Normally a simple check will solve this.

The two hoses at the back of your washing machine are probably connected the wrong way round. Basically the washing machine only fills with cold water during it's rinse cycles, if the hoses are back-to-front, it will be rinsing in hot water. If you find that the hoses are correctly attached to the rear of the washing machine, check that the taps are correct, you never know, whoever fitted them could have got it wrong.

If both of these checks prove to be OK, you may need to call an engineer.

Something is stopping it from draining.

If your washing machine has a filter, check it for a build up of fluff or other foriegn objects restricting the flow of water. If you are unsure whether you have a filter or how to check it, refer to your user manual or you can check this FAQ for a basic guide. If this proves to be ok, you will probably need an engineer.

First of all you need to know that it has one to check ! Not all manufacturers fit them. 99% of the time they will either be in the left or right hand corner near the bottom of the washing machine. Sometimes behind a small flap or behind a plastic plinth, or worse completey concealed if you have an integrated washing machine. If you are unsure refer to the user manual that came with it when it was new (if you still have it), contact the manufacturer or post a message in the 'forum' area of this site. If you know that you have a filter and have located it, generally they unscrew anti-clockwise then just pull out towards you.

BEWARE if the machine is still full of water, all of it will suddenly surround your feet and give your kitchen floor a thorough soaking. If you can open the door, try and bail most of it out that way first, if not get the mop ready!

YOu can see more about washing machine pumps and filters here.

Thankfully this is now much easier than it used to be. Most manufacturers have user manuals on their website available to download, in the main free of charge (apart from your connection charges). Check the web links section of this site to locate the manufacturer of your appliance, most of the well known and not so well known one's are there. If you have an older machine and the manual is not available to download, try leaving a message in the forum area, you never know someone might have one.

You can also refer to this forum post which shows where you can find many user manuals that are available for download free.

Please refer to this article all about door seal mould and black marks for a full explanation.

All manufacturers have a built in safety device to stop the door being opened when the washing machine still has water left in the drum (keeps your feet dry). See sections here on washing machines not draining and checking filters.

A good starting point is our basic fault diagnosis guide that you can find from this link.

All newer washing machines with an electronic control unit can detect if the load in the machine is unbalanced. If the load has become (or always was) unbalanced for any reason the control unit will not allow the machine to spin. There are several reasons for this;

• If the machine spins with a very unbalanced load, there is a possibility that the vibration may cause damage to some of the components inside.
• As above, excessive vibration may damage surrounding kitchen units or worksurfaces.
• The machine may 'walk' from it's normal position, possibly damaging the hoses at the back and causing a flood, or at least giving you the problem of pushing it back again.
• If you have a tumble drier on top there is a possibility it may fall off if not secured correctly.

The easiest way to check if the 'out of balance' control has stopped the machine from spinning is to remove the clothes, re-load and try again. Bearing in mind that a single heavy item may never spin as it will always be unbalanced.

Spinning small loads and single items in most modern washing machines is not possible due to this.

More information on washing machine spin cycles is available here.

There are many clauses and sub clauses in either manufacturers guarantees and extended warranties.

Things like blocked pumps and filters, incorrect installation, misuse, in fact virtually everything that falls outside of the appliance actually breaking down due to a part failing won't be covered.

Think on it like most other products, if you don't use it correctly, follow the instructions or carry out the routine checks and maintenance required then it generally will not be covered by warranty. Also, if it is something external, such as a faulty electrical socket, faulty mains supply, faulty plumbing then it will not be covered by warranty.

If you have a rinse hold button, it has probably been pushed in by mistake, or you have used a programme that automatically does a rinse hold to protect your clothes (normally one of the delicate cycles). It may also be that the washing machine has not drained all of the water out for some reason (see other sections here).

Many, if not all newer washing machines are more friendly to the enviroment. They do not require such high levels of water due to increased washing performance overall. This will actually save you money, not only on water bills if you are metered, but also on electricity, as there is less water to heat.

However this also means that washing machine program times are now longer as the mechanical wash section of the program has to be extended to compensate, you can find out more in this article.