The drum in my top-loading washing machine is jammed.
A top-loading washing machine has many undeniable advantages, but it also has a drawback that can easily outweigh these advantages. We're talking about the drum, which has flaps. Some of you might ask: what do the flaps in a top-loading washing machine have to do with drum jamming? In fact, there's a direct connection, and we'll discuss this in more detail later in this article.
Cause and consequences of the breakdown
The most common reason a top-loading washing machine drum jams is when the drum doors open during a wash cycle. This is because the drum of a top-loading washing machine has two metal doors that need to be latched shut before washing. This latch is quite reliable, but over time it can wear out and become loose., as a result of which, during washing or spinning, the latch breaks, the door opens and, as a result, it turns out that the drum is jammed.
The doors can open even in a working top-loading automatic washing machine due to 
User error. For example, if a child gets to your washing machine and manually rotates the drum while the doors are open. True, the manufacturer has included a special stopper in the washing machine design for this situation, but it's also true that our children are quite talented and are accustomed to overcoming various obstacles from an early age. If you open the doors and then rotate the drum so that they are outside the barrier, they will be unable to open them, nor will they be able to rotate the drum back.
Children aren't the only ones who can cause this annoying malfunction. If an adult stuffs a full drum with laundry and a piece of it gets caught between the latch parts, the door latch won't close, and the doors will open during the wash cycle, causing problems.
There may also be a manufacturing defect, so when you buy a new top-loading washing machine, make sure the drum door latch is in good working order.
What are the consequences of the drum flaps sticking in a top-loading washing machine? At first glance, this problem doesn't seem serious, but in reality, it can have very serious consequences for your washing machine. The problem is that if the drum flaps open during the spin cycle at 1000-1200 RPM, they'll, like the blades of a meat grinder, chop up everything they touch. This can cause the following problems:
- the walls of the tank are damaged and water begins to leak out of the machine;
- the drum flaps are damaged (bent);
- the heating element bends and breaks.
It often happens that opening the drum flaps of a top-loading washing machine during the spin cycle leads to all three of the above-mentioned malfunctions. Repairs in this case will be very expensive, you may even have to think about replacing the washing machine.These are the consequences of a seemingly trivial incident involving opening the drum flaps during a wash cycle. Be extremely careful and avoid this in the future. However, if the problem has already occurred, we'll look for a solution.
We repair without disassembling
If the drum flap opens during a high-speed wash cycle, or especially during the spin cycle, its edges break through the protective barrier and begin to spin in a circle, tearing the drum walls and breaking the heating element. This will continue until the electronics forcibly stop the wash process (on some washing machine models), or the user, hearing a loud banging and grinding noise, manually de-energizes the washing machine.
Next you will need to try to return the drum to its original position.
The problem is that when you try to manually spin the drum, the lid will start to open inside and catch on the walls of the tank.
Don't pull too hard, as there's still a chance the drum might be intact. Forcing the drum too hard will definitely damage it. The best solution is to disassemble the washing machine, access the drum doors from the inside, and close them to restore the part to working order.
Disassembly is a guaranteed solution, but it's tedious, requiring effort and time. First, if the door and drum are jammed, try closing it without disassembling the washing machine. The chances are slim, but given the complexity of disassembly, it's worth a try. Here's what to do:
- We find a thin steel wire. The requirements are simple: it must be strong, elastic, and fit easily into the drum hole.
- Using pliers, bend the end of the wire (half a centimeter) into a hook.
- Carefully push the end of the wire with the hook into the hole.
- Next, we begin working with one hand, holding the wire and the other the flashlight. The goal is to try to hook and close the shutter to allow the drum to rotate.
Some top-loading washing machines have very small openings in the drum, making it difficult to access the contents. If the washing machine is not under warranty, you can slightly enlarge one of the numerous openings and perform the above operations through it.
With due patience and sleight of hand, this kind of trick works in about half the cases. If the door does not catch with the wire, or you can hook it but cannot hold it (the door still opens when the drum rotates), you will have to disassemble the washing machine.
Repair with disassembly
Quite a few experts are skeptical about the "wire method" if the drum jams when the door opens during a wash cycle. They believe you should immediately begin disassembling the washing machine "...without wasting time on nonsense..." They're right in some ways, but for the amateur, disassembling a top-loading washing machine can seem like a very complicated and time-consuming task. There are quite a few top-loading washing machine models, so we can only describe the general procedure. Here's what to do.
- We inspect the drum and try to figure out what position it's stuck in. If the door opens
at the bottom and the drum is stuck in this position, then we will try to get to the desired object through the bottom of the washing machine. - We disconnect the washing machine from the electrical network and from other communications.
- We lay the car on its side.
- We remove the pan along with all the insides, but we need to be careful not to tear off the wiring.
- We examine the inside of the car and find a small balancing weight with our eyes.
- We unscrew the weight, and a small hole will appear behind it, through which, although difficult, you can reach with your hand to close the unruly shutter.
There is another option to get to the jammed drum door through the side wall. To do this, the wall is unscrewed, the heating element is pulled out and through the resulting hole, the drum cover flaps are returned to their original position.
Closing the doors may be difficult if they were bent during the aforementioned incident. In such a severe case, you'll have to try to close them yourself or call a professional.
To summarize, once you've restored your top-loading washing machine's drum to working order, don't be complacent, and certainly don't start a wash cycle right away. Make sure the drum flaps aren't warped, the tub is intact, and the heating element isn't damaged. If the damage to your washing machine is irreparable, you may need to have it serviced. choose a top-loading washing machine replace the one you lost, or better yet, get a "home assistant" with a front loading - there will be less hassle.
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Beautiful! Thank you!
Thank you. That's a sensible answer.
Is it okay that the washing machine is full of clothes and water?
Pumping it out isn't such a big deal. Read here: How to drain water from a washing machine
Hi everyone! The doors on my Indesit washing machine also opened in the lower position. I'm not sure how the wire solution worked for some people, since there's laundry in the drum. I did the following: I turned the machine upside down (so the laundry would fall down), placed it on two chairs with the hatch open (for access to the drum), pulled out the heating element, and then used a plate to pull it out through the hatch. I pressed the doors down and spun the drum. The whole process took about 30 minutes. Oh, and the doors also opened because of a simple metal can lid that was between the machine and the drum. I don't know how it got there; my team is keeping quiet. If anyone can help, I'd be happy.
This method can also help you get the module repaired.
Thanks, brother. My mother-in-law really helped me out.
It really helped, thanks! I removed the heating element and somehow managed to close the doors. Now I have to look for a new belt.
The drum in my washing machine jammed. It's only three months old. The Eldorado store clerk refused to repair it or refund my money, citing that I didn't close the doors completely.
The lid is locked. My Electrolux top-loader is loaded. The laundry is washed, the water is drained, and the technician hasn't been here for three days. What should I do?
Thanks, at least now I know what I can do myself and where I need to take things apart. I had to remove two covers and even tried to remove the top part, but it was all stuck together! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Two long wires with hooks and everything worked. The drum was empty.
Thank you!
Thank you, it helped.
Today, the doors also opened during the spin cycle, and the heating element was ripped out of the housing. I barely took it apart to get the items out. I'll be buying a new machine; repairing this one will be more expensive.
Thank you, I removed the heating element and pulled out a kitchen towel.
What if the drum door has gone underneath it? That is, it's not on the drum, but inside.
Thank you for your reply.
I couldn't remove the heating element because the machine was made in France. I had to completely disassemble it and remove the drum. It took half a day.
Thank you for the sensible advice