Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

[sgat_555]

Hello All,

After successfully repaired my washing machine with the help of this forum a couple of months ago (thanks Jim!) it has developed another fault.

The machine runs through the cycles as expected however the clothes are not correctly washed and the soap powder is still in the tray (although spun to the outside). The timer unit was changed (unnecessarily) recently and it has a new fill valve. Any ideas what could be the problem this time?

Many thanks, Stuart

[iadom]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

The soap powder is flushed out of the tray by the water pump. In a wash direction it should flow into the tray, in a spin direction it should go out of the waste outlet hose. There is a large rubber flap valve inside the pump that is moved from one side to the other by the direction of the motor. With age this rubber valve can stick to one side however this would result in the water either draining out all of the time or flushing into the lint tray all the time.

A worn clutch could give poor wash results but usually affects the spin first.

If the brake is not operating correctly then that will not allow the machine to wash correctly either.

A broken Bendix spring inside the main gearbox can also cause problems, mainly on the spin cycle though.

What do you mean exactly by ‘not washing properly ‘. Poor wash results or obviously laboured wash action?

[sgat_555]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

Thanks for the reply!

I’m away at the moment but i will ask my mother for further details of the problem.

Just for info, the failure seemed to happen when we changed our heating tank. The new tank provides hot water at mains pressure where the old one was gravity fed. The machine now sounds very different when filling up. Could this increase in hot water pressure cause a problem?

All the best, Stuart

[iadom]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

No, the higher pressure would only make it fill faster, usually only a problem on front loaders, often causes them to leak from the detergent drawer.

If the water is not coming into the filter tray then you have a faulty pump, a failed pump drive coupling or a blockage in the hose from the pump to the filter outlet nozzle.

If the pump drive was faulty then it would not drain out on the spin cycles though.

Or, if the motor is running in the wrong direction due to incorrect connections. 😉
This would cause the machine to fill to correct level, start to wash but pump the water out of the machine, the water level would drop, machine would start to fill again and keep repeating this action until it eventually staggers to the end of the wash time.

[sgat_555]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

Great!

So it’s all pointing to a faulty pump. I’ll have a look on the site and order one so I’m armed at the weekend.

Many thanks, Stuart

[iadom]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

THIS is the pump you need.

TBH I would be checking the thinner of the two pipes leading from the pump up to the filter for blockages first. Not that common but something I have seen in the past, a top off a biro, a small ball of silver paper, an odd button etc. They usually lodge right at the top of the pipe, where it fits onto the black plastic filter nozzle.

[Martin]

Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

sgat_555 wrote:So it’s all pointing to a faulty pump

I wouldn’t agree. If the pump valve were faulty it would spit water out of the drain hose whilst it was in wash mode. Coupled also with a distinct thumping noise as the valve failed to seat correctly. So, rule of thumb, if water does discharge down the drain hose as it is washing (agitating) then it is time to fit a new pump.

If the pump shows sign of leakage down its drive shaft (the most common reason for pump failure) it sprays a fine mist on the inside of the cabinet as a rule.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[iadom]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

I have seen several flap valves totally stuck to one side so that you do not get the classic ‘thumping’ noise. Sometimes jammed by a foreign body in the pump or just so weak that they stick in one position, especially if the small rubber ‘teat’ has broken off the triangular valve.

[sgat_555]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

Hello All,

Checked out the pipes around the pump and all seemed to be fine. Ran the washer again and it used the soap from the tray however now it is not rotating hte drum when the soapy water is on the clothes. I just makes a couple of half hearted turns then empties out the water again.

Does this sound a simple thing to fix or should I be looking for a replacement machine?

Many thanks, Stuart

[iadom]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

Could be a badly worn clutch, very slack belt or a seizing gearbox.

Does the gearbox pulley lock solid in one direction but turn freely in the other?

When you say a couple of half hearted turns and then empties out, is this within a very short time after it has filled or when the control timer knob has moved to the drain/rinse cycle?

[sgat_555]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

Hello again!

I’ve finally managed to get some more info from my mother about what is going wrong with the washer.

Apparently everything is working as normal except for the agitation phases. She said that whilst in the washing phase (number 7?) it just makes 3 attempts to rotate the clothes whilst the detergent is added. I seems the timer is working correctly and one it reaches the end of this phase it drains the water correctly. When the fresh water is added is only agitates another 3 times for ca 1 rotation before draining again. The spin cycle seems to work fine.

So, any ideas what might be the problem?

I’m half tempted to get a used Miele machine. This Hotpoint top loader has been great but I fear it’s getting a little long in the tooth.

Many thanks in advance, Stuart

[Martin]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

sgat_555 wrote:Apparently everything is working as normal except for the agitation phases. She said that whilst in the washing phase (number 7?) it just makes 3 attempts to rotate the clothes whilst the detergent is added.

So far so good then as its normal for the machine to fill up first before the agitator rotates, the water flows through the filter tray and then it quickly moves on to the heating phase. It then heats to the preset temperature set by the thermostat control. Once the correct temperature is attained it then resumes normal agitation until the end of the wash cycle.

I’m wondering then, from what you have told us, that the machine may simply NOT be heating (i.e. a faulty heater)

sgat_555 wrote:When the fresh water is added is only agitates another 3 times for ca 1 rotation before draining again. The spin cycle seems to work fine.

That’s pretty normal IIRC?

[sgat_555]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

Thanks for the reply!

The water is certainly getting up to temperature. My mother tried to swirl the clothes around manually so the soapy water would not be wasted and she mentioned that is was very hot.

On this basis, could it be a faulty temperature sensor?

Thanks again, Stuart

[Martin]

Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

sgat_555 wrote:On this basis, could it be a faulty temperature sensor?

No, forget that line of thought.

Clearly from what you say the heater works….not an issue!

Therefore I’m going with my colleagues (Iadom) earlier thought about the gearbox being suspect? That the gyrator is not engaging properly because the clutch within the gearbox has broken. To test this theory put the machine on (without washing) and at the point where the agitator starts to turn, lift the lid and see it you can stop it by hand. Caution! Don’t get too physical with it, just hold the top of the gyrator as any force against it would stop it agitating, IF there were a problem with the gearbox.

[sgat_555]

Re: Hotpoint 9605 not washing properly

Hello All!

Thanks for the reply.

I’ve just run the machine and as suggested I held the spindle whilst it was doing its (very short) agitation movements. There seems to be nothing wrong with the gearbox as I could not stop the sprindle moving back and forth. When the machine is off, the spindle can be turned a relatively small amount then it locks. I presume this is standard.

So, any suggestions where I should look next. The machine really does do very little action during the agitation phase…

All the best, Stuart

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