Resolving Operational Problems With A Non-Venting Washer/Dryer Combo Unit
If you live in an apartment or your house is cramped for space, you probably have invested in a washer/dryer combo unit. If this unit also gives you the option to vent to the outside, but you choose not to, there might be some operational problems you will encounter a little more frequently than you had hoped. This does not mean it is a poor quality machine. It just means that you have to be more regular about the machine's cleaning and maintenance. Here are some common operational problems and how you can resolve them.
Floor Units and Drainage Hoses
Many of these combo units have a circular, plastic, screw-in filter which needs to be cleared at least once a month when you do not vent to the outside. The filter collects all the lint from the drying cycles that ends up in the wash cycles. Then the lint is rinsed out of the unit with the rinse cycles during washing. As it collects and wads up over the filter, it begins to block the water that needs to empty out of the washer. With a blocked exit, the machine senses it and stops the load altogether, alerting you with an alarm.
If you get to this point, you have to use the drain hose, often located near the filter, to empty all of the water out of the machine. Be prepared to have a lot of towels to put down, or if your machine is in the basement, you can just let it drain down to the floor drain. In the event that your machine is upstairs and the drain hose is located too close to the floor, you may want to consider purchasing a storage pedestal, which will add almost a foot of height from the floor up to the drainage hose. Then the hose can drain into a large plastic container. A recycled soap detergent bottle works the best.
After you drain all of the water from the machine, you can unscrew the filter and pull it out. Doing so before you drain the machine will cause it to flood all over your floor. (It is much quicker to clear the filter without draining it, but expect to use a lot of towels to clean up the water.) Finally, pull all the wet, matted lint and hair from the filter, and then screw it back in again.
If Your Combo Unit Still Will Not Run
If your unit still will not wash, spin or dry, the amount of laundry you have in it may be too much. Many of these economy machines restrict load size for both washing and drying, so try taking some of the laundry out (about half of what you currently have in the machine). If it still refuses to run, then you will need to call an appliance repair service, like A Pittsburgh Service Center, to look at and fix your machine.