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Maytag Front-Loader Q & A

 

              

 

The Neptune & Epic washers by Maytag are wonderful products that will give you many years of energy-saving performance.  Below are some suggestions and a few common usage questions which may benefit you in the future:

 

 

Won't Spin

 The presence of excess suds in the machine may cause the machine to stop or skip the spin. Excess suds are created by using regular laundry soap instead of HE detergent. Also, the door must latch positively for the unit to spin. Checking the latch assembly and other spin issues are printed on a nice pamphlet in the top console.

If the console is opened, you'll see a rather large circuit board on the back panel. Look closely at this circuit board for any sign of burned resistors, especially at the R-11 resistor. If it appears burned, you may also have a problem with the door latch mechanism. If the door does not properly lock, the machine cannot spin, and in turn causes the circuit board to overheat. In this case, you would replace both  the wax motor and the board. 

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Won't Tumble or Spin

If the motor doesn't run at all, whether in the wash or rinse cycle, chances are the motor control board has failed. This can be verified by removing the front panel and then removing the 2 screws holding the motor control board on the lower right side of the cabinet floor. Usually, the inline fuse will be visibly blown, or there may be scorched components on the board itself. The fuse is not replaceable. A new motor control board is in order.

 

What does suds have to do with the spin ?

Excess suds can sink down and cause a sort of air-lock in the pump. We refer to this as "suds-lock". The Neptune is programmed to remove the water from the tub in a certain amount of time. If a malfunction should occur, such as a blocked pump or other problem, the onboard computer (machine control) shuts the cycle down. This is a good safety measure in order to protect the unit from further damage.

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Why can't I use regular detergent in the Front-Loader ?

Regular detergent was made specifically for top-loading machines. Top loading machines use an agitator to move the clothes thru the water. Top loading washers also hold up to 35 gallons of water. Today's front-loader uses an average of 4 gallons of water, instead of 35, in the wash cycle. This means that you have a lot less water into which you are concentrating all that soap! For this reason, detergent manufacturers have had to develop a detergent specifically for this type of service. It is called "High Energy" detergent, and is now available in several brand names. People who were originally sensitive to perfumed detergents may use HE products, since they rinse away much better than standard formulas.

If you feel you must use a special detergent on occasion, such as Dreft for babies, just use 1/4 of the normal amount you would use in a top loader. If you DO use regular soap occasionally, it is very important to perform the cleaning procedures mentioned below.

 

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What's so special about H.E. Detergent ?

High energy detergent (H.E.) is formulated to produce maximum efficiency in low water conditions. It has softeners and rinse agents built into it which allows for a cleaner rinsing action from the machine. It has been found that regular detergents are responsible for mold and odors in front-loading washers since they do not rinse away well, and the use of H.E. detergents will prevent such issues to a better degree.  HE detergents used to be hard to find when the front-loaders first appeared, but with the popularity of the front-load design, the HE detergents have become easier to obtain.

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Monthly Cleaning Procedures

These are some new maintenance procedures for the Front-Loader which will help with odor issues. This procedure should be done every 2 months, unless you are in a hard water area. In this case, do this monthly:

1. Toss 1 cup of powdered Cascade or Sunlight dishwasher POWDER detergent into the tub. (no gels or liquids)

2. Add 1 cup of Bleach to detergent dispenser fill area   (not into bleach cup).

3. Set the water temp to HOT and start a quick wash cycle.

4. Let the unit go thru the entire wash and rinse cycles to allow all residue to wash out.

5. To complete the cleaning routine, always remove any lint buildup from the front spinner cover using the accessory brush tool  for the Neptune. This tool may also work for other front loaders as well, and comes with a sample pack of dishwasher powder for your first treatment.

There is also a new product out from Whirlpool which will remove odors and buildup from your H.E. washer, and it comes as an easy to use tablet form. For more info, click here.

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Getting technical advice-

As a master technician, specializing in all major brands, I can offer you help with problems which arise on my appliance help forum.  Usually, I can resolve your problem, plus offer you the necessary part to do the job.  Many problems can be resolved without parts, so getting the right information can be valuable!

More information on the Neptune series is on the Maytag.com website. You can request literature and register your products online. I highly encourage you to visit their site for other tips and info.

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Machine squawks and squeaks during wash-

This is usually due to a worn drive belt or worn motor isolators. There is an easy to install belt kit for just this problem, and you can likely do this yourself and save a fortune! For more info, click here.

 

 

 

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