Appliance Help?

[Lawdwaz]

OK guys & gals............Long story short, our 17 year old washing machine is toast.  Somehow at the same time the laundry tubs got plugged the washing machine (in the middle of a load) decided to quit.  I'm not sure if the plugged drain has anything to do with the washing machine but either way,  the sink is clear and the WM is junk.

So I drained the WM and pulled the hoses off.  As I pulled them off, I noticed some white "chips" in the end of the hose then a shiit load in the screened inlets of both the hot & cold sides.  Turns out they aren't all white, they almost look like big sand particles??

Years ago we had a hot water tank that had a "dip tube" inside that failed and white plastic particles came out of the tank and clogged our sink strainers.  I never knew that the washing machine had strainers.............

I replaced the hot water tank a few years ago so all this crud should be old news??  It's a wonder ANY water got through the strainers.

Also, the galvanized water lines were replaced with copper (all but the pipes going to the second floor) a couple years ago.

Any ideas other than the dip tube and galvanized pipe issues what may have caused this???  Thanks for your thoughts......

[GreeneHunter]

City water or well water ? I have two whole house filters on my water (well water) to take any particles out (shallow well) and a charcoal filter to take any taste out . Perhaps installing a whole house filter or two would help the situation !  They do not involve any chemicals and are easily changed every two or three months !

[philoshop]

Just a guess here, but it looks like whatever chemicals the local water treatment plant is using. Around here we have chlorine and that kind of gunk is pure white. Not enough chemical to smell or taste but it can seriously screw things up, especially in hot water situations. I have all pex except for the bronze meter and 50 or so feet of copper pipe from the road that I tied into. I still had a problem with absolute flow stoppage a couple of years ago. Hot tap, nothing. Not even a trickle. Cold tap worked fine. I spent a day  working on the hot water tank and related piping with an air compressor and wet/dry shop-vac to get the system up and running again. 

Assuming you don't want to take the machine apart I don't know what to tell you other than maybe let it dry out and try a tight-fitting seal on a shop-vac to get the gunk out? Appliances are not my strong point.

And like GreeneHunter just said, filtration for the future?

 

[wooly]

Could be you got a chipmunk living in your water lines...

Try moving the WH away from the bird feeder, or vice versa,lol

[Lawdwaz]

Still waiting on an expert review.

Edited May 25, 2018 by Lawdwaz

[dbHunterNY]

i've got copper line in a house not that old and a whole house filter system. still got flaky chips caught in screens for things including my washing machine. it's from build up and flaking in your lines. just happens in think.  with heating systems i know they clean pipes out with acid type of solution periodically.  all this is with well water. still have to think public water isn't filtered pure either. you should be cleaning them out once in a great while regardless. no expert though.

[landtracdeerhunter]

 SC are $90/ HR. LOL. Plugged inlet screens would just make the tube fill up slower. Any electrical function happening in the WM. Like motor running, buzzing, humming, Timer clicking?

Edited May 25, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[landtracdeerhunter]

3 hours ago, dbHunterNY said:

i've got copper line in a house not that old and a whole house filter system. still got flaky chips caught in screens for things including my washing machine. it's from build up and flaking in your lines. just happens in think.  with heating systems i know they clean pipes out with acid type of solution periodically.  all this is with well water. still have to think public water isn't filtered pure either. you should be cleaning them out once in a great while regardless. no expert though.

 Flaky chips. Caustic soda is added to city water supply to seal leaks.  I don't think carbon filters can remove it.

[silent death]

Was kicked out of the laundry room the first year we wer married that was 18 years ago sense then all appliances are bought with extended warrantys shit get expensive ...I HATE LOWES last time I was in there dropped 4800$ on new appliances that was the  last time I fall for that trick from the wife......in all seriousness is there a way you can have a plumper get in there with a pipe camera ...I know they can do that with sewer pipes maybe something broke

Edited May 25, 2018 by silent death