The washing machine does not open the door

A few minutes after the end of the cycle, the washing machine should open the locked door. If the door lock still remains closed, this may indicate some kind of malfunction. We’ll talk about what to do if the washing machine door doesn’t open.

The washing machine may stop in the middle of a cycle while spinning or rinsing clothes. In some cases, the machine refuses to wash at all, but the door remains locked and it is impossible to get the laundry out. But most often the washing machine hangs after the end of the cycle.

How to open the washing machine door

First of all, if your washing machine does not open, you should not pull the handle with all your might. If you tear off the handle, you still won’t be able to open the machine, but you will also have to deal with buying a new handle and installing it. First of all, you should calm down and use a few simple tips.

— If the machine has completed a full wash cycle, there is no water in it, but it still does not open, you should wait a few minutes. As a rule, the system unlocks within a minute after the end of the wash, but in some cases it may take up to five minutes.

— Check if there is any water left in the washing machine. The fact is that especially new washing machines are programmed in such a way as not to open the door if there is water in the machine and to avoid a flood. Set the water drainage program on the panel.

— If the previous advice did not help, disconnect the device from the power supply for half an hour. At the end of this time, plug the machine back into the outlet. The fact is that sometimes the control board malfunctions, and a complete system reboot can help eliminate them.

— If the wash is finished and the machine still does not open, run the program again . Before starting a new cycle, the device checks whether the door is closed. Therefore, the door will first unlock, and then lock again. Try to catch the moment the door is unlocked and stop the program.

If none of the tips helped, most likely the machine is broken. Let's try to understand the most common causes of breakdowns and methods for eliminating them, but in this case we advise you to contact a washing machine repair service center.

Fault prevention

There are not so many tips, but you need to follow them constantly:

Treat household appliances with care; close and open the hatch for loading laundry gently and without unnecessary force, so that you do not have to spend money on repairing the locking mechanism.
Never overload the machine, the automation has a strict program: it will not even allow you to close the door in this case.
Pay attention immediately to the occurrence of malfunctions: one will lead to a whole series of failures, and repairs may require more costs than replacing a small part.

If you follow these simple recommendations, household appliances will serve according to the assigned resource, without causing trouble or unnecessary problems.

Opening the door manually

If, after finishing the wash, the machine door is still locked and does not want to open even after a certain period of time, you can try opening the door manually. To open the washing machine lock manually, you should carefully understand the device instructions.

A specific sequence of actions that will help open a jammed door.

We remind you that simply de-energizing the device often helps.

In many models of washing machines, on the front panel, where the drain filter is located, there is a special cable, pulling which will open the doors in an emergency. Most often, this cable is orange.

However, some washing machines simply do not have such a cable. Therefore, to open the doors in an emergency, you will have to remove the top panel. After this, you need to tilt the machine back so that the drum moves slightly away from the front wall of the device. Now try to remove the latch and move it slightly to the side to remove the lock.

The washing machine is quite fragile, so if you are completely unsure that your manipulations will not harm it, it is better to call a professional. After all, if the lock is damaged or the handle is broken, replacing parts will cost much more.

The main causes of problems with opening the washing machine and their solutions

One of the most common breakdowns of washing machines is the problem with the door opening after the end of the washing program. At the same time, many users of the device try to make an effort to get to the laundry, which only aggravates the situation.

Why doesn’t the machine open and how can you solve this problem yourself?

Hatch locking device

The main causes of breakdown are problems with the operation of the device, which automatically blocks the hatch, as well as breakdown of the handle itself.

If the malfunction is related to the operation of the hatch locking system, then most often this device cannot be repaired and requires complete replacement.

In order to make this replacement, you need to remove the top cover of the machine and unscrew the screws that secure the device. To get to the screws and unscrew them, you need to open the locked hatch. To do this, tilt the washing machine slightly and stick your hand in to manually unlock the door.

Hatch locking device

The locking device must be removed and replaced. To do this, you need to remove the rim-clamp that secures the door and disconnect the right side of the door cuff. A hand must fit into the hole to unscrew the external screws. Before you take out the lock, remember, or better yet, write down the order in which the automatic lock device was connected.

To install a new automatic locking system, we perform the same steps, only in reverse order. After all the parts are installed and everything is screwed, you can proceed to the test. To do this, plug in the machine and run a washing program. While the device is operating, the door should be locked, and after the program is completed, it should open after a few minutes. Although some manufacturers of washing machines install an automatic lock on the machines, which turns off immediately after the end of the washing program.

