How to unscrew the filter in a washing machine if it won’t come out

This item washing machine protects the pump from debris and foreign objects. Items can end up in the washing tub with small objects that can get caught in the hose. For the pump to work properly, it must be kept in order and cleaned regularly. How to unscrew the filter in a washing machine and what to do if you can’t do it - this is discussed in detail in the article.

How to detect the problem

Although regular cleaning should be done, many washing machine owners forget about it. In this situation, a blockage occurs that will prevent the machine from continuing to operate.

Modern washing machines such as Indesit or Atlant, are equipped with a built-in diagnostic system that can determine the cause of the failure:

1. If the pump is clogged, it may indicate that the problem is in the drain system. This problem is visually manifested in the fact that water stops flowing from the tank.
2. It is possible that drainage occurs, but very slowly and unevenly. In this case, the water will not flow out completely. As a result, the diagnostic system stops the washing mashine. In this case, you can hear the noise that is made during operation.Sometimes knocking sounds are heard if foreign objects get there.

Possible problems

If the need arises deal with the drain snail, it must first be disconnected. After the owner of the washing machine tries to do this, the following may happen:

1. When you try to unscrew the drain filter, it remains completely motionless.
2. It begins to scroll, but after it has gone through a quarter of a turn, the rotation stops and it is impossible to move it any further.
3. Sometimes it unscrews completely, but despite this it is impossible to pull it out.

Causes

The inability to unscrew the filter cap for cleaning has its reasons:

1. Often a malfunction occurs due to the presence of foreign objects. This could be, for example, hair, wool or buttons.
2. A rarer reason is due to a faulty thread. If scale forms on it, this prevents the ability to open the lid.

Solution

If you have difficulty extracting it, there are methods that can help in this situation.

Using Tools

It is possible that if enough force is applied, the hole can be opened. For this purpose, you can, for example, use pliers.

Knock

There is a chance that debris that is clogged in this part may move and allow it to open. To do this, you need to unplug the machine and remove the water from it.

After this, you need to tilt the washer back 45 degrees. This must be done in such a way that the hole is located on the side that is on top. You need to tap it with your hand. In this situation, there is a chance that small objects will move down and no longer prevent the lid from opening.

Dismantling

In this case, you will have to first solve the problem disconnect the drain pump. This option is much more complex than the others. However, it is also more effective. It makes sense to use this in situations where another method could not solve the problem.

It is recommended to resort to this method in cases where the owner of the washing machine knows what he is doing. If there are concerns that something will go wrong, then it is better to invite a specialist from the service to carry out repairs.

There are several ways to disconnect the pump. But first you need to gain access. For top-loading machines, this can be easily done by opening the left or right wall, depending on the brand of the washing machine.

Access through the bottom

In some washing machine models, the bottom of the machine is not closed or can easily be opened. To work, you need to unplug the machine and drain the water from it. Then it is either laid on its side or positioned at an angle of 45 degrees. In the latter case, it is recommended to rest the device against a wall. The pump can be easily detected because it is connected to the drain.

In some brands, the bottom is open, but access to the part is blocked by a steel bar. This design, for example, is provided in Bosch brand washing machines.

If the Aquastop system is provided, which protects the device from leaks, then it will not be possible to gain access to the drain pump in this way. This is due to the fact that there is a system sensor at the bottom of the washer.

Through the back wall

The designs of some brands of washing machines provide for the location of the drain pump next to the rear wall. In this case, you can unscrew the 4 screws that support it and remove it.

Through the front wall

Sometimes it is not possible to use other methods. In this case, the problem can be solved by disconnecting the front wall.

In order to gain access, you must perform the following steps:

1. The top panel needs to be removed.
2. It may be necessary to remove the clamp used to secure the door.
3. In some cases, it may be necessary to remove the hopper that is intended for detergents.
4. It is necessary to remove the control panel by unscrewing the screws that hold it in place.
5. The fastening screws securing the hatch locking device are unscrewed.

After the above steps have been completed, it becomes possible to remove the front facade. It is usually secured with 3-4 screws. Two of them are usually located at the bottom. They can be covered with a lower panel-bar, which will first need to be removed. The remaining screws can be positioned in different ways depending on the brand of washing machine.

Cleaning

To unscrew and clean the pump you need to access it first. This procedure can be applied to almost any brand of washing machine, for example, Kandy or Ariston. You will need to do the following:

1. The power supply wires must be disconnected from the pump.
2. You need to place a rag or bowl under the part. This is due to the fact that water may leak during disassembly.
3. The pipe attached between the drain tank and the pump must be disconnected from the latter by removing the fastening clamp.
4. At this stage of disassembly, you can try to clean the inside of the cochlea from foreign objects. There is a chance that in this way you can remove objects and debris that are blocking. If this can be done, then now it will be enough to unscrew it. If not, you need to continue disassembling the pump further.
5. Now you need to remove the clamp that secures the connection of the drain hose to the pump. Now the latter needs to be removed from the snail.
6. Now it is possible to disconnect the pump unit from the washing machine body. The mounting screws that need to be removed can be installed on the side wall next to the cover or on the bottom of the structure.
7. After disconnecting the pump structure, it is necessary to disconnect the volute from the pump. Sometimes it is attached using a latch and other times it can be done using screws. In order to disconnect, you need to unscrew the screws or rotate the part so that the latch comes out of the grooves.

After disassembly, cleaning must be done. After this, you can easily unscrew its lid.

If the described methods do not help

The methods described here work in most cases. However, there are situations when nothing can be done.In this case, if it does not unscrew, you can try using several other methods:

1. You can try to clean the glass and its threads from rust without removing this part. To do this, you need to fill the tank with water and dissolve one or two spoons of citric acid in it. Then you need to start a short wash cycle at a temperature of 40-60 degrees. As a result, a composition will pass through the filter that will clean this part from rust.
2. If the lid does not open due to the fact that lime has been deposited on the thread, then cleaning the filter will not help. In this case, the filter glass, which was previously disconnected, must be placed in a container with a solution of citric acid in water. This composition will dissolve the lime and make it possible to unscrew the lid.
3. If nothing helps, then you can buy a similar lid, break the old one. It is made of plastic and can be easily broken off without damaging the filter glass. After that, you need to insert a new lid in its place. If the thread was damaged during this operation, the part will leak after that. In this case, you will have to change the filter.
4. If you do not want to mess around with breaking off the cover, you can buy a new filter and install it instead of the old unit.

Conclusion

If you regularly clean the filter, there will be no need to disassemble it for this. Usually, clogging occurs after this part has not been cleaned for several months.