Washing Machine Fabric Softener Issues

Quite often we get asked about soap drawers (sometimes called a draw) on washing machines and, in a separate article some time ago here, we covered how to clean your soap drawer and why you should do it but, we didn't actually explain how they work in any great detail.

This leads us onto what appears to be a common problem fro some people, water being left in the softener compartment of the washing machine's soap drawer.

Now I would ask that you bear with this as we will first of all have to explain how this very simple system works and, to some extent, how fabric conditioner or softener works as well. But, if you bear with it and read the article fully you will understand how they work, what causes problems and how to fix them yourself.

How A Washing Machine Fabric Conditioner Compartment Works

Contrary to what most people think, the fabric conditioner or softener compartment is actually really, really simple in it's operation.

The following shows how incoming water displaces the fabric softener in the detergent drawer, creating a siphoning effect and allows it to run into the drum where your laundry is. Bear in mind during all of this that this process will only take place on the final rinse and at no other point of the program.

	Stage 1 Fabric softener shown in yellow is added to the softener compartment of the washing machine soap drawer. The softener cannot at this point escape from the detergent drawer unless the compartment is overfilled and creates a siphoning effect.
	Stage 2 On the final rinse the water is directed into the softener compartment of the washing machine soap dispenser drawer and this causes a siphon to be triggered. The fabric conditioiner as well as the incoming water is drawn through this siphon and into the washing machine drum. Due to the amount of water coming into the washing machine, water will also fall over the back of the compartment as there is too great a volume to be dealt with solely by the siphon. This is why the back of this particular compartment may be lower than the others.
	Stage 3 The siphon will continue until the water is drained almost completely from the compartment leaving it empty and ready to be refilled for the next wash load.

And essentially, that's how the fabric conditioner comparment works on a washing machine or washer dryer. It is a desperately simple system that relies on no moving parts at all, only incoming water.

How Water Gets Into The Softener Compartment

There are effectively two ways to get water into the softener compartment, either by way of a dedicated water valve to deliver water to the correct compartment in the washing machine soap drawer or, by using a sort of diverter system either mechanically on older machines or, increasingly, by using a dual fill water valve.

Using Water Valves

The first system employed has become less common due to pricing considerations, putting an extra valve on the washing machine costs more money and as manufacturers seek to cut costs this has become less common. However, in fairness, adding an additional valve whilst perhaps more ideal in some ways, also adds an additional point of failure, so there are pros and cons to this as with most things.

The big advantage in this type of arrangement of filling your washing machine is that it will often work or, work better, on lower water pressures.

Normally where this system is used your washing machine will be fitted with a three way water valve. One water valve will feed to the pre-wash compartment, one to the main wash compartment and the third to the fabric softener compartment.

This is the easiest system to understand as, put simply, the water valve which feeds the fabric conditioner compartment is the only point of failure. If the fabric conditioner is not removed from the soap detergent drawer then it is almost a stone cold certainty that the water inlet valve has failed and need to be replaced. Experienced washing machine engineers can often replace only the single solenoid if the actual valve body is not faulty but, for most people, replacing the entire valve assembly is the only option.

Using Diversion

In days gone past when all we had were old clunky mechanical timers, mounted on the front of those were what was known as timer cams. These cams would push a simple rod system linked to the soap dispenser top and manually direct the incoming water where it needed to go at that point in the wash program. This type of system is pretty much extinct now since technology has moved on and, almost exclusively, electronic controllers are employed.

Now the most common method, especially on cheap washing amchines and washer dryers, is to use the incoming water pressure to force water into the central section of the detergent drawer where you will now often find the fabric softener compartment located.

Usually this is a dead giveaway that the washing machine is using the cheap dual valve system and not a multi-valve system.

How it works is really very simple.

When the normal wash or pre-wash filling is required only one of the two valves opens allowing the washing machine to fill in the desired compartment, one set at either side of hte fabric softener compartment.

On the final rinse only, both valves open at once causing the water to meet and be diverted into the central compartment. Of course some will often still end up in the other compartments as well but, it is the only time that water will enter that central fabric softener compartment.

If one of the washing machine water valves fails, it won't work and the fabric conditioner will not be removed.

If the water pressure is too low the water may not be diverted properly and again, the fabric softener may not be removed.

Fabric Softener Compartment Full Of Water

Apart from the above which explains what fabric softener may not be removed the single most common issue is with people complaining that water is not removed from the conditioner compartment.

When the machine is new the most likely cause is that the washing machine is very slightly tipped forward. It is very, very common that washing machines are not installed correctly and/or correctly levelled so do check this in the first instance before reporting a fault as, if it is an installation issue it normally will not be covered by any warranty and you may have to pay to have the rectification work carried out.

If the machine is completely level and, you have now of course checked that, then you can try raising the front feet by a couple of millimeters so that the washing machine is very slightly tilted backwards. This often clears these issues.

On older machines it is normally just a dirty detergent drawer or soap tray that is the problem. Almost universally the fabric softener siphon will be able to come off and be cleaned, this need to be done thoroughly if you use conditioner.

For more on how to clean the soap drawer please see this article.