Whirlpool Calypso Washing Machine

[carmine]

Hello to all... I'm an infrequent lurker, and an even more infrequent poster. If anyone goes to the old tv forums at Videokarma.org you may know me there...

A friend sold me a matching set of Calypso washer/dryer units. I was all excited to see how this thing worked, since I think the agitator-less part looks nifty. I hooked it up and tried it out without any clothes (inside the machine, I was wearing pants/shirt/shoes). It made water noises, and I saw water running through the dispenser thing, but nothing in the tub.

So I read the directions and it said you don't see any water in this thing above the "wash plate" (which if I am correct, is the bottom of the tub?!) I threw in a pair of old jeans and a beach towel, after I noticed there was no water level setting. Figured that maybe the computer-brain was weighing the non-existent clothes.

Still no water in the tub. So I took the damn lid off to defeat the safety switch (because unsafe is how I roll). Now I can watch the thing swish around, and although it looks like there is water behind the holes in the tub, the clothes remain dry. WTH?

Now I will admit, I didn't have it run for very long.. Maybe about 5 mins. I'm also sure the jeans/towel don't weigh that much. The goal is just to make sure this thing works before I go through all the hassle of installing it permanently.

I trust the friend and don't think he would have sold me a broken machine. What am I missing here?

 

[joe_in_philly]

It does not fill with water, just showers the load. Here is a video of one in action.

 

[combo52]

CALYSPO WASHER

There is a water pump that should be pouring a large stream of water over the clothes as it washes, it should be coming from the 1 oclock position of the tub cover. The same pump discharges the water out the drain hose, is the washer draining properly?

 

[carmine]

thanks for the quick answer... I'm going to try a few more pounds of clothes and will give it some extra time.

In the meantime, here's what it replaced. You tell me, maybe I did a bad thing, lol.

 

[aldspinboy]

Keep that pair !!!

Darren k.

 

[yogitunes]

Start you machine with a load in it......it has to weigh and sense something in there.....other wise it uses minimal water, and won't replenish unless a lot of the water is displaced, to keep the waterfall flowing

but yes, keep the GE's......their a keeper.....just store them in the garage, you may need them again.....

defeating the safety switch is done by all of us....just understand the computer must recieve info that the lid was phyically opened after the cycle to reset for the next, otherwise you will get LS error when you try to start the machine again......I put a little switch in-line and mounted to the back panel, so a quick flip allows me to view with the lid open, and allows the lid switch to reset also...

 

[DADoES]

 
There is no actual weight sensing of the load.  Fill level is controlled 100% by a water level pressure switch according to how much water is in the tub sump.  It should have a recirculation stream even with no clothes in the tub.  It fills more with clothes due to the load absorbing water, thus requiring more water to keep the sump at the proper level.

You won't see water rising up in the tub, the water level is *always* *below* the wash plate (unless the machine is malfunctioning and overfilling).  Only way to see water washing over the clothes is to watch it during recirculation.

If water is filling but there is no recirculation, then the pump is bad or clogged.  The same pump that produces the recirculation stream also drains the machine (it reverses direction) ... so if the pump doesn't run for recirculation, then it also likely won't drain ... unless for some odd reason it is running in one direction but not the other.

You can run the pump in diagnostic mode.  With the machine off and the lid closed, press Soak -> Cycle Signal -> Soak -> Cycle Signal.  Should get DT on the display.  Press Water Temp once, should hear a relay click and 00 on the display.  Press Extra Rinse (runs the pump in drain mode), listen if it runs.  Extend Spin runs the pump in recirculate mode.  Check that it runs both ways.

You can also run the water valves in Diagnostic.  Soil Level selects which of the four inputs the water flows through (Heavy = fresh spray, Refresh = detergent dispenser, Light = bleach dispenser, Normal = softener dispenser).  Water temp selects which water valve (cold, hot, cold + hot, or none).  The lid must be closed to make the water selections, but once started running the water will continue to flow if the lid is opened.  Water flow will shut off is the proper level in the sump is reached.  You can fully test recirculation and drain by letting the machine fill until it stops, then running the pump in either/both directions.

Nutation and spin can be run by selecting a cycle and pressing Start (Cancel/Pause stops the motor).  Rinse/Spin cycle button switches between nutation and spin mode.  The selected cycle button from left to right determines the motor speed.  Slower speeds at the left side, faster speeds progressing toward the right.  Not all cycle buttons produce a speed change in both nutation and spin, being as not all motor speeds are used in both functions.  It is not necessary to stop the motor before switching between nutate and spin mode, the controller board will pause the motor before reversing.

Diagnostic mode will automatically cancel after 3 mins, or press Cancel/Pause once or twice as needed to exit.

 

[gmmcnair]

"thanks for the quick answer... I'm going to try a few more pounds of clothes and will give it some extra time.

In the meantime, here's what it replaced. You tell me, maybe I did a bad thing, lol."

Oh....I used to have almost the exact same pair....such good machines....don't let them slip away!

 

[cfz2882]

pump

years ago i found a disassembled calypso at the dump and saved
some pieces off it including the pump-found the pump seized
because it had some stringy material wound up in it,once
cleared out pump ran good.If pump does not work,you can check
if it is seized by trying to turn the fan on top of the motor.
This is with the early pump that has a DD style pump section.

 

[carmine]

New Calypso update

I watched the video which allowed me to understand how it works.

So I added more than enough clothing for the machine to add water. However, it just proceeded to go through the cycle without ever pouring water into the tub as it should.

I did some trouble shooting, ohm'ed out the solenoids, etc. and found no problems. Ultimately I swapped the wiring from the detergent dispenser (which I knew was working) onto the solenoid that opens the flow of water from the top of the tub. This allowed water to flow as it should, ruling out any mechanical problems (plugged hoses, etc.)

Now the problem would appear to be no signal to the "wash-water" solenoid, which takes me into circuit problems, or perhaps the board itself.

Anyone have an idea what might cause this issue?

Incidentally, I noticed a two-wire connector coming out of the main harness that wasn't connected to anything. The connector was the type that would plug into small pins on a circuit board, however there were no pins on the board within range of the wires/connector, so perhaps this is something to be plugged in during a diagnostic test?

Thanks for any ideas. I sold the GE appliances on Craigslist while they were still hooked-up. Looks like I should have tried these first... (GE had begun to leak trans fluid)

 

[carmine]

My page hadn't refreshed, so I hadn't seen DADoES diagnostic post.

My pump does drain, but doesn't re-circ.

I'm headed downstairs to check the pump...