How to open a washing machine during washing

The design of the washing machine is designed in such a way that it is impossible to open the doors during washing. This is done so that the water in the drum does not spill out if the hatch is opened at the wrong time. However, there are situations when this is necessary. The need to stop the machine arises to add a few more things or to remove something that got into the drum by mistake.

For example, an item that can fade and gets into the wash along with white linen can ruin it irrevocably. It is not surprising that in this case every housewife will try to unlock the door and get out the “uninvited guest”. If a phone or credit card gets into the wash, this is another reason for an emergency stop. To prevent such an emergency stop from ending in a small flood or equipment breakdown, you need to adhere to a certain procedure.

Pause mode

At the very beginning of the wash, while the washing machine tank is not yet completely filled with water, there is an easy way to stop the program. This can be done using the “Pause” mode. It is available in all models. To temporarily turn off, without draining the water, just press the on/off button (some models have a separate “pause” button).

It is important to take into account one nuance - the pressure should be single and fast. If you press the button and hold it in this position for several seconds, instead of pausing, the selected program will turn off. If you press with one touch, the program will be paused, and after a while the door will unlock. After this, all that remains is to take out random things or add more and start the machine by pressing the power button.

Advice
Masters involved in machine maintenance and repair do not recommend frequently pausing or reprogramming equipment during washing. Abuse of this feature over time leads to program failures and premature repairs.

How can you drain the water immediately?

This is done manually, and the water is drained through a filter into some container. This hose is located at the front of the car, under the hatch, but it is hidden from view by the bottom panel. You need to remove it and you will see a hose that is closed with a stopper and lies in a special socket, rolled up. Take it out, remove the plug and drain the water into a substitute container.

If there is no hose, then there is a plug anyway. Of course, it’s much more convenient with a hose, but without it, water gets on the floor, so you need to lay out a rag in advance.

And, of course, after such manipulation the program gets lost and will have to be set again. Therefore, use this method only in cases where it is absolutely necessary. Let's say that a valuable item is found in the drum, or something that can fade greatly and thereby ruin the color of the rest of the laundry. Or, a really scary case: a pet got into the drum and you turned on the wash...

In any case, in order to remove a coin from the wash, it’s not worth doing all of the above.

If there is a lot of water in the drum

If the need to open the washing machine arises when the water level in the drum is high, the water must be drained. This is also not difficult to do. In this case, you need to perform the following steps.

Stop the machine with the power off button.
Turn on the “Drain” program (the “Pump” button), and if it is not there, “Spin”.
After the water has drained, the door will be unlocked.

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In some cases, the hatch must be opened immediately. In this case, an emergency drain will do. It is performed manually, through a filter. Usually this part is located in the front part, in the lower right corner, behind the panel. Opening the panel reveals the filter hose. By placing a water container in place, you can pull the hose out of the socket, open the plug and drain the water.

Some models do not have such a hose. In this case, you need to pull out the filter plug. After an emergency stop with draining the water, it will not be possible to finish washing according to the old program; you will have to reprogram the machine again.

How to open the door using software settings

The algorithm of actions may vary slightly depending on the model and configuration of the washing machine, but experts recommend doing the following:

First of all, you need to interrupt the washing program. Most models have a Pause button that allows you to temporarily stop the process. Sometimes it is separate, sometimes this function is performed by briefly pressing the “Start” button during operation. If such a function is not provided by the manufacturer, the machine can be de-energized by disconnecting it from the network. But this should be done only in extreme cases, since such actions can cause damage to electronic boards. Also, to stop the program in some models, you can return the washing mode selection knob to its original position.

If not much time has passed since the start of the wash, and water has not had time to fill the tank, perhaps this will be enough - after a few minutes the door will unlock and it can be opened.

If there is already a lot of water in the drum, then before opening the door, it will need to be drained, otherwise the factory settings will not allow you to unlock the lock mechanism. At what amount of water the door will open after stopping the machine depends on the parameters specified by the manufacturer, and not only the amount of water, but also its temperature can be taken into account. Sometimes it is enough that the water level does not reach the bottom edge of the door. It also happens that the blockage is removed regardless of how much water is inside; it is enough to simply turn off the power to the device. Therefore, after the machine has been stopped, you should wait a few minutes and make sure that the lock is unlocked. If the water in the tank still prevents you from opening the door or there is too much water, you need to get rid of it. The easiest way is to use a special function, which is usually called “Drain”.

Once the water has drained from the drum, opening the door will not be difficult. If the “Drain” button is not provided in the design, you can use the “Spin” function.

Emergency opening rope

Many models of washing machines are equipped with a special cable to unlock the lock. You need to look for it from the front side near the filter, behind the decorative panel at the bottom of the machine. It is painted bright orange, so it is impossible not to notice it after removing the decorative panel. Just pull the cable and the door should open. If the machine does not have such a device, you will have to move on to more complex methods.

Tips: how to unlock a washing machine

The door in the automatic machine, as already noted, is blocked quite often. The owner of a Bosch, Samsung, Indesit and other brands may encounter this problem. If you cannot forcefully remove the lock yourself, you do not need to use a heavy tool to open the hatch. The door to the drum can be blocked for a completely insignificant reason, but vandalism will entail repairs to both the door and the locking system.

You can find out which buttons you can use to unlock the washing machine from the instructions

What to do if the washer hatch located on top is jammed? To open it and take things out, you can’t just remove the cover, as is the case with front loading; you need to entrust the washing machine to a specialist. Why? Only a master has an idea about the large number of laundry products, their configuration and repair. The top hatch is blocked most often when the drum does not turn over.

