What to Do If Your Whirlpool Washer Does Not Turn On

Founded nearly a hundred years ago in 1911 and ranked as the most reliable home appliance brand of 2020, Whirlpool is known for its customer service, affordability, and durable products, especially when it comes to their washing machines. So what do you do when your Whirlpool washer stops working? 

Below, we go over some of the most common problems we see with Whirlpool washing machine and how to troubleshoot them.

Make Sure to Plug in the Washer And Check the Circuit Breakers

One reason your appliance may not start is that it has simply come unplugged or that the outlet that it is plugged into has tripped your home’s main circuit breaker. If you notice a tripped breaker, leave the breaker off and carefully inspect the electrical outlet and power cord for any sign of a problem. If the outlet appears burnt or charred, you may have a more serious electrical with your home.

However, if you notice the electrical cord has been damaged, you will need to replace it, which fortunately is a relatively cheap and easy repair. If you can’t find any issues with the cord or the outlet, the next step is to check the home circuit breaker or fuses.In some cases, a minor power surge may have caused the breaker to trip. Therefore, sometimes, flipping the breaker back on will be all that’s required to get things working again. However, if the breaker continues to trip, you’ll need to investigate what caused the power surge in the first place. If you do not fix this underlying cause, you’ll continue to have the same problem. 

Need help trying to diagnose or repair your washer woes? Don’t hesitate to contact Denver Appliance Repair today.

Whirlpool Washer Error Codes

Nothing is more frustrating than seeing an error code on your washing machine and not knowing what it’s trying to tell you. So how do you figure this out, and how can you fix it?

5 Common Whirlpool Washing Machine Error Codes

Below, we’ll take a look at a list of the five most common whirlpool washing machine error codes and their solutions.

PF – Power Failure

Press the START button to advance the cycle from when the machine lost power—OR—Press the STOP/CANCEL button to clear out the display and cancel the cycle.

F70/oL – Overload

To clear this common error code, simply open the machine’s door, remove some surplus laundry, close the door, and restart the cycle.

Lid/F81 – Open/Close Door Lid

Press the START button with an open lid, followed by pressing the START button after two consecutive cycles without opening the lid.

OB/ob – Off-Balance

Open the lid, redistribute the laundry in the basket, and close the lid to restart the cycle. Press the STOP/CANCEL button to clear the display.

F22 – Door Lock Failure

First, unplug the machine from its power source. Check the door switch and lock for any signs of damage. If the latch is loose, you may be able to secure it by tightening any mountain screws it may have. However, in most cases, you’ll need to replace the part to get your machine working again. 

If you’ve tried all of the troubleshooting we’ve mentioned so far, and you still can’t figure out what’s wrong with your appliance, don’t hesitate to contact Denver Appliance Repair today.

Damaged Control and Display Board

To figure out if the washing machine’s control and display board are defective, try pressing some of its buttons to see if they’re responding to your touch. If you find some of the buttons work and others do not, you may need to replace the entire control and display board.

On the other hand, if the display itself does not work and none of the buttons are responding, verify that the appliance is properly plugged in getting power. If it is, and the control panel still isn’t responding, it may be time for a new one.

Malfunctioning Door Switch

Problems with the Whirlpool Control
Board

A Whirlpool washing machine’s door lock secures the appliance by disabling the door during operation. 

Therefore, the appliance will not start a wash cycle if the washer’s door isn’t properly latched or closed. In some cases, you may simply have some clothing preventing the door from closing properly, but other times, the latch/lock may have become defective and will need to be replaced.

If your Whirlpool’s control board is defective, it likely won’t start or function whatsoever. 

While this is a rare occurrence, older units are more prone to having their control panels burn out. However, make sure to check out all other possible causes for the problem before deciding that your control panel is broken. In most cases, there will be some other issue with your appliance that can be replaced instead!