kenmore clothes washer won't fill with cold water or spin

[freedive57]

The problem started out with the washer not filling with cold water.

The thermistor wires on the vacuum breaker were actually corroded away ( open circuit), and as part of trouble shooting, I jumpered the thermistor wires together to see if that would let the cold fill valve solenoid open the valve, and that didn't work. Did I fry something by jumpering those wires together?

I replaced the thermister/vacuum breaker and the fill valves , and now after reassembling, the old problem is still there, and I have a new problem: the washer will fill with hot water (still no cold water), then it will agitate, then it just sits there and won't drain/spin to go on to the next part of the cycle.

I used to hear the timer motor/gears turning, but now I can't hear it.

There are three cycles: regular, permanent press, and delicate, and it won't get past the step where the tub is full and the first agitation has finished in any of the cycles.


thanks in advance

Model 110.82683820

[Mr. Fix-It]

You have a plugged or defective water inlet valve remove the cold water hose from the valve and inspect the screen if it isn't plugged then replace the valve. Your washer will not go into the rinse cycle because rinse is cold water only and it has to fill for the cycle to continue.

[freedive57]

thanks for your reply.

I guess I used the wrong term. When I said I already replaced the "fill valve" , that's what you called the "water inlet valve". So that's a new part and it didn't fix the problem.

The  new additional problem  is that the tub won't empty (not that it won't rinse), and that part of the cycle happens before the rinse, if I understand correctly.

The new problem was easy to fix. I just needed to remember to reattach the connector for the lid switch when I reassembled the cabinet (DUH).

So anyway - I replaced the inlet valve and the known bad thermistor in the vacuum breaker and still no cold water.

[Mr. Fix-It]

I would check for voltage at the wiring harness for the cold water valve. Set the washer to cold/cold hook a voltmeter to the 2 terminals of the cold water valve and turn on the washer to see if you get a reading.

[freedive57]

thanks again

Turns out I never needed to buy another inlet valve in the first place.

The problem was the Chinese made Watts FS2W60 "FLOODSAFE" auto shutoff connector hoses from the Lowe's Home Improvements store I was using.

The check valve at the machine end of the cold water connector hose was binding so I dismantled the valve, deburred it, and stretched out the spring inside so the next time this happens the unit has more chance to reset itself.

[freedive57]

and I did take your suggestion to check the voltage at the solenoid, and when it was 120v, I figured logically it would be the hose, so that was helpful to have a direction to go in, thanks again.

[freedive57]

ALSO - in order to prevent the problem from happening again, I have the faucet just barely cracked open about 1/16 of a turn or less.

I'm thinking, maybe I had the faucets open too far and street pressure was overloading the floodsafe safety valve.

If the  faucet on the wall  is only open a little bit, when the solenoid opens, there won't be a huge rush of water through the connector hose that could trigger the FLOODSAFE connector's safety valve to shut off.

So when I reassembled everything, I shut off the hot and cold faucets, then set up the washer to fill with only cold water, and I started the timer running with the faucet still off.

Once the timer is running, the solenoid is open.

Then I very gradually opened the cold faucet a tiny bit, so the machine  was  filling  but not quite as fast as it could have. Then when I had that faucet adjusted, I switched to hot fill,  which opened  the hot solenoid, and repeated.

Now the washer fills about as fast as it ever did, but this time the  narrowest point in the system  is at the faucet on the wall, not inside the FLOODSAFE valve in the connector hose, so I'm not teetering on the brink of the having the FLOODSAFE valve trip and shut off the water anymore.

[whirlpooltech]

Why use Floodsafe hoses?

I have yet to hear anything good about them.

[freedive57]

a friend had a regular hose burst with thousands of dollars of water damage and huge headaches from the rehab, etc., and put in floodsafe hoses. My connectors were really old and cheesy and swollen, so I figured, why not learn from another's experience? Why wait til I have my own flood?

I have only just started learning about appliances, so I don't really know anything about the issue.

What have you heard bad about floodsafe hoses?

My faucets are weeping a tiny bit around the bonnets so I am thinking of replaceing them with the kind that shut off easily with a lever.

Is there a better alternative for protecting the house from a burst hose?

What about these?

http://www.homerepairworkshop.com/?welcome/index/plumbing/your-washing-machine-can-flood-your-home/03-01

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/clotherswasherhoseshutoff.html

[krazytech]

 floodsafe hoses are a PAIN!! I do not recommend them they cause way more trouble then there worth. change your hoses every 5yrs or buy braided fill hose. Flood safe will stop the water if your water pressure drops making you think your water valve is faulty.

[jumptrout51]

Use a wrench to tighten the packing nut below the faucet handle to stop your leaks. You do not need new faucets.

[freedive57]

After messing around with mine (taking them  apart,  hooking them up backwards, running them  at all different pressures, and finally using the washer  with the faucet  just barely cracked open) I can't see how _low_  pressure  would make them shut off. High pressure shuts them off just fine.

How would low pressure make them shut off?

They certainly did fool me into thinking the inlet valve was bad.

But I was fooled only  because I'm an ignoramus.

The only problem I see now is that if I open the faucet  very little to keep the floodsafe from tripping (and then sticking shut!) when the washer is running, then if something does let go (inside the machine, perhaps), I will have a moderate leak that will still flood the heck out of my house if I don't catch it because the floodsafe won't stop it either.

O well.

I think I'll turn off the faucet when I 'm not doing the laundry.

Still better than beating the clothes on a rock.

floodsafe hoses ...will stop the water if your water pressure drops making you think your water valve is faulty.