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My miele washing machine doesn't spin out properly after a load

Our machine was working really well we had had it for about 3 years then it started not spinning out after a wash cycle. We moved to our new house about 3 and a half hour drive but didn't do anything to the machine re bolts etc. In our new place it spins out even less times. Had a Miele registered tradesman come out but he said that we were using too much soap powder - which is not the case. He said to use a teeny tiny about of soap powder as the bubbles build up in the pipes and stop the water going through. But it is still doing it and I don't want another expensive call out fee. What can we do???

Comments (34)

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Well you were told what he thought it was and you don’t want to listen. IMO front loading washers need liquid HE soap and max 2 talespoons per load if it is really a dirty load otherwise 1 tblsp. You should never see bubbles in the window of the washer and if you do you are using too much soap. See if running some vinegar through the washer a couple of times helps.

  • PRO
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    More soap does not cleaner clothes make. ONE tablespoon HE liquid soap. No more than two. Try the vinegar, but you have gummed up the works.

  • 8 years ago

    I've had & have Miele washers & dishwashers for 20+years. Their techs know their products and I agree with Patricia. Heed her advice and that of the tech's. ;

  • 8 years ago

    I don't know what a "Miele registered tradesman" is but I had Miele washers and their service for years.

    Did he have a laptop and do diagnostics?

    If so, and you are overdosing, the computer in the washer will indicate that. The dosage might be right but the soap may be wrong for your water. There are certain detergents I don't use due to high suds levels. Liquids are especially problematic.

    Did the technician test the cycles you say were not working? Did they work for him?

    Does the machine's drain/spin cycle work?. IOW will the machine spin?

    No one here can give you an answer or repair your machine. Miele has excellent service and I would suggest a conversation with one of their tech support people in Princeton -- call their 800 number in the morning.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Try going over to this site

    automaticwasher.org

    Ask the guys there about your Miele not spinning out.

    To others. HE detergent if formulated to be less sudsy not suds free.

    Patrica how do you know the OP doesn't want to listen to the tech?

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    She states that he told her she was using too much soap and she said that was not the case. Pretty clear she didn’t want to admit to that.

  • 8 years ago

    What model Miele washer do you have? If It has a drain and spin, or rinse and spin cycle, run that without any clothes and tell us what happens.

  • 8 years ago
    Probably the 3+ hour move knocked things out. Also, detergent misuse is a HUGE factor. Use it as Patricia recommends. Measure with an actual cup, not eyeball it. Use vinegar/baking soda every time, and hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach. These machines are touchy and with a change in the water supply, maybe you should consider suggestions.
  • 8 years ago

    What will vinegar/baking soda do for laundry Anne Duke.

  • 8 years ago

    Baking soda is not a good idea. It accumulates and does not dissolve I found. So I stopped using it. Also found vinegar to be useless. People cling to it, and it's harmless, but neither of those are worth adding. Purchase a high quality detergent that's appropriate for the machine and the water and use it. With a Miele there are true hot washes. All that's actually needed and way more.

  • 8 years ago
    A quarter cup of baking soda boosts the cleaning power of any detergent, it and vinegar keep sudsing levels down and remove excess detergent during rinsing, and help keep the machine and its lines from getting gummy. I use Tide HE and still use these products. Peroxide is an oxygenation agent without the toxicity of chlorine bleach. These are proven products for laundry use.
  • 8 years ago

    Personally I don't think it is user error. If it was from too much detergent why would it take 3 years to show up. I'm sure OP didn't decide after 3 years to just suddenly start using cups of detergent. And as for the tech they will tell you anything just to get paid and get gone even if it is Miele. JMO

  • 8 years ago

    And how can anyone give dosing instructions without knowing water hardness? I would never use liquid detergent period! These boards are really getting rude. Miss the old garden web. JMHO

  • 8 years ago

    Vinegar certainly does not remove detergent residue..at most if enough is used it can neutralize detergent residue. .which isn't the same as removing. Howrver I would love if you can post a link that states the products are proven to do what you say.

    Cadyren I agree.


  • 8 years ago
    I’m not going to get into a pissing contest with you. Tip are tips, not an obligation. I know what works for me and got any tips I offer from reliable consumer sites.
  • 8 years ago

    Well. It was a simple enough question. I so enjoy reading and learning all things laundry. Sure didn't mean to offend you. But if you happen to run across the informative site that has the proof of your claims will you please post a link. I'd find it fascinating. Thanks.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    It has been over a week since the OP has posted on this thread so It is not possible to really assist them if they won't visit the site. I have a Miele machine and there was one time when it would not get up to a proper spin speed. I was in the area when it was trying to spin and it was spinning slowly, then stopping and starting. It was after a very linty rug was washed, so I opened the filter compartment at the front of the machine, and removed the filter in front of the pump. It was clogged up with thick strands of lint.

    What happens is when the washer starts to spin, the motor works with the pump and will keep the spin speed slow to allow the pump to keep up with the water extracted, so the machine knows, if the pump is struggling to pump out the water. Once the blockage was cleared everything was fine.

    The telling thing in the OP message was that the machine was moved for 3 hours without the shipping struts inplace. This could have damaged something.

