QUESTION FROM Mike

My Maytag washer will not work on any of the cold water settings, it does run on warm and hot, but only hot water comes out from both settings. When the machine is rready to go to the cold water rinse cycle it does not do work. If I move the dial ahead to the spin cycle it will then work through the spin cycle. Any ideas?

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear Mike:

There are two power-activated electronic valves in your washing machine, one for cold water and one for hot water. When your washing machine goes through it cycles, depending on what settings you are using, these valves receive power to them at the appropriate time in the cycle to open and close. In other words, when they receive power, these electronic valves open up to allow either hot or cold water to flow into your washer. Since you say that your cold water supply is not working, regardless of what setting or cycle your machine is in, there are four things that you can check:

1) confirm that the on-off valve for the cold water supply to your washer is in the open position, and that this is not the problem.

2) if the cold water supply valve is open, then turn it to the off position, and then disconnect the hose from the washer. Put a bucket (or place it into the washer if it will reach) and then open the cold water supply valve to be sure that water will flow out, and there are no blockages. If it flows fine, then this is not the problem.

3) check where the hose connects to the washer and see if the screen that is inside of the fitting where the hose connects to washer is plugged up. Be very careful if you are trying to clean out this screen, as with some model washers, this screen can be very difficult to replace.

4) if this inlet screen is clear, then the next thing to check is the electronic valve that controls the cold water (often called a "solenoid" valve). Testing the solenoid valves for your washer is probably something that you want to ask a professional to do for you. To do it yourself you will need to unplug the power cord from the wall, get a owner's manual from Maytag, and then use a multitester meter to see if the solenoid valve is reading the proper amount across the terminals of the valve (although if it reads 'infinity', then the valve is bad). But again, testing a solenoid valve on your washing machine is something that you should ask a professional to do.

Hopefully, it will turn out to be just a plugged screen.

Hope this is helpful for you.

Home-Wizard.com