To return the product to normal operation, you need to:

Moving equipment away from the wall;
Disconnection from power and water supply;
Heating element detection;
Unscrewing and pulling out the heating element;
Drum spinning.

The procedure must be performed as carefully as possible to prevent damage to the internal parts of the washing machine. If the tilt of the washing machine is sharp or too strong, then it is quite possible that in addition to unlocking the door, you will need to replace the pump, since it can be damaged in a couple of seconds.

Forced opening using a cord

A thin synthetic cord can help open the machine hatch if previous actions have not brought positive results. The disadvantage of this method, invented by folk craftsmen, is that it is not always suitable. The reason is the design of the lock. If the tongue snaps towards the body of the machine, it will open, but if it snaps away from the body or upwards, this method will not yield anything.

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Step-by-step instruction

Prepare a piece of thin and strong cord or fishing line the size of the hatch circumference with a small margin.
Position yourself on the side opposite the castle.
Insert the cord into the gap between the body and the hatch around the entire circumference, and hold both ends in your hands.
Pull the cord until it presses against the latch.

If as a result of this the door does not open, then the lock design is of a different type and there is only one option left - remove the top panel.

Advice
If you have a flexible spatula at home, you can use it instead of a cord - insert it into the gap between the door and the body and press on the tongue.

Torx key

Reasons for blocking

Locking the hatch is part of the principle of normal operation of the washing machine. It is necessary during operation so that the door is not accidentally opened by children or forgetful adults. In this way, manufacturers take care of our safety. At the end of the wash, after one to two minutes, the lock is activated and the door can be opened. For what reasons does the washing machine get blocked if the wash is finished and it is impossible to open the hatch?

Electronics malfunction. It can occur due to an interruption in the supply of electricity or water, as well as during power surges in the network.
Broken locking mechanism. In this case, it will need to be replaced.
Drain filter clogged. The water does not drain completely, so the sensor prevents the hatch from being unlocked.
The Child Lock function is accidentally turned on.

As you can see, there are few reasons. And in most cases, the problem is solved in a simple way. We will tell you what to do below.

Universal method suitable for all models

By removing the top panel of the washing machine, you can unlock the hatch in any model. So this method is the most universal. However, it requires some skills and tools. In some machines, the panel is secured with two bolts that can be removed with a regular screwdriver, but this is a rare case. Usually, in order to remove the panel, you have to use TORX keys, and their size is not the same for different models. These could be the following options:

T 15;
T 20;
T 25.

After unscrewing the bolts on the back wall, you need to slide the cover back and then remove it. After this, you need to stick your hand into the part where the lock is located (on the side of the tank) and press the latch. Before removing the cover, be sure to turn off the equipment by unplugging the cord from the outlet and drain the water.

By following the recommendations outlined here, you will be able to open the machine both during washing and during emergency situations. However, if you do not have the skills to service equipment and are not confident in your abilities, call a specialist, and he will definitely open your machine.

Unlocking a Bosch washing machine

The Bosch brand is well respected due to the quality and reliability of these household appliances. This brand has its own secrets for unlocking in various situations . If your model has plus and minus keys on the panel, then by pressing minus you can unlock the machine without wasting time and effort.

If the key is constantly on and does not allow you to turn on any mode, you need to return to the program during which the failure occurred, then press the delayed start button and hold your finger on it for 5 seconds. After this, the blocking will be disabled.

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Call the master

The easiest way to unlock the door is to contact a service company for help. The technician who comes upon request will not only open the door, but also, if necessary, can repair the breakdown.

You can find a specialist on the Internet by entering “Indesit washing machine repair” in the search query and indicating your city. The specialist will not only open the washing machine, but will also conduct diagnostics to determine what caused the problem.

The cost of the work depends on the complexity of the failure, the need for repairs and the company’s pricing policy.

For the capital, prices on average are:

replacement of the hatch door lock – from 1,400 rubles;
replacement of the hatch handle – 1,300 rubles;
only opening the hatch without performing repair work - from 1,000 rubles.

The hatch door is stuck and won't open

Sometimes it happens that after pausing the washing process and draining the water, the automatic unlocking of the hatch does not work. This reason mainly occurs when the lock latch is stuck. Forced opening of the hatch in this case is carried out using improvised means or by partially disassembling the machine body.

We use improvised means

If the lock on a front-loading washing machine clicks to the side, the door can be opened using a strong thread. The work process is carried out in the following order:

A thread is inserted between the door and the body of the machine.
Pull the thread and hook it onto the latch of the lock.
Pull both ends of the thread at the same time and the hatch will open.

These works must be carried out extremely carefully, making sure that the thread does not break.

If there is no access to the lock between the hatch gap and the body, you will have to partially disassemble the car.

Opening the door with partial disassembly of the housing

Partial disassembly of the case must be carried out extremely carefully, otherwise the components may break. The process of opening the hatch is carried out in the following order:

The nuts are unscrewed from the top of the equipment and the cover is removed.
The washing machine tilts backwards.
The drum moves away from the hatch.
Once you have access to the lock, press it and open the door.
The parts of the washing machine are assembled into place.

Why is there a problem?

Stagnation of water in the drum is not the only reason the door is blocked: it can also be due to a breakdown. Indesit can break for many reasons. Let's list the most common ones.

The handle on the hatch broke. This situation is not uncommon, especially for those who have children.
Malfunction in the hatch locking device. This is a fairly common situation for cars that have been in use for many years.
Electronics fault. For example, a device that determines the amount of water in a tank shows that it is there, but in fact the tank is dry. Unfortunately, in this situation the sensor will definitely have to be changed.