Wholesale Matting

Is there any way to clear sand/grit/debris thats blocking my washing machine?

I stupidly put a door mat in my washing machine and it has clogged the machine up with what i can only describe as a gritty, sandy and straw-like substance. The machine gave up halfway through the cycle and i had to manually empty it. When i run the cycle now it only drains really slowly but despite checking everywhere for blockages i am unable to find where its blocked. To start with there was no water coming through the filter even when the drum was full of water so i assumed the blockage was above the filter but after running many cycles it now passes through the filter and drains out painfully slow (trickle rather than gush!) When i set it to drain and hold the pipe over the sink the gritty sandy stuff is coming out so i guess its only partially blocked. I've even tried blasting water up the drainage pipe and that makes it drain faster for the next cycle but then it seems to clog again so i'm assuming the sandy stuff is settling and causing the blockage so is there any way to flush it quicker than keep repeatedly running an empty washing machine? I have got an engineer booked for Monday but with this weather set to stay i am doubtful they will get to me and the washing pile is mounting!

Public Comments

1. if you have drained most of the water form the machine, you should check the lint trap first off. Sometimes they are under the cap of the center dasher column, and do not even look like a cap or trap! try gently twisting and lifting at the same time on the center top of the dasher column. If empty enough, you might be able to slide it forward, UNPLUG it form the wall, and remove the back cover. Take a look at the pipes and rubber tubes in the bottom at the pump. You ought to be able to undo the hose to drain and flush it a bit and get most of the bits and grit out of the line. You can try a wet/dry shop vac too at this end. You have to hope that you have not damaged the pump. Re-connect the hose, and try a cycle with low setting and just water. You might have a look here for their do it yourself section, and how the things work http://www.anglia-electrics.co.uk/index.html
2. Try holding the drain pipe as low as possible and shake the machine whilst it is draining .If you remove one adjusting wheel completely you should be able to rock the machine quite easily. Because of the blockage there is not enough water flow to move the sand and with the vibration of the machine this sand water mix can compact and become a solid lump. gentle rocking and laying the discharge pipe flat on the ground should loosen the sand and allow it to flow out of the pipe .There are various sensor pipes that tell the machine the correct water levels have been achieved these may have become clogged with sand as well . Be very careful when opening a machine as there are bare terminals and some motors have capacitors that hold a high charge and can kill even if the machine is not plugged in.Gentle rocking and a low level discharge pipe are the quickest way but still may take some time,
3. take the pump off and clean