Washing Machine Help

eurolarva

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
4,182
Well you guys fixed my dryer. Hope you can help with the washing machine now. I have a Maytag Performa PAV1000AWW washing machine. What ever system that causes the tub to plug and unplug seems to not work sometimes. The machine will keep trying to fill with water and it never fills. It is like the plug is open. If I unplug the electrical cord and replug in it will sometimes fix the problem. My guess is that the mechanism that allows the tub to drain is staying open but I can not find a likely part on the sears website. Is this part of the main pump? When the tank does not fill there is no sound of a motor running. Just the running water that is filling the tub. Hope someone can help with this.
 

Holdimhook

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 26, 2005
Messages
648
Re: Washing Machine Help

Euro, Your drain hose isn't getting enough air down into the drainpipe and it has created a siphon situation, therefore it is draining and filling at the same time. All the appliance retailers ( Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, etc...) sell anti- siphon kits for just this purpose. It ought to cost about ten bucks and it consists of a tube with an air vent and a ballcock to prevent leaks. It fits onto your washer's drain hose right as it goes into the drainpipe. Easy to install, easy fix. You mentioned the Sears website- search for an "anti- siphon kit". That should do it.
 

eurolarva

Rear Admiral
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Jun 24, 2003
Messages
4,182
Re: Washing Machine Help

Thanks for the replies. Holdimhook I think you hit it right on the head. The laundry room is finished and there is no drain hose going to a sink. A hose runs along the floor and is fed into a trap near the sink in the laundry room. I may have to rig it to go directly into the sink. I would imagine the way it is set up will cause a lot of lint to get into the drain and possibly plug it up. At our other house we had the screens attached to the drain hose and it was amazing all the crap that comes out of that hose. I will re rig the sink. Thanks for the advise<br /><br />Slowly sinking. Sears has a similar site as the one you posted. Thanks for the link. The problem I have with the blow ups I dont see something called a tub plug. Right now I am going to try getting it more air.
 

Holdimhook

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 26, 2005
Messages
648
Re: Washing Machine Help

Euro, You said that the hose ran across the floor. If the hose is below the tub's water level, it'll siphon. Just raise it up and tie it or prop it to keep it up and that ought to do it.
 

vipzach

Lieutenant
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Feb 15, 2005
Messages
1,283
Re: Washing Machine Help

If that drain line is on the floor, it will probly not fill ever. If your only drain is in the floor, you can make a 2" pipe that comes up from the floor drain and the put the washer drain hose in that.
 

eurolarva

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
4,182
Re: Washing Machine Help

The trap on the sink is about 8 inches from the floor. There is a tube that goes up another 12 inches that the drain water goes into so the drain hose is probably about 18 inches to 24 inches above the floor. The drain setup works most of the time except on the mornings when wife is doing towels with hot water and when I try and take a shower there is no hot water :D . I did a search on Sears and went to home depot and cant find the anti syphon kit mentioned. The plumber that works at home depot said to try a plummers parts store.<br /><br />A link for the anti syphon kit would be awsome. Is is basically a check valve that only allows water to flow one direction? For now I will attach a hose extension and run it into the sink. Wife wont be to happy by me defacing her laundry room but hell if it works its good enough for me.
 

vipzach

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Feb 15, 2005
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1,283
Re: Washing Machine Help

I don't remember for sure, but I think they are supposed be 32" off the floor.
 

lakelivin

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Aug 19, 2004
Messages
1,172
Re: Washing Machine Help

If he gets the height of the drain pipe correct (pipe you put the washer's drain hose in), wouldn't just inserting something between the washer drain hose & the drain pipe to prevent airlock be sufficient, say the handle of a long wooden spoon (handle being long enough to keep the spoon from falling out, spoon head big enough to keep the spoon from sliding down the drain pipe)? Seems like that would be cheaper (whole set of wooden spoons for $1 at the dollar store) & easier than installing an antisyphon valve...
 

eurolarva

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
4,182
Re: Washing Machine Help

Well thanks again guys. I drilled a 1 1/4 inch hole in the counter top and ran an extension to the trap. It still looks pretty good even though there is a drain hose going into the counter top. The drain hose fits real snug but the actual drain for the sink is giving it enough air when the washing machine is draining.<br /><br />If I hadnt posted this question I would have taken the thing apart and probably wasted an afternoon or worse took the motor apart or something. Man what a great site!!!! Thanks again especially to Holdemhook for coming up with the solution.
 

Holdimhook

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 26, 2005
Messages
648
Re: Washing Machine Help

Happy to help, Euro. An afternoon spent in the boat is much more pleasant than working on a #@&%## household appliance. :) :)
 
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