Whirlpool AWM 3000/1 washing (!!!) machine burns my clothes

[antiskeptic]

Hi,

I have a 5 year old (but only used 20 times or so – it came from a rental house which went unoccupied soon after the machine was purchased) Whirlpool AWM 3000/1.

It worked fine for a couple of months after moving it to my place but twice in the last 10 washes or so it’s managed to burn/melt an item in the wash. The first time it was a cotton item and the second a polyester jumper.

I understand the heating element sits close to the drum but I’d have thought it impossible to actually burn/melt an item of clothing under normal circumstances.

But heating element on + drum stopped + no water (whether bone dry or inbetween emptying and refilling perhaps) and you could achieve it I suppose. Assuming the heating element is to blame.

The machine has no drying function.

Anyone seen such a thing before?

Thanks

Anti..

[admin]

Re: Whirlpool AWM 3000/1 washing (!!!) machine burns my clot

Hi

It’s probably due to a blockage in the air bottle at the bottle of the tank full of scum,junk and needs to be cleaned out.The machine is sensing it’s got water in and struts to heat.

Bryan

[antiskeptic]

Re: Whirlpool AWM 3000/1 washing (!!!) machine burns my clot

Thanks for that r600a.

I’m reasonably handy mechanically so will have a go myself. Would it be obvious where the “air bottle” is if I remove the back of the machine?

(Out of interest; what’s the principle of operation of such a method of level detection?)

[antiskeptic]

Re: Whirlpool AWM 3000/1 washing (!!!) machine burns my clot

Took the back off the machine today to check the level control system. Not too surprisingly, the ‘air bottle’ appears spick and span (although it’s location on front of the drum makes complete inspection difficult when peering in from the back).

I pulled off the rubber tube from the bottle, tube looked fine .. and blew gently to operate the diaphragm switch and all appeared well there. A definite click on/click off

I started up my usual prograame (5 – short wash cotton) and watched the whole thing through. :rolls:

– the drum filled up to what would be well above the level of a heating element – you could see the water level through the semi-tranparent plastic outer drum casing.

– the water heated to about the right temp.

– it emptied and fill another three times for rinsing – each time the water level rose to the same level.

– nothing got burnt.

What I noticed was that the drum didn’t stop rotating for more than a few seconds the whole way through the cycle. Only at the very end – at final drain – did the drum stop for about 40 seconds. Then the proramme ended.

If the drum isn’t stopping then even a no-water/element-on situation wouldn’t give rise to clothes burning: there wouldn’t be enough time to transfer the heat through the drum and into the clothes.

On both occasions, the clothes have come out damp from the machine.

I’m at a loss. Anyone got any other ideas?

Thanks

[Martin]

Re: Whirlpool AWM 3000/1 washing (!!!) machine burns my clot

You’re barking up the wrong tree here I reckon. The problem more likely associated to overloading and clothing getting caught against the grey door rubber lip. (friction burn).

[antiskeptic]

Re: Whirlpool AWM 3000/1 washing (!!!) machine burns my clot

Looking at it I can see this machine is a bit smaller than the one it replaced. This one’s a relative tiddler at 5kg load.

I wouldn’t have ever jammed a machine full (mechanical sympathy and all) but perhaps I was over-stuffing this one a bit – being used to what the old machine could take.

It’s be great if this was it – I’ve one on the way so the last thing I need is an intermittent washing machine fault.

Will try a few careful loads and will let you know how I get on.

Thanks for the input..

[antiskeptic]

Re: Whirlpool AWM 3000/1 washing (!!!) machine burns my clot

Well, a good number of washes later and no more burnt clothes. Well done Martin for spotting the not so obvious and thanks to r600a for the rational detective work.

[Author]

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