Why Is My Washer Slow To Fill?
Over time you may find that they lose their ability to clean your clothes and, eventually, stop working entirely.
One of the most common complaints about washing machines is that they are getting increasingly slow to fill.
If you can diagnose the reason for this problem, you may be able to fix it.
A washing machine that is slow to fill can be an incredible inconvenience.
While the true inconvenience of the situation may not sink in at first, over time it will be much more apparent.
For one thing, the slower your machine is to fill, the longer it will take to do the laundry.
Your clothes will not be ready when you expect them to be and this can throw off your preparations for a number of important events.
To make matters worse, a slow filling washing machine is often less effective than one that is working properly.
Because it takes longer to fill, the water can end up being much more dirty than you might hope and your clothes could end up considerably less clean than you are used to.
Diagnosing a slow-filling washing machine can be difficult, but there are a number of common causes that you can check for.
Some of the most common parts to stop working are the water-inlet valve screens.
These screens often get clogged with sediment buildup.
Cleaning the screens and protecting from future build-up by softening your water can help your machine run much more smoothly.
If you suffer from hard water, the water hose and faucet screens can also be clogged with sediment.
If you find that you are having problems with your water-inlet valve, it is a good idea to check these areas as well, since hard water problems tend to affect numerous parts of your washing machine.
Make sure, however, that you turn off the faucets before checking.
A worn water valve can also cause your machine to fill slowly.
Water valves wear naturally over time and replacing the valve can be a simple fix to the problem.
Simply check the valve and look for signs of wear.
If you see the signs, replace the part.
The problem may not lie with your washing machine at all.
If you are running hot water for laundry loads, the problem may lie with your hot water heater.
If your water heater is slow to run, or has a low capacity, it may not be filling your washer quickly enough.
If you suffer from hard water, various parts on your heater can also become clogged.
There are many things that could be causing your washing machine to fill slowly.
That said, most of the causes of slow filling are easy to diagnose and inexpensive to fix.
All it takes is a bit of detective work.