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Old 16th Sep 2022, 12:00 am   #1
Bazz4CQJ
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Default Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

My washer has been "poisoned" . I have a water softener and it recently failed and released the tiny plastic (and slightly gooey) beads from the cartridge in to the downstream water. This problem only became apparent slowly and indirectly; first sign being that that one of the solenoid valves on the washer was not closing properly. I took the softener out of line and flushed the system as best I could. I put two new solenoids valves in to the washer to just be sure I got rid of the problem.

But I haven't. The pressure switch is not working and just lets the tub fill and fill. I took the plastic tube off the bottom of the switch and tried to blow down it - that proved very hard to do. It seems pretty much blocked.

I cannot see where it connects to the (front loading) tub; the tube goes down the side, but I cannot see where the bottom end connects (with both the top and back panels removed) or from underneath.

Not sure what to do next - any ideas welcome.

The pressure switch (Eaton) has 4 wires going to to it; could someone tell my why it needs more than 2?

Thanks
B
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 12:49 am   #2
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

I guess that four connectors (wired with 2 common) supply separately hot and cold feeds?

I've filled sodium bicarb solution down the pressure tube hoping it may loosen up whatever is down there.

B
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 1:35 am   #3
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

Agh, actually there are just 3 connectors on the switch plus a Lucas double connector, and it seems to work as a change over-switch when I blow in to it.

As it seems I need to soften/flush whatever is in the pick-up tube, I probably need to fool the machine in to filling to the normal level with hot water and see if I can get it to 'self-clean'?

I guess that most people would just buy a new one .

B
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 3:23 am   #4
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

The pipe to the pressure switch is deliberately kept thin so that it acts with the volume in the diaphragm switch as a lowpass filter so that it doesn't keep switching on pressure fluctuations as water slops around in the drum. This makes it eminently blockable. The water softener beads won't be water soluble, of course.

There may also be another stage of filtering moulded into how the tube connects to the drum.

Maybe more pressure than just blowing? Bicycle pump?

David
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 8:49 am   #5
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

Push a piece of wire through the tube? When doing this I generally bend back the end of the wire hair grip style as it will negotiate bends better.
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 9:01 am   #6
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

Or replace the tube if you can find a scrap machine to rob one off?
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 12:11 pm   #7
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

When we got our first Hotpoint automatic in the late 1980's, it kept breaking down during the first year. Each time it was due to a blocked level sensor pressure switch tube, and each time it was replaced by one with a larger-diameter tube than the previous one. The repairer said that the washing powder formulation had been changed to one that produced larger precipitated flakes of scum in our hard water area, blocking the smaller tubes that had worked fine with the original formulation. The final replacement worked without trouble during the almost two decades we had it.
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 12:57 pm   #8
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

Try filling it while watching it, then when it looks 'full' turn the water-supply off at the little isolating-valve on the hose-to-copper-pipe connection.

Then do a couple of boil-washes.

My mother's washing-machine used to regularly get itself bunged-up [she insisted on using old-fashioned washing-powder rather than the liquid recommended by the manufacturer, and the powder used to clog things up]. A couple of boil-washes would un-bung it.
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 5:39 pm   #9
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

Thanks for the ideas. I wasn't sure whether or not there could be a filter in the line (it's really hard to see where the tube goes) so didn't try pushing a wire through. What I did do (and here's a Chemist at Work) was connect length of polythene tube to the top of the existing tube and tried to blow through it by mouth - no go, tried hard to blow through it with a big syringe - no go. So, filled up all the tubing with bicarb/IPA solution. This wouldn't dissolve resin, but I thought it might loosen up the dried deposit. After a while, that did begin to flow and progressively got better, finally flowing simply under gravity in the end. I've also wired a toggle switch in place of the sensor.

I've not had time to work on it during the day, but the aim is just to fill it tonight and let it run a hot wash or two with no clothes in.

Re water softeners, first time in 40 years that I've had a problem, but no one ever suggested putting a strainer down stream. There will be one installed just as soon as it comes through the post!

B
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 6:02 pm   #10
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

Good to see you're making progress.

And good to see you've replaced the fill-solenoid valves; a few decades back I had a house whose water was pumped from a borehole into a chalk-aquifer, and which often drew-up the occasional lump - one of which got into the solenoid-valve causing it to weep.

Weeped enough to fill the drum and then go on to ooze quite a few gallons of water over a two-week-holiday. Meaning the MDF carcases of the kitchen-units were just floppy-cardboard by the time we got home.

I had been intending to refurb the kitchen... the insurance-company paid for it!
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 8:09 pm   #11
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

L o n g story short; I now suspect this problem has nothing at all to do with the water softener (though that certainly released some quantity of resin).

Right at the very limit where I could see the emerging pressure tube coming from the tub, I could see something inside it, and I was just able to cut the tube below the obstruction. It turns out to be what I can only describe as a "tiny plastic thimble" , brown plastic, typical colour of some of the trim parts of the washer.

I don't currently have any idea of how we got to this place, but, the washer does now stop filling at the appropriate level - haven't yet had it go through a wash cycle. It's 36 years old and some of the external plastic trim is brittle to say the least!

B
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Old 16th Sep 2022, 11:10 pm   #12
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

Bazz - long story ,short. Years ago we had an old washer which had problems rinsing after a spin. Guys at Whitegoods ( https://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/forums/) suggested it could be clogged cloth filters on the tub, But It might be worth a post on that site. As hekpfell as on here. Lack of ignorance on machine is not something these blokes criticize. .
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Old 17th Sep 2022, 2:30 am   #13
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Default Re: Old Hotpoint 95130 Washer

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldcodger View Post
Bazz - long story ,short. Years ago we had an old washer which had problems rinsing after a spin. Guys at Whitegoods ( https://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/forums/) suggested it could be clogged cloth filters on the tub, But It might be worth a post on that site. As hekpfell as on here. Lack of ignorance on machine is not something these blokes criticize. .

Thanks for that suggestion -noted. Well, it's now working... just. The pressure switch is sensing the water and switching it off at the right level, but something seems wrong with one of the "new" solenoid valves - very little flow through it. But, I'm getting there, which is good, as laundrettes don't appeal .

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