Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

[sachams]

Hello,

This has been a bit of a saga, this one. What has happened so far:

1. Water fails to drain, and so clothes are wet at end of cycle. Pump makes horrible rattling noise.
2. I checked the pump, there wasn’t much in the filter and the pump was spinning freely.
2. Engineer called. Bra wire removed from pump filter although thi wasn’t obstructing the pump. Engineer reckons impellor blades probably deformed slightly from previous obstruction hence rattling. Pump replaced. Water seems to drain better now.
3. A couple of days later, drum stops spinning, clothes are wet. Engineer called.
4. Belt has come off, belt put back on again. We try doing a rinse and drain cycle with the engineer there, all seems fine.
5. A day later, belt comes off again. I put the belt back myself.
6. Water still not draining. Maybe the drain pipe at the back is kinked? I try pulling the machine out and running it like that (drain pipe definately not kinked). Still doesn’t drain.

I’m a bit stuck with this one. Am I right in thinking the belt probably came off because it was trying to spin with a drum full of water? (it certainly sounds like it).

It seems like it drains intermittently. Could it be a blocked drain pipe? My next test was going to be to remove the drian pipe from where it connects to the waste pipe in the sink, and with a full drum of water, lower it to the ground. If water comes out, pipe is clear and pump is blocked. If not, other way round.

Can anyone suggest anything else I can try?

Thanks very much!

Sacha

[Phidom]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

Yes, you should be able to drain the machine by gravity with the pipe at floor level unless there is a sock or some such blocking the outlet hose from the drum. Once you have the water out you can look in the filter etc for an obstruction. As for the belt coming off, this often happens if the drum bearings have failed and the drum pulley is wobbly. Also inspect the V grooves on the belt as any damage can cause the belt to jump off.

[sachams]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

Hi Phildom,

Thanks for the reply – you’re up early on a Sunday!

I can drain the drum using the little black drain tube. This joins either just before or just after the pump, and so if water drains through the drain tube then the path from the drum to this tube (and therefore the pump) must be ok (plus, it looks a bit tricky to get the tube from the drum to the pump off).

So, that leaves the main drain pipe. It joins the sink waste pipe at an upwardly-sloping angle, so I guess waste water from the sink could go back down the drain pipe. I’ve had a look at where it joins the sink, and it’s full of very smelly black gunge, though not completely blocked.

I’ll try and remove the pipe from the machine and verify there are no obstructions.

Any other ideas?

Cheers!

Sacha

[Penguin45]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

You said that the pump “rotates freely”. It should not. When the impellor is turned by hand, it should “ping” though 90 degrees segments. If the impellor is free, it isn’t attached to the shaft properly.

Next, will water run through the grey drain pipe? Disconnect from sink coupling and try operating the pump into the bucket. If no result, check that the drain hose itself is clear. When the end hangs down from the sink spigot it is a common problem for fat to run into the drain pipe and solidify.

Few more thoughts for you,
Regards,
Penguin45.

[Martin]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

Set the machine to fill for a few moments til there is a gallon or so of water in the drum. Then take the hose connection off from under the sink and into a bucket instead. Set the machine on a drain cyle and see how the flow runs from the pipe (normal rate is about 8 gallons a minute so it should take seconds to empty)

You could also try blowing down the pipe to check it is clear of obstruction!

The belt coming off is a worry though, unless it simply needs retensioning by adjusting the motor bracket slightly. If the tension is good and it still comes off then the drum bearings or the drum pulley fixing could be loose.

Also if you have got something like a sock caught in between the inner and outer drum that would account for the belt coming off AND the reason the water isn’t draining 💡

[Martin]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

I believe the pump on these old machines is the ‘Shaded Pole’ type?

[sachams]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

Sorry – to clarify, when I said “rotates freely”, I meant that it rotates completely. It does ping through 90 degree increments. The pump was replaced, so should hopefully be brand new.

I’ve taken the drain pipe off the sink waste pipe, filled the drum with water and lowered the pipe below the level of the drum. The water empies pretty quickly.

During a rinse and spin cycle, the machine has stopped on the spanner icon. What does this mean?

So, the last thing I have to try is Martin’s suggestion – to check the pump pumps well, but because the pump is new (and I had this problem before and after replacing the pump), I reckon the pump is OK. And from the drain test, it suggests the drain pipe is not obstructed.

I’m running out of things to check! Is it possible that there is an electronics malfunction so the pump is not being turned on for long enough? When the drain fails, the drum is not completely filled with water, but the clothes are very wet and there is a little bit of water in the bottom. How does the pump know when to stop pumping?

Cheers,

Sacha

[Martin]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

You have tried the gravity drain method and proved there is no blockage, but with the hose lifted above water level and set to spin out will it not pump then?

If it won’t then clearly the pump isn’t working due to something caught in it or the electrics to it not connecting for some reason? You should therefore contact your repairman and get him to come back and sort it under the terms of his guarantee, being as it has only recently been replaced!

[sachams]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

OK, I have tried pumping against gravity, and it seems to work intermittently (the first time it came out as a dribble, I then tried filling and draining two more times and it came out quickly).

Could this be a sock caught between the drum outlet and the pump? If so, how do I gain access to that area to check?

The engineer has been round twice already, and I have to take a 1/2 day off work each time (I can’t really do this again), but if all else fails I’ll have to get him round again.

Thanks for all your replies so far, I’m learning loads about washing machines in the process!

Cheers,

Sacha

[Martin]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

It’s a question of tipping the machine backwards abot 45 degrees and accessing the hose from underneath 🙁

Bit tricky and do make sure you UNPLUG THE MACHINE FIRST!!! :zap:

I would seriously suggest he call back and sort it for you though as it sounds as likely he has overlooked this problem that may well be have been in place all the while 🙁

[sachams]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

Yikes – I think it’s time to get the engineer back!

Thanks very much for all your help – I’ll let you know how it turns out!

Cheers,

Sacha

[DentedPorsche]

Re: Whirlpool AWG 329 1100 won’t drain

Have had this several times before. Most times it’s a coin or something stuck in the sump hose that intermittently blocks the pump. (Acting like a flapper valve).
Worth a check.

DP

[Author]

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