the wonderful world of old washer machines

[Abe Pazos]

hi

the sensor in the door of my old washer machine just broke.

do you think I could join two of the cables so
it believes that the door is always closed?

there are three cables: one red, a double blue cable and a
white one with green stripes. picture here:

http://www.hamoid.com/i/washermachine.jpg

the machine otherwise works (i know because lately it was
only working when i was "shaking" this sensor a little bit,
but the trick now stopped working)

thanks!

aBe

 

[Abe Pazos]

I tried looking for the part on the net but I guess it's too old.
The machine is a Siemens Siwamat 266.

I thought about the security issue, but I'm very methodic and
live on my own, so no one would open it while operating.

I just thought I could fix it temporarily like this until I find
a better solution (new part or machine).

Thanks!

Abe

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

hi

the sensor in the door of my old washer machine just broke.

do you think I could join two of the cables so
it believes that the door is always closed?

there are three cables: one red, a double blue cable and a
white one with green stripes. picture here:

http://www.hamoid.com/i/washermachine.jpg

the machine otherwise works (i know because lately it was
only working when i was "shaking" this sensor a little bit,
but the trick now stopped working)

While it should be possible to figure out how to defeat the sensor,
this really isn't a wise thing to do from a standpoint of SAFETY.

It should be possible to determine the type and obtain a suitable
replacement. Unable to tell from the photo.

The original part may also be available from a parts distributor - there
are many Web sites that will even help you find the correct part by
model, description, or photo.

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[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

Yes you can fix the washer like this. I "repaired" my old Maytag like this a
few years back and all has been well ever since. The original switch was
impossible to get at without significant disassembly and seemingly even
harder to obtain another.

Safety is a concern, but I don't think defeating the safety switch is a
problem if you don't have little kids or anyone (anything?) else who will
reach into the machine while it may be spinning.

William

 

[Steve Kraus]

Used to be that the washers would interlock out the spin clutch only. Now
it seems like they interlock everything so you can't even watch it wash.
What do kids do for fun nowadays?

By-pass it...use ordinary care...and enjoy your new home entertainment
center.

 

[Asimov]

"Steve Kraus" bravely wrote to "All" (28 Apr 04 02:15:47)
--- on the heady topic of "Re: the wonderful world of old washer machines"

SK> Subject: Re: the wonderful world of old washer machines

SK> Used to be that the washers would interlock out the spin clutch only.
SK> Now it seems like they interlock everything so you can't even watch it
SK> wash. What do kids do for fun nowadays?

SK> By-pass it...use ordinary care...and enjoy your new home entertainment
SK> center.

For kids, a front loader that locks is a GOOD thing!

.... Hey kids! Get the fisher price meat-factory! Fluffy in, burgers out!

 

[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

Used to be that the washers would interlock out the spin clutch only. Now
it seems like they interlock everything so you can't even watch it wash.

Some *really* cheap machines may not lock out during the fill cycle. I saw a
Hotpoint washer that wasn't very old that would happily fill with water with
the lid up. Of course it shut down if you opened it while it was spinning. I
guess you are allowed to have only so much fun these days... :-D

A while back the lid switch on my 70's-something Maytag broke. I looked to
see if another from a different Maytag could have been subbed in. I could
have done so with no problems, but the switch is very difficult to get at.
So I just wired around it. Now the machine will run with the lid open or
shut. Wiring around the switch also solved the problem of the load balance
cutoff switch being on a hair trigger. The machine will now run no matter
how out of balance the load is.

What do kids do for fun nowadays?

Watch TV. Listen to the radio. Maybe they even go outside. Of course, with
today's programming you could almost say that there is more variety in
watching the washing machine run as opposed to the radio or TV.

By-pass it...use ordinary care...and enjoy your new home entertainment
center.

Great fun...possibly even educational in some way, but do be careful if you
bypass the safety switch. A washer is a very powerful machine once it gets
up and spinning at full speed. It could hurt you badly in a hurry if you are
careless.

William