Need a handyman's advice about a washer & dryer?

Question

I bought a used washer & dryer from the classifieds. (Yes I know now... big mistake)
When the washer goes through the spin cycle it leaks somewhere, about a gallon or two of water if it is a large load. I have checked all the hoses and can't find the source...

Then there is the gas dryer, which dries well enough and fast as long as the vent hose is not connected. This however makes the laundry room like a lint-filled sauna. But when we reattach the hose it's like there is not enough air flow and things don't get dry unless we run two cycles. We have tried a couple of different hoses, cleaned the lint accumulation from inside the dryer and checked the wall to make sure the vent to the outside is open. Still stumped!
It is not in the budget to buy a new set nor to call a repair man. I am supporting a family of 4 on just my income so every penny counts. But I am not afraid to get my hands dirty and take things apart. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated

Answer 1

too bad you can't take them for a test drive before you buy them thru the classifieds. also, sorry to hear about the troubles. i wish you had told us what brand these appliances were, it might help narrow down the possibilities of what the problem is. also, there is a guy that gets on at night, appliance guy or tech, you may want to post your question again tonight. for now, i'll try to help. as far as the washer goes; usually the pump starts before the washer goes into the spin cycle to lower the water level, the timer turns the motor on to run the pump, if the washer pumps water out first, the timer should be o k. so then look at the belt; does it have any 'shape' burned into it? is it shiney? it could be worn if shiney. if it has a thin spot in the shape of a circle, that could be a pulley burn spot, that would indicate a bad water pump. either it has a bad bearing or something is stuck in it. the bad bearing would most often happen during the rinse cycle than the wash as it would be hot by then. if everything looks like it is working in the right order and the belt looks new, i would unplug the washer and remove the hose from the tub to the pump. check and see if anything is inside the hose, pump, or bottom of the tub, i'm thinking a sock, knee high panty hose sort of thing. you will want to have a pan when you do this to catch the water that will drain out of these parts. if this all checks out fine; try to wiggle the pulley on the top of the water pump, if it moves side to side, the bearing is bad. without knowing the brand of the washer, that's about as specific as i can be. as far as the dryer goes; DON"T RUN IT UNVENTED! that is how gas dryers vent the exhaust gases. i don't know how long the vent hose is to the outside, but it should be as straight and short of a run as possible. this is espessialy true with the white vinyl flex hoses. most dryers can only pump the exhaust about 30' maximum, less 5' for any elbow or turn. the best way would be to use solid aluminum pipes and elbows and duct tape the seams and connections. the next best would be flexible aluminum hose, and the vinyl would be last choice. good luck to you, and i hope this helps.

Answer 2

I don't know what part of the country you are from, but if the machines were left outside in the freezing cold it is very possible that freezing water expansion caused the pump, a hose or the water inlet valve to break. Look close at these areas. They are the points that water will remain in even after the washer pumps out.

The dryer does sound like an air flow problem. Standard 4" venting from a dryer should be around a 12' run with two 90 degree elbows (or bends). For each elbow you add subtract 2' of run. If there was a lot of build up of lint inside the dryer then you may have a lot of build up around the shroud of your blower wheel. Also some Maytag dryers have blower wheels that will round out on the motor shaft and will usually make a rumble sound when put under stress. (load) Good Luck!

Answer 3

On the washer if no leaks can be found in the hoses then you could have a bad waterpump and also there are some hoses underneath the washer attached to the pump one could be split. If the washer pumps water ok and I assume that it is then check hoses going to the pump closely and see if they are split. On the dryer. You probably have a buildup of lint inside the fan housing. This would be a squirrel cage type of fan which can be accessed by removing the back cover of the dryer and some disasembly will be required to see the problem. It is not difficult to do these things but it can be time consuming. Good luck and hope this helps you out.

Answer 4

It sounds like the washer is leaking somewhere around the pump. When it starts the spin cycle it also pumps the water out. I would pull the washer out, remove the back panel and watch it to locate the leak. Could be as simple as the hose connection. On the dryer, Most all dryers are limited as to the lenght of hose that can be used. The hose should be as straight as possible, clean and as short as possible. Solid ducting is better than flex hoses. Make sure the fan is clean and the internal duct between the lint screen and fan is clear also.

Answer 5

I have no idea about the washer, but my dryer used to be the same way. I vented it so many times in the house that my bathroom walls starting growing mildew. I called a repair man and was told that it wasn't drying because it was venting under the house. As soon as we vented it through the wall, the dryer worked fine. I hope this helps!

Answer 6

What brands of W/D? Check the fill valve on the washer. Some of the plastic parts become warped so that you may have to adjust the faucet flow(slow it down)to stop some of the splashing.Hope this helps and Good Luck! ;-)=

Answer 7

You should not run your dryer if the hose isn't vented properly!
The dusty particles, and dryer fluff is really bad for your to breath!
I know form experience.My daughter got really bad lung infection from a situation close to yours.
Good luck, i wish i could help!!!
It would be great if clothes could wash themselves!

Answer 8

Washing machine barrel does not have a good seat agitator will be loose. dryer hose has to much of a kink in it not getting enough air flow.

Answer 9

How large is the load? Many times if you put too much in it it will overflow from the tub leaking water all over. Try a smaller load and see what happens.
Dry tube is clogged along the way.

Answer 10

Water pump is gone