It’s Friday night, and Murphy’s law strikes! The washing machine can no longer be opened. And now? Leave the laundry in the machine? No, it is not an option! Not only because your favorite things are in it, but also because the clothes for tomorrow’s date are locked in this machine!
The washing machine does not open.
If the washing machine does not open, there is usually a reason. One is very useful – the other is simply a defect.
There is water in the machine
The good reason the washing machine won’t open is that there is water in the machine. If the water could not be drained entirely for any reason and there is still too much of it in the machine, a sensor will prevent the washing machine door from opening. So here, the reason is not the door lock or the door, but something completely different. The causes of the problem can be:
- Lint filter clogged
- The drain hose is blocked
- Broken pump
More causes and suggested solutions for why the washing machine does not empty can be found in the article The washing machine does not empty.
The other reason the washing machine won’t open is simple: the door lock is defective! The following points should help you to get to the bottom of the error step by step and, ideally, to correct it immediately. So that the washing machine opens appropriately again and the laundry can be saved!
Find here all the reasons the washing machine won’t spin!
Basics
First things first: As in all other areas of life, violence is not a solution here either! Even if the anger is great, the device can take the maximum additional damage through force.
Today’s washing machines often don’t open their doors right after the wash cycle is finished. So there is no harm in waiting 5 minutes after the wash cycle is over before trying to open the door again.
But if enough time has passed, the washing machine should be able to be opened. If that still doesn’t work, the next step is a first look through the porthole.
The washing machine does not open because there is water in the machine.
If the water is visibly in the washing machine, you will be happy that the machine could not be opened. But even if the water does not reach high enough to be seen, residual water can be responsible for not opening the washing machine door.
One possible solution to the problem of residual water in the washing machine is to try to pump out the water first. If that was the reason, and the program was brought to a successful end, the door will now open.
However, if the lint filter or the drain hose is clogged, pumping will not necessarily be successful. The next step is, therefore, to drain the water manually. The washing machine has either an extra hose near the fluff filter or the water must be drained off by carefully opening the fluff filter. Whether there is a drain hose can be seen by looking or the instructions for the washing machine.
ATTENTION: When draining the water, a lot of it can leak out!
Since washing machines are often on the floor, catching the water can be difficult because there is hardly any space between the floor and the manual drainage nozzle or hose. Placing a baking sheet underneath is a good tip here!
If the washing machine is empty, the washing machine door should now open. Why the water was in the machine must be checked in any case; otherwise, the error will keep occurring. The first thing to do is to clean the fluff filter. If this is blocked, the cause has been found and immediately rectified. If the lint filter is clean, however, the closing hose or siphon should always be checked for blockages. To do this, the drain hose is unscrewed from the siphon and blown through vigorously or flushed through. This often reveals whether the hose was the cause of the problem.
The last easily accessible bottleneck is the siphon itself. If a switch for the tumble dryer was recently installed, it should be checked. Because this switch has a predetermined orientation that is often not observed, or the cross-section of the drain becomes a little narrower.
The washing machine does not open because the door lock is defective.
If residual water in the machine can be excluded as a problem as far as possible, then the door lock itself is probably to blame for the washing machine, not opening. To solve the problem, a distinction must be made between two mechanisms: There are mechanical and electronic locks. In both cases, however, the machine must first be disconnected from the power supply.
In the case of an electronic door lock, the door lock is no longer supplied with power, and the washing machine should open. It may be worth waiting a few minutes for the lock to open. If this does not succeed, the twisted door lock can be helped by a “gentle” blow on the locking pin. If the door is open, there is a reason to celebrate. But the joy will not last very long, because one thing is clear: the door lock must be replaced!
With mechanical door locks, there is an emergency release of the washing machine door. Where exactly this is attached can be found in the description. As a rule, however, this is located under the cover for the lint filter. Once unlocked, this washing machine door must inevitably open. If in doubt, a gentle blow will help here too.
The trick with the twine
If all else fails, there is the last option, and that is to try to open the door with the help of a piece of string. The thread must be approx. One meter long and stable. This is stretched around the door like a lasso, starting with the handle. By gently pulling on the opposite side of the door, an attempt is made to push the locking pin of the door to the left to open the door finally.
But now, at the latest, the door should be open! Congratulations! The laundry is saved, and nothing stands in the way of tomorrow’s date!
But if all of this is of no use and the washing machine still does not open, all you have to do is pick up the phone to call the professional.
