Zanussi washing machine does not drain or spin
The famous Zanussi brand washing machines are considered quite reliable, however, this equipment has its weaknesses, and these weaknesses appear, as always, at the most inopportune moment. If your Zanussi washing machine does not spin or drain the water, it is very likely that one of these weaknesses has manifested itself. What breakdowns cause problems with draining and spinning Zanussi washing machines and how to fix these breakdowns? Let's talk about this in the article.
Most common reasons
Where to start looking for the reason why the Zanussi washing machine refuses to drain water and spin clothes? 
You need to start with the simplest and most obvious, which does not require disassembling the washing machine, and then, gradually, move on to more complex and rare causes. Let's start with the garbage filter. We unscrew it and check for dirt and foreign objects. This should be done even if you clean the filter regularly, since socks and other small items often get caught there during washing.
If you don’t find anything in the garbage filter, disconnect the Zanussi washing machine from the network, water supply and sewerage, take it out to a free place, where it will be convenient to disassemble it. Turn the washer around backwards and remove the back wall. Check how well the belt is tensioned.
Remember! A loose belt can cause problems with draining and spinning. This is a common problem with Zanussi washing machines, so the belt is checked immediately after the garbage filter.
If everything is in order with the belt, put the back wall of the machine in place and do the following.
- Take out the powder tray.
- We place the Zanussi washing machine on its left side.
- If your model has a bottom, then unscrew it; if there is no bottom, then we immediately get access to the nodes we need.
- The most accessible parts from the bottom of the washing machine are the pump and drain pipe. Loosen the clamps, remove the pipe, and then remove the pump. Before pulling off the pipe, place a rag under its base to prevent any remaining water from getting on the electrics.
- We inspect the pipe for stuck things and blockages, disassemble the pump and carefully examine the impeller. If the slightest damage is detected, the impeller must be changed; if it is not possible to change only the impeller, we replace the entire drain pump.
- If you find no mechanical damage to the drain pump, you need to check its electrical system. Using a multimeter, we measure the resistance. If the device display shows 0 or 1, the pump is broken.
Engine and tachometer
Having removed and checked the pump with the pipe, we can also get to the motor and tachometer through the bottom of the Zanussi washing machine to check their functionality. We pull off the drive belt, disconnect the tachometer wires, unscrew the bolts holding the engine “in the claws,” and remove the engine. You can check the motor without removing it, but this is too cumbersome.
Washing machines of the Zanussi brand are mainly equipped with inexpensive commutator motors, which in turn can wear out the brushes. We unscrew the bolts holding the brushes in the housing and remove them. If the brushes are worn out at least partially, they need to be replaced with new ones. We arm ourselves with a multimeter again and check the resistance of the tachometer and the motor winding. To do this, the motor housing will have to be partially disassembled.
When you install the motor in place, do not forget to screw it properly and connect the wires.
Pressostat
If the Zanussi washing machine “does not want” to drain the water and spin out the laundry, it is possible that the water level sensor is to blame, especially considering that you have already checked the belt, pump and motor with tachometer. The pressure switch is located in the upper part of the body of the Zanussi washing machine, which means you have to put it back on its feet and remove the top cover. Under the lid, you can almost immediately notice a plastic device that looks like a washer with a tube, to which a box is attached at the bottom - this is a pressure switch.
We remove the water level sensor, remembering to unhook the wires from it, and check its tube. Often the pressure switch tube becomes clogged with water stone, causing the device to stop functioning. If so, just clean the tube and everything will work. If the tube is clean, check the electrical part of the pressure switch. We set up the device we used earlier to check the resistance and check the contacts of the pressure switch. 0 or 1 on the display will indicate a malfunction of the water level sensor.
Electrical or electronics?
Having checked all the above sensors and units and not finding the cause of the problem, we continue our thorough check of the Zanussi washing machine. At this stage, we must carefully inspect all terminals, contacts and wires, marking all suspicious elements with a marker. Usually there are several such electrical elements, you have to change everything, hoping that this is the cause of the problem. If replacing the wires does not produce results, most likely the problem lies in the control module.
Problems in the electronic part of the washing machine are the most insidious; they can only be detected at home if some semiconductor parts have burned out and the malfunction has become visually noticeable.What to do if you have reasonable suspicions that the Zanussi washing machine does not spin or drain water due to the control board? There can be only one answer - you need to contact a qualified specialist. Do-it-yourself repairs may make the problem worse.
To repair the control module, you must first detect a faulty triac, then remove it correctly without damaging the track, and then solder a similar part. Without experience working with electronics, it is impossible to do this accurately.
In conclusion, we note that the Zanussi washing machine stops draining water and spinning clothes for a number of reasons. Which of these reasons occurs in your case cannot be predicted, so you will have to scrupulously check all suspicious details in accordance with the instructions described in the article. If you are interested in the reasons for such breakdowns in washing machines of other brands, read the article The washing machine does not drain water, how to fix it? Good luck!
Interesting:
8 reader comments
My door is locked
If it doesn’t drain, unscrew the bottom plug, turn on the machine, start the spin cycle, look into the bottom plug, see the impeller, if it’s standing, push it with a screwdriver. If it spins and stops (this can happen several times), it means that the bushings in the pump are worn out and when turned on they are simply blocked electrically.field (they are not repaired, otherwise they work for a week and break down again). Replace the pump!!!
Useful advice!
Andrey you are a genius. Thank you, you saved me from total disassembly of the machine.
The machine turns off when washing. Zanussi ZWS1101. What to do? What should I do?
Thank you! Fixed it!
The rubber band broke where the water drains at the bottom of the Zanussi washing machine. Where can I get it?
Hello. I have a problem. The water does not drain. What could be the reason? It’s not clear about the spin cycle and I think for a long time.