Abbie, I get it to stop filling by moving the timer knob a little further in the cycle. Strange thing as I have said is that it works sometimes. Thanks for any help as were bout ready to give it up.
Did you cut half an inch off the end of the tubing when you attached it to the new water level switch. If the hose is in good shape, this should ensure a good seal at the switch. It does not take much of an air leak and it can be intermittent. If the hose is stiff or has small what look like cracks running along it replace the hose.
Another possibility would be something floating around in the bottom of the tub and every once in a while it partially plugs the hose.
Ill try cutting the hose as you suggest. Also, if there was something floating around how would I get to it?
It is very possible that you have a small hole in that plastic hose. Go down to yor local hardware store, and bring the hose with you, and replace it. That has to be it. Because you replace the water level switch. The hose is cheap. Do it, and let us know. Tom ApplianceEducator.com
I’ll do it. Just so you know I plugged on side and blew in the other and got what seemed to be full resistance, but I will try. Thanks so much for hanging in there.
Good Luck. Tom ApplianceEducator.com
Thanks. I will change the hose tonight but I wanted to update you with something I noticed last night. During the wash cycle, the tub filled and shut off correctly. Then it went into the wash cycle but all of a sudden (after about 1 - 2 minutes in was wash cycle), the water started coming in again. I nudged the dial a little and it stopped again and finished the cycle. On the rinse cycle it reverted back to the old way of not stopping to fill. We also now are noticing that the clothes are not quite as dry as they used to be when the wash is done. Does this point to the timer or something else besides a hose/water level switch issue?
Thanks again.
“On the rinse cycle it reverted back to the old way of not stopping to fill.”
Unless I have missed something in one of your earlier posts this is a new symptom. I thought the only problem you had was it overfills.
This is starting to look like a bad timer.
What I meant by “not stopping to fill” was, it continued to fill. Sorry about the confusion. I’m so frustrated, I cant even explain it well anymore.
Do you know how the timer works in conjunction with the fill switch? If nudging the timer stops the water flow and it starts washing, Does that indicate a bad fill switch? What I don’t understand is how these things work together.
I can understand your frustration, you have been fighting with this sucker for quite awhile.
Some of the below you probably know already but figured it wouldn’t hurt to include it.
The water level switch has a Common connector for the Normally Open (NO) and Normally Closed (NC) contacts on a single switch.
When the air pressure in the tube becomes high enough the switch closes.
There is an air tight diaphragm in the level switch which moves back and forth to activate the switch.
So when you start a wash the NO contacts are open and the NC contacts are closed.
The NC contacts are connected to your water valve and a set of contacts in the timer puts power to the common connector of the level switch.
So the water valve is actuated and the washer begins to fill.
As the water rises in the tube, the air pressure in the tube increases until it is high enough to trip the switch.
Now the NC contacts open, stopping the water. The NO contacts close starting the agitator/motor and the timer motor.
This does get more complicated when you get into rinse cycles as timer contacts are used to redirect power as required but the basic fill is the same.
Trying to find wiring info on Kenmore’s is difficult if not impossible unless you are a Kenmore tech and I do not have any.
I would replace the tubing. There is no guarantee that this will fix it but at least you will be able to eliminate it as a possible cause.
So would you say that if the new tubing and new water level switch does not solve the problem, the only thing left is the timer? Thing is, I found out the timer is costly so testing with a new timer is an expensive thing to try. But, if it can’t be anything else it might be worth it. Or with the machine being about 8 years old it might be time at that point to just get a new washer. What do you think?
I usually junk a washer when the tranny or motor goes.
I do not like giving advise on this type of thing.
There are just too many variables like:
- What is the units overall condition
- What will a replacement unit cost you
- Have you been satisfied with the units performance
etc., etc.
Here is what consumers recommends if the unit is 5 years or older and the repair cost is over $100.00 - Replace It. Mind you I am not a big Consumers fan.
On purchasing a new one I do recommend that you do not buy fancy. Get a unit that does what you need, the more bells and whistles that are added the more expensive parts to replace in the future. If at all possible stay away from units with electronics in them. I am not convinced that appliance manufacturing design engineers have a clue on how to design a reliable robust electronic board. Also it is best to get a unit that has been around for a while, you then at least should be able to get some user info/history on it.
One other thing is do not go chasing the best EnergySaver rating, in reality you may not be saving yourself money or the environment in the long run. Manufacturers try to get the best rating they can and often do rather stupid things to achieve this. I cannot see how any energy or money is saved if the unit ends up in a landfill in 5 years. These ratings do not take into account the energy used to manufacture the thing in the first place.
OK. Thanks for the advice and I understand your position. One thing that might help us decide what to do.
From your experience with washers and how they operate, could anything other than the water level switch, pressure hose, drain hose, or Timer be causing the problem? I ask this because once I’m left with only the timer, the decision becomes one of "Is this machine worth around $100 more to keep it in service? Won’t hold you to it but you certainly know more than I do.
OK. I’ve changed the hose and the same thing happens.
Here’s a thought. Does anyone think or has anyone ever seen a new water level switch that was bad? I’m thinking, what if some person replaced their switch and then returned the bad one. I’m sure the retailer would just resell the switch as good. Far fetched, yes. Impossibile, probably not. I’m thinking to go back to Sears where I got the switch and see what happens. Your thoughts? Don’t know what else to do.
It is a possibility sometimes parts are bad right out of the box.
Does not happen often but it does happen.
the trouble sure sounds like it,s in the timer, remove the timer, check the points inside the timer ,see if there burn,t up, if so replace the timer..
abbie OR anyone else that looks at this
Do you have access to the wiring diagram and a timing chart OR have you seen this problem so that you can confirm that the timer is the culprit.
charleyk does not want to put more dollars into the unit unless there is a high probability that it will fix the problem
I have also put a request for help in the Tech Forum.
Thanks
denman
THE PROBLEM IS FIXED.
I exchanged the water level switch and the machine is working perfectly fine now. Unbelievable. Parts counter fellow didn’t give it a second thought as it seems this kind of stuff does occasionally happen.
Thanks to all of you, kayakrzy,denman, and abbie for taking the time to help me out. Without your feedback, I would have given up long ago.
Kayakrzy, a question for you. When I replaced the pressure hose a few days ago I used a vinyl hose from homedepot. Seems quite strong and fairly thick wall but a bit stiffer than the original. Is it OK to leave that on there? I don’t ever want to look for this problem again.
That is great news!!!
I tend not to trust new parts and try to check them before installing, but this part would have checked OK so finding it was quite an accomplishment.
On the hose I would leave it, if it starts to mess up in the future you will know what part to suspect first. There is nothing special about the tubes the manufactures use.
Once again congratulations and I admire your perseverance.