    As for the Miele tech. A certified tech carries a laptop that connects to the machine and can read out errors stored in the electronics. The one time I had a problem with an inlet valve the laptop displayed the error and then showed a diagram of the internals of the machine and highlighted the defective part in red. So with this method there is limited trial and error involved when diagnosing a problem.

  • 8 years ago

    >>>

  • 8 years ago

    There is a hose which runs from the pump, up the side and connects to the lower part of the dispenser in a Y. If this clogs then the machine will not spin at full speed and can record a F56 error. With an F56 error one of the causes can be over-dosing (Which can lead to a F16 error (Over dosing)). Here is a video of someones F16 error.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSbTdBtHgic

  • 8 years ago

    When tips are presented as tips, that's great. Presented as facts or instructions it is a different matter. Discussions on the efficacy of vinegar and baking soda in laundry go back many years. We've yet to see any scientific fact to support either. I will say this again: they are harmless. If anyone believes they are improving laundry practices, great. Go for it.

    Reputable consumer sites also recommend washing in cold water only. I will do a laundry throw down any day on that one.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    mamapinky0: We know that the OP isn't listening to her tech and maintains the amount of soap she's using is correct just like we know that the first troubleshooting instruction for any appliance is to check to see if it's plugged in. I've had a lot of opportunity to discuss appliances with people who've recently remodeled. The ones who complain about soapy clothing or clothing that isn't getting clean are always the ones who are using regular detergent and/or using too much of it.

    Traditional washers with agitators use chemical and mechanical means to clean. Not only does the detergent clean, but the action of the clothes against the agitator and other clothes does so as well. In an HE machine without an agitator, the cleaning happens by chemical means only.

    OP says that the machine isn't spinning out, but doesn't say if the clothes are coming out sopping wet or if the clothes aren't getting clean. It'd be good to have that info.

  • 8 years ago

    Whats the story on the OP's name "HU-#####". I've noticed a lot of "HU-###" being used these days. How and why are these names getting used?

  • 8 years ago

    I like Jerrod's suggestion to look at the clean out area at the pump, what ever that is called, lower left front. His comment makes sense to me.

    Carolina, front loaders clean mechanically too, it tumbles the clothing into a pool of water. This pool of water is, I believe, calculated for depth depending on the programmed cycle. For example "dress shirts" cycle has a deep pool and softens fall of the tumbled clothes. "Whites" is a shallower pool and the fall with each tumble is more aggressive.

    I also doubt that the 3 hour trip for the washer did anything, unless they tipped the machine onto its side. I have transported 2 old Mieles 6 hour distances without the shipping struts. One machine, the struts were missing, the other I tried using my modern struts and only got one inside to sort of brace the drum. Anyway the machines are fine. Getting jostled down a flight of stairs with a dolly to the basement, without the struts in place. One machine I opened and tested the shocks, as @Linus (Bjorn) suggested and they were perfect.

  • 8 years ago

    "Carolina Kitchen & Bath: In an HE machine without an agitator, the cleaning happens by chemical means only."

    That's not true. HE toploaders with an impeller absolutely involve the mechanical action of the rotating impeller to vibrate and rub the clothes against the nubs of the impeller and against each other as they slowly roll over. Rollover is typically up the center and down the sides vs. an "old-style" agitator that rolls down the center and up the sides.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Not to the same degree as a washing machine with an agitator. That's why you use a special detergent. Try this link for an explanation.

  • 8 years ago

    Thanks for the video link, I've already seen it. I have experience working on washing machines. I know well enough how the various designs function.

    Here's a video link for you of someone's demonstration of an HE-impeller machine. Set the playback speed to 2X (click the gear icon). It's a comparatively small load but seems there's an appreciable amount of mechanical action happening. Watch a given shirt for a while (yellow or red for example).


    HE Toploader Action

    But anyway, this is off-topic for the OP's Miele question.

  • 8 years ago

    I thought the mechanical action in a front loader came from it tumbling the clothes. Nothing would get clean if the clothes sat still in the tub waiting for chemicals to clean.

  • 8 years ago

    Well there's soaking and there's washing in a washing machine. Both TL&FL have their own mechanical design to clean textiles. Chemicals can only do so much on their own and require mechanical action to get things deep down clean.

    Whoever said HE machines clean by chemical action only is wrong.

  • 8 years ago
    This tread is hilarious
  • 5 years ago

    Thank you for the information about the washing powder. I think this is where our non spinning problem has occurred. The washing powder box states use a full scoop for a regular wash. Measuring it by tablespoons it equals 4 tablespoons!!! With a dirty wash 1 and 1/2 scoops. Poor machine. We've been force feeding it. Thanks for all your tips, advice and info. Louise,

  • 5 years ago

    @richard_mariu: My guess is that the solution in your video will fix this. Fixed it for me!

  • 5 years ago

    @richard_mariu: Thank you. The pipe shown in your video and y-bend in our w5872 were blocked all the way up. Washing nearly dry after spin now and doesn’t make whirring noises during spin. Top tip - don’t wash pet blankets in the washer.

  • 2 years ago

    @richard_mariu: Thank you for excellent info and video link. Pipe blocked with pet hair. Feel like I have done washing machine open-heart surgery and survived!!