Water not running to fabric softener

[E34P]

So I have a Hotpoint washer dryer. Recently the fabric softener has stopped running into the machine.

There is not water sitting in the fabric softener part of the draw at the end of the cycle.
I have had an engineer round who was baffled by it but he did explain to me the principles of how it should work.

Once he left I decided to do some investigations of my own. I took the dispenser out of the machine and ran water through it from the kitchen sink. Doesn’t look like there are any blockages in it as the water was running through all funnels without problem.
I then set it on a cycle and left the draw open a jar so I could see inside it. Water is pumped into the draw to remove the washing powder near the beginning of the cycle without problem.
About 20-15 minutes before the end of the cycle water is pumped back into the, now empty, powder section of the draw. I assume this would be the part of the cycle that the fabric softener should be pumped into the dum, but no water is pumped into that section of the draw.

I must also add that our machine rattles horrendously. I’m not sure if this would have caused anything to happen but thought it may be worth mentioning. However I have recently (this week) solved the rattling by having the front of the machine higher than the back. The fabric softener was has not been flushed into the drum before or after I did this.

Please help!

[kwatt]

Re: Water not running to fabric softener

This should answer the questions….

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/fix- … ner-issues

K.

[E34P]

Re: Water not running to fabric softener

Thank you, I had already read that page.
Is there a way to test that the water valve for the fabric softener is faulty?
Would there be a reason that the main wash compartment valve would activate instead of the fabric softener valve?

[kwatt]

Re: Water not running to fabric softener

If it’s even a remotely recent model it’ll be using a diversion type system as detailed and, if the valve were faulty you’d get an error code. In short, there will not be a dedicated valve solely for the conditioner.

But you’d need to provide a model number for anyone to tell you for sure. That said, if it’s less than about ten years old, the above will almost certainly hold true.

That being the case, the chances of a faulty valve causing the problem are somewhere less than zero.

So quite probably a blockage of some sort in the jets on the dispenser top section from what you describe that will need cleared or the top replaced.

Or, don’t use the goop. 😉

K.

[E34P]

Re: Water not running to fabric softener

It’s a Hotpoint WDPG 8640

So when the fabric softener is to be pumped out water should be coming into the main wash compartment and the fabric softener compartment of the draw? Currently it is only ever coming into the main wash section.

[kwatt]

Re: Water not running to fabric softener

Nope.

In a system like that both water valves are opened and the cross of the two paths makes water go into the softener compartment.

But, only on the final rinse and at no other time.

But on that model, no error code means no valve fault. So, blockage is about all it can be as I said or possibly the levelling. Other than those there’s not much to look at.

And, technically, there’s no pumping of anything. Just FYI, it’s all just gravity and water flow.

K.

[E34P]

Re: Water not running to fabric softener

Thank you.
I will have a play with the levelling to see if it is that. What is the best levelling?

[kwatt]

Re: Water not running to fabric softener

It is explained in the article.

K.

[Author]

Posts