just that it drips for a long time even after I've switched the tap off.

        • DarkOz on 20/07/2015 - 11:18
          +1

          @poiuy1234:
          Get back to your first trick and that is to turn the tap off each time. The remaining water in the hose might drip but you know it's very limited.

        • poiuy1234 on 20/07/2015 - 12:13

          @DarkOz:

          Thanks for that.

  • Daytripper on 18/07/2015 - 11:00
    +2

    If you dont use the hot/warm water cycle, it is usually a pretty easy fix to swap the hot/cold inlets on the machine itself. I have done this myself and used the machine successfully for years without problems (other than the inability to wash clothes in hot water).
    1. Unplug the machine from the power (very important! Water and electricity do not play well together - 240v deserves your respect).
    2. Turn off the water taps and disconnect the water hoses.
    3. Remove the associated panel (usually the back panel) where the hoses are connected to the machine.
    4. Take a look at where the hoses are connected - the inlets are designed to be replaced, so they will be removable
    5. Remove both inlets and swap - ie take the working hot water inlet and swap for the non-working cold water inlet.
    6. Put everything back together and reconnect water, then the electricity.
    7. Wash clothes - enjoy non-dripping water inlet.
    I'm guessing that most people here have no problem disassembling a computer, so this should be a snap. If you decide to do this, take a look at the inlet while it has been removed, it may have a replaceable washer (more than likely the actual cause of the drip) and you might be able to fix the problem rather than do a bandaid repair.

    If you aren't confident, pay a repairer - it shouldn't be overly expensive. Please be careful with electricity, do unplug before sticking your fingers in there…

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