Top loading washing machine question

[EvilBetty]

just installed a brand new washing machine. checked in halfway through the wash cycle to watch it in action and it does not appear to be functioning properly. there was a pair of pants sitting dry on top of the pile not being pulled into the water pool. all the clothes were staying pretty much in the exact same place.

I know nothing about washing machines but it would seem to me that the drum should be locked in place while the agitator is doing it's thing. when I was watching it operate the central cork screw thing would turn back and forth as it should, but the drum would kind of spin with it back and forth with the momentum of the clothes and water.

is this thing malfunctioning? certainly does not appear to be effectively cleaning my clothes.

there were no motor mounts to remove fyi, so that is not the problem.

 

[dahliaclone]

just installed a brand new washing machine. checked in halfway through the wash cycle to watch it in action and it does not appear to be functioning properly. there was a pair of pants sitting dry on top of the pile not being pulled into the water pool. all the clothes were staying pretty much in the exact same place.

I know nothing about washing machines but it would seem to me that the drum should be locked in place while the agitator is doing it's thing. when I was watching it operate the central cork screw thing would turn back and forth as it should, but the drum would kind of spin with it back and forth with the momentum of the clothes and water.

is this thing malfunctioning? certainly does not appear to be effectively cleaning my clothes.

there were no motor mounts to remove fyi, so that is not the problem.

That sucks especially since it’s brand new. Most companies have a solid customer service number or online chat. I would look into contacting them directly for live help.

 

[Gonzo]

just installed a brand new washing machine. checked in halfway through the wash cycle to watch it in action and it does not appear to be functioning properly. there was a pair of pants sitting dry on top of the pile not being pulled into the water pool. all the clothes were staying pretty much in the exact same place.

I know nothing about washing machines but it would seem to me that the drum should be locked in place while the agitator is doing it's thing. when I was watching it operate the central cork screw thing would turn back and forth as it should, but the drum would kind of spin with it back and forth with the momentum of the clothes and water.

is this thing malfunctioning? certainly does not appear to be effectively cleaning my clothes.

there were no motor mounts to remove fyi, so that is not the problem.

At what part of the cycle did you open and check? I know you said halfway, but was it maybe a little sooner than that? It probably starts with a cycle where it senses the size of the load and then goes into filling with water based on the size. Any chance you opened it before it had completely filled? It wouldn't go into any of the other cycles until then.

 

[dahliaclone]

At what part of the cycle did you open and check? I know you said halfway, but was it maybe a little sooner than that? It probably starts with a cycle where it senses the size of the load and then goes into filling with water based on the size. Any chance you opened it before it had completely filled? It wouldn't go into any of the other cycles until then.

Also we have a new top load washer with glass so we can see inside while running. Sometimes with a larger load it takes a while for the top clothes to get into the agitation phase but it does happen.

 

[cyphoon]

there was a pair of pants sitting dry on top of the pile not being pulled into the water pool. all the clothes were staying pretty much in the exact same place.

On many washing machines, the agitator is two pieces. The base lower part is what the motor drives, and that lower piece rotates the top half via a one-way gearing mechanism. The inside of the top agitator has teeth around the outside, and three little agitator cogs (sometimes called dogs or dog ears) engage those teeth when the base spins in one direction. In the other direction, the agitator cogs retract and the top agitator stays in place.

The idea is that the base can rock back and forth to agitate the water, but the top will only go in one direction, which pulls clothes from the top down into the water.

See if you can fool the machine into thinking the lid is shut so you can watch. During the main wash cycle, you should see the top half of the agitator working its way around in a circle. It it isn't moving, then either something with that gearing mechanism is messed up, or perhaps no part of the agitator is moving.

Those agitator dogs eventually wear out after 5 years or so, but since your machine is brand new, I would guess that either the top agitator wasn't installed properly, or perhaps the agitator dogs fell out during assembly and are lying inside the agitator housing not doing any good. When I replace mine, it is tricky to get all 3 to stay in place while sliding everything back together.

H