Another common reason why the washing machine does not open is that the handle is broken.

Washing machine door

The easiest way to solve this problem is to completely replace the handle with a new one.

Replacing the handle is not difficult. Any machine door consists of plastic rims that surround concave glass. The halves of the rims are attached to each other and to the machine itself using self-tapping screws and special latches. To make it more convenient to work with the machine, you need to remove the device door from its hinges.

After this, you should unscrew the screws that connect the parts of the rim to each other. Next, very carefully separate the halves of the rim from each other. The handle of the washing machine, which needs to be replaced, is attached to this half of this rim. And a tongue is attached to the handle that secures the door.

It is important to remember how the mechanism works so that later there are no problems with installing a new handle and assembling the washing machine. Therefore, write down the sequence of steps and when installing a new handle, do it in reverse order. After the faulty handle has been replaced and the machine is completely assembled, you can connect it to the network and check its operation. It is very important that the door of the device not only unlocks after the washing is completed, but also locks during the washing process.

A washing machine door blocking can also be caused by a simpler reason that will not require expensive repairs. This could be due to clothes getting caught in the lock. If this happens, you should not break the lock trying to get to the washed laundry. Open the top cover of the washing machine after turning off the power. Locate the automatic door lock and use a screwdriver to remove the hook. If you are not sure that there is no water left in the machine, it is better not to tilt it too much or turn it over. If water gets on the electrical module of the device, it may burn out. In this case, repairs will be very expensive or will become unprofitable in principle.

Breaking

One of the most common reasons for a washing machine door to be blocked is damage to one of the mechanisms. Most often, the hatch opening/closing handle breaks. This does not always occur as a result of excessive physical force applied when opening the door. The reason for this may be simple wear and tear of the equipment. In this case, you just need to remove the door from its hinges and try to disassemble it.

The hatch door consists of two rims, which are fastened together with screws. These screws must be unscrewed and the structure must be disassembled carefully so as not to lose important parts. A locking mechanism is built into one of the rims. Its structure is not at all complicated, so anyone can understand it. You need to make sure that the latch is in good condition and, if necessary, replace it with a new one. Then assemble the door and install it in place.

Opening the washing machine door when the power is turned off

Almost everyone is familiar with the situation when a washing program is turned on, and just at that moment the electricity goes out. It’s good if there’s just a traffic jam or electrical problems will last no more than half an hour. But if the breakdown is serious, then you should not leave the laundry in the machine.

Another problem immediately arises. Due to the lack of electricity, the electric lock in the machine does not work and the door remains locked. But how do you open the door and get your laundry out?

There are many more problems that can arise with front-loading washing machines. The main problem when turning off the power is the inability to open the washing machine, even forcibly, if you have not drained the water from it. The water that poured in a powerful stream from the ceiling of your neighbors below will become a much bigger problem than unwashed laundry in the drum. Therefore, before you forcefully open the device, make sure that there is no water in the machine.

The inability to open the machine hatch during a power outage occurs due to a lock that prevents the door from unintentionally opening and water spilling. The fact is that some models of washing machines can hold more than 15 liters. Therefore, if you urgently need to get clothes out, but the lid of the washing machine does not open, prepare several basins where you will drain the water. This can be done through the filter, which is located at the bottom of the washing machine. After the water has completely drained, the washing machine may open automatically, but you may have to make additional efforts to do this.

Adviсe

If the LG, Indesit, Samsung or any other model of washing machine does not open, look for the instructions, which should indicate a detailed action plan in this case.
If the washing machine does not open, the reason may be water that remains in the device after the end of the washing program.
Disconnecting the device from power may help unlock the system.
The main failures that result in the hatch of the device not opening are failure of the automatic door locking system, as well as breakage of the handle.
If the door is blocked due to a power outage, it is very important to completely drain the water through a special filter before manually turning off the system.
If you are not entirely sure that you can unlock the door yourself, it is better to contact a service center. These are general tips and tricks only. Depending on the model of the machine, there may be a completely different plan of action. For example, if your Ardo washing machine requires repairs, we advise you to immediately contact a professional. If the locking system or handle of the washing machine is damaged, repairs will cost much more.