hotpoint wf440 fill problem?

[andy1020]

Hi folks,
the pre wash light has started flashing on our wf440. (from the start of any cycle my wife says) It's freezing at the rinse & spin stage. Wash is ok. I managed to force it to continue by pouring a few jugfulls of water into the soap drawer. It then rinsed & span fine. (including draining fine.) Tested it on a rinse & spin only cycle- same thing happened.

Reading other posts this suggests it's the solenoid valve? Does this machine have 2 valves- 1 for wash & 1 for rinse so the rinse 1 must be gone??

Thing that confuses me is that once I get it to start going again it then seems to get water in ok (still on the rinse cycle). I can hear (and feel) the water going in the (cold) inlet hose, suggesting the solenoid valve is letting water in..

Is there anything else it's likely to be? I haven't cleaned the filter yet but intend to. It seems to drain ok though. (I don't want to pull out the machine more times than i need to with my recently laid lino I'm trying not to rip...!)
Thanks for any help, need to get it sorted with 3 kids & tons of washing..!
Andy.

 

[fidom]

Hi Andy,
That will be the 2nd light in the display, making it fault code f04 light 2. pressure switch stuck on empty. You need to check the pressure vessel, tubing and pressure switch. Unplug, remove lid and lower back panel. The pressure switch is the round device with a thin tube running down to the bottom of the drum. The component at the bottom of the tube is the pressure vessel, which could be blocked with soap residue. If it is clear you need to remove the tube and examine it for holes. If the tube is OK, reconnect it to the pressure switch and blow down it. When you blow you should hear a click and another when you release the pressure.

 

[andy1020]

cheers, fantastic, that makes sense... will give it a go today and let you know.
thanks.

 

[andy1020]

cleaned the filter, took off the pressure sensor, blew it and got the click on & off no prob.

Now 99% sure it's the rinse solenoid valve. I took the plug on the solenoid valve (which conveniently stops you swapping the plugs round..!) and put the plug for the rinse valve onto the wash valve and then when rinse was turned on it worked fine and turned on the wash solenoid.

Now have a question: I'm considering wiring both the wash and the rinse solenoid valves together, or to be exact connecting the wiring from the rinse valve to the wash valve. i know the water then doesn't go through the fabric conditioner copmpartment but we can live with that for £25 for the valve...! Does anyone know if this will damage the machine (ie: the circuit board?) any guesses?

cheers, Andy.

 

[fidom]

I think Crum & Sons have a retail shop in Glasgee, they would have the solenoid valve in stock. The solenoid coil can be pulled off so I usually change just the coil but you have to buy the whole cold valve.