NOTHING HAPPENS

Washing machine won’t start? Check the control lock, the door and the outlet.

Check these in order

1. Turn off the control lock. If a control lock light or LoC/LC shows, the controls will not respond. Whirlpool says to press and hold the lock button for 3 seconds; on some models it shares a button with Pet Pro, Extra Rinse or Steam. Samsung says Child Lock on some models locks the door.
2. Close the door or lid fully. Whirlpool says the lid must be completely closed and latched on top-loaders, and that on front-loaders it takes about 10 seconds after a cycle starts for the door lock to engage.
3. Press and hold Start. Some Whirlpool models show a 3-2-1 countdown: press and hold Start for about 3 seconds.
4. Read the message. Whirlpool front-loaders: “Err” means you tried to change the cycle while running or to start with the door open. “dr” means three cycles ran in a row without the door being opened; open and close it and restart. “-:--” means the cycle knob sits on a position with no cycle assigned.
5. New installation? Whirlpool says a door can be locked from installation: connect the hot and cold water and the power, and open both valves fully.
6. Check the outlet and breaker. Whirlpool: the cord goes into a grounded three-prong outlet, and do not use an extension cord. Samsung: a well-grounded 120V three-prong outlet protected by a 20-amp circuit, nothing else on the washer and dryer circuit, and no surge protector. Test the outlet with a lamp. A tripped breaker can look on, so switch it off, then on (Samsung). GE says the plug should be fully seated and the washer on a separate, dedicated outlet.
7. Reset the control. Whirlpool: unplug the washer for 5 minutes, then plug it in again. For a hard-wired washer, switch the breaker off for 5 minutes. Samsung: if it will not turn off, unplug it or switch the breaker off and wait 60 seconds; to restart, close the door firmly without slamming, select a cycle and press Start/Pause.

If it comes back

If the washer has power, the lock is off, the door is latched and a 5-minute reset changes nothing, contact service. Samsung also says to check for an error code before assuming a power problem. Tell service:

• The brand, model number (where to find it) and any message on the display.
• Whether the lights come on, and whether the door locks when you press Start.
• That you checked the lock, the outlet and breaker, and did the 5-minute reset.

Private tools: prepare a Service Brief → or save a washer log →. Compare the cost of a repair with replacement in the repair-or-replace calculator.