My Washing Machine Won’t Finish Its Cycle

There are various and complex causes for your washing machine to stop mid-cycle and it is always better to be safe and call for assistance if solving the problem is beyond your abilities. The experienced repair technicians at Appliance Experts can diagnose and fix the problem quickly and correctly. 

Your appliance stopping mid cycle could be caused by a fault with the machine’s timer.  If you have an older model of washing machine then it’s not uncommon for them to stick every so often. However, if you have a more modern washer then it will likely just abort the cycle instead, your appliance may also display an error code.

If you check your washing machine’s manual then you may be able to get a better idea about the cause of the problem. Look out for flashing lights as well as some washers will have a fault light, or may flash when they run into a problem.

If you don’t have any error codes or flashing lights or you have an older model of washing machine without those features then you may still be able to identify the problem and fix it. Or at the very least you will be able to narrow the list of causes down.

Possible Causes

One common issue that can cause a washing machine’s cycle to stop is the heater to stop working properly. To test this set your washer on a cycle and monitor it every so often, if the cycle stops within the first 30 minutes then the water likely isn’t getting sufficiently heated.

If your appliance shuts off after 30 minutes then the very opposite could be the problem. Overheating can cause your machine to not start-up as well as cancel its self during a cycle. There’s a variety of possible causes for this with the most common being a faulty thermistor.

Trying to fix these issues yourself is going to be very difficult without experience so if you notice either of the above happening with your appliance then your best option is to get a Repair Aid washing machine technician in. Another thing to look out for is left over water.

Drainage Problems

If the washing machine doesn’t drain properly then something blocking the pump could have caused the washer to stop mid cycle. If you can identify the cause of the block and rectify it then your washer may start working again. To find out more about how to identify and remove blocks from your washer you can check our blog post.

General overheating is again a possible cause for your washer to stop mid-cycle, many washing machines have built-in sensors. And if they detect your appliance is getting too hot it will simply shut down, while this can be an issue with the thermistor it could also simply be because your appliance has not been given enough time to cool down between washes.

So, if your washer does stop mid cycle then give it a few hours to cool down and try again, if it shuts off again then a problem with the thermistor is looking more likely. If it works then your washer may have just needed time to cool down.

Finally, you should also check the timer dial even in more modern digital washers the dial can still fail. So, try playing about with different cycles to see what happens, the good news is that timer dials are usually easy to replace for more modern appliances. It is always the best idea to get a qualified Repair Aid engineer to complete any work you need done.

Can Leaks Cause This Problem?

There’s some debate whether leaks can cause your washer to cancel a cycle. So, can it? Well, the answer is sometimes, it really depends on the model of the washer. Some will abort if they detect a leak and some won’t, but if you can fix the leak then it may fix the problem.

However, fixing a leak on a washer may not always be possible depending on its location and its severity. You can find out more about how to fix a leak on your washing machine on our separate blog article. Once the leak is patched try putting your clothes through another cycle and seeing what happens.

Other Possible Causes

If you don’t get any error codes and your appliance seems cool enough then the problem could be to do with a faulty connection. This is tricky to diagnosis without the right experience and tools but if your washer suddenly stops at the last minute of a cycle or sticks for hours at a time then bad connectivity is most likely going to be the problem.

While unplugging your appliance can sometimes solve this problem if it is a connectivity issue then it might just happen again. So, if you suspect a problem with your electrics then your best option is to call in a Appliance Experts engineer.