Washing Machine Locked Door Problem and How to Fix It

Troubleshooting Why The Washing Machine Door is Locked and Won’t Open

The simple solutions to a problem are usually the best. When you’re troubleshooting why the washing machine door is locked and won’t open look at these possibilities first. You can save yourself a lot of money on costly and unnecessary repairs if you investigate the problem yourself first.

There May Be Something Caught in The Locking Mechanism If Your Washer Door is Locked

Every once in a while we get lucky and there’s a simple solution to what seems like a major problem. That may be the case if you find that your washing machine won’t open. If your door is stuck on lock it may be that something’s caught in the mechanism.

It should be fairly easy to confirm that a foreign object is the cause if it is the problem. It could be clothes in the way or it may be something that was in a pocket. If you can see the object try gently wiggling it from side to side — you don’t want to pull on it too hard as you may permanently damage the locking mechanism.

You May Have A Faulty Door Lock If Your Washer Won’t Unlock

More often than not, there’s something more serious going on than a piece of clothing wedged in the mechanism that’s keeping your washing machine door locked. If the door lock itself is broken or jammed in the locked position it can be a frustrating experience for a homeowner.

On some machines, there may be a manual release mechanism that will allow you to override the problem temporarily. The user manual that came with your appliance should have a troubleshooting section that will help you figure out how to use the work around. If you can’t find your physical copy of the manual there should be one available online on your appliance manufacturers website.

If The Pressure Switch Is Broken Your Washing Machine Door Won’t Open

In modern washing machines, there is a pressure switch at the top of the machine if it’s a top load machine or near the front if it’s a front load machine. This switch tells the machine where the water level is at and in some models, the door lock will not release if the pressure switch is faulty as the signal the machine is receiving is that it’s still full of water.

You can override this feature by unplugging your machine. It may take a few minutes, but once the locking mechanism has had a chance to cool down you should be able to open the door on your machine. The pressure switch will need to be replaced in the near future though.

How To Fix A Washing Machine Door Not Opening

How to Tell If The Door Lock is Broken When Your Washing Machine Won’t Unlock

Now that we know that there are some different reasons for why a washer door lock might be stuck, how do we know if the lock itself is broken or if something else is at the root of the issue? The easiest way to figure this out is to eliminate some of the other potential reasons you can’t open your locked washing machine.

If you’ve considered everything else and you still can’t unlock your washer door the lock itself is probably broken. On basic machine’s it may be possible to change the lock yourself if you are good at these types of projects, but some machines have advanced locking mechanisms — if this is the case we recommend contacting Fix Appliances for help with washer door lock problems.

Knowing When It’s Time for Professional Help When Your Washing Machine Door Won’t Open

Most of us are reluctant to admit that we can’t solve a problem on our own and that’s an admirable quality. At some point though we have to admit to ourselves that the issue is a little more complex than we expected it to be. If you’ve done your homework, looked at the manufacturer’s manual that came with your unit and you still can’t get that washing machine door to open then it’s probably time to reach out for professional help.

Call Fix Appliances When Your Washer Door is Locked and Won’t Open

When your washer door’s lock is stuck. We’re available in your local area when you need us for any type of repair including a lock that’s broken on your washing machine. There are some simple considerations that will help you know when it’s time to call for professional help. We recommend you call us for a service call when:

• A repair requires expert technical knowledge
• Your door locking mechanism is triggered using switches or electronic components
• When you’re not confident in your own do-it-yourself capabilities
• If you’ve tried to fix the broken lock yourself and it’s still not working

Our technicians are constantly upgrading their skills to keep up with the latest changes and modifications to appliances so you can be confident we have the skills to get the job done reliably and quickly. Fix Appliances has more than 15 years of industry experience and in that time we’ve seen just about everything you can think of.

We believe it’s the combination of up to date knowledge and long term experience that gives us an edge you can benefit from. So next time you’re confronted by a washing machine lock that refuses to open contact Fix Appliances at 1-888-242-0777 or visit our website. We’re ready to get started when you are!