Recently I tried to run a load of laundry, and my Maytag A283 washer (circa 1989) stopped mid-cycle, with the machine full of water. I couldn't get it to continue its cycle. After hauling the dripping soapy clothes out of the machine and to the nearest laundromat, I investigated.

While the washer was partially full of water, I tried setting it manually to different parts of its cycle. It was still able to both empty and to fill the tub at certain positions in the cycle, but wouldn't agitate. The control panel would just hum instead.

After letting the washer empty, I tilted up the washer and inspected the two belts from the motor. Both seem OK. I can rotate the drive belt by hand, in one direction, and it makes the agitator slowly turn. When I try to pull the belt in the other direction, it goes for a bit and then resists.

With the washer back on all four legs, I tried manually rotating the inner tub. I couldn't budge it. (I don't remember for sure if I could turn it before the washer broke.)

I removed the control panel and tested the lid switch with a multimeter. It seems fine. Ditto with the water level switch.

I removed the front and top of the washer but didn't notice anything obviously wrong.

I replaced the top and control panel, and experimented some more. I can set it to the spin part of the cycle and it will spin, the timer will advance to Rinse, but no water will go in any more. The control panel buzzes at various rates, then settles down to just humming, and the timer stops advancing. Cycles that would normally fill the tub with water instead just make the machine hum quietly. The timer doesn't seem to advance in this case.

A few weeks before this problem started, I washed a bathmat with a rubber backing. The rubber backing came off and got chewed into lots of tiny pieces. I picked them out of the inner tub, but probably some small pieces got into the outer tub or who knows where.

For the next few loads, the washer seemed to have an unbalanced load more often than normal, stopping in the middle. But eventually it finished each load. (Before the bathmat, it just had unbalanced loads when washing towels.) Then that problem seemed to go away on its own.

What could the problem be? Thanks!

Hi,

Sounds like from the humming sound its your water inlet valve not letting the water come in on Rinse, and rinse is cold water. Try to set it to cold water only on the wash cycle and see if it fills.

Here's the water inlet valve for your model in case you need to order it:
Part#205613



Jake

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It won't fill now whether set to cold, warm, or hot. The humming is louder for warm or hot than it is for cold.

It doesn't fill now during rinse either. After spinning, the timer advances to where it should fill with cold water for the rinse, but instead it just hums and the timer eventually stops.

The sound does seem to be coming from the water inlet value or nearby.

Does the fact that it doesn't fill when set to cold only mean it's more likely to be the water inlet valve, or less likely?

Thanks!

Thats odd, possibly.

The only way to know for sure if its your water valve or not is to use a volt meter and check for 120 volts at your water valve when it should be filling.

There should be a screw in the back of your machine where the water valve housing connects to the back of the cabinet, then that whole assembly should pull out, you may need to take off the little black rubber fill hose that attaches to it to get more slack.

Jake

__________________
Appliance Repair School 1987-1988
Star Appliance Tech. 2 yrs. 1988-1990
Wards Appliance Tech. 11 yrs. 1990-2001
Sears Appliance Tech. 4 yrs. 2001-Oct. 2005
Jake's Appliance Repair Nov. 2005-present

If you need more repair advice help on your appliance, click Here

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Thanks for your help. It's working fine now.

Sounds good, glad to help.

Jake

__________________
Appliance Repair School 1987-1988
Star Appliance Tech. 2 yrs. 1988-1990
Wards Appliance Tech. 11 yrs. 1990-2001
Sears Appliance Tech. 4 yrs. 2001-Oct. 2005
Jake's Appliance Repair Nov. 2005-present

If you need more repair advice help on your appliance, click Here

Look-Up & Order Parts

Shop Home Appliances