WM4370 drain pump died

[tomdawg]

Hey guys, I have an LG washer that is 4.5 years old. I’ve replaced my drain pump 1.5 years ago and it died again. Do you have any suggestions on how to get to the drain pump instead of taking the dryer off? (It is stacked)
I’m considering buying a Electrolux tower or lg tower just to avoid this issue.

I do too much laundry. Wife does our clothes and probably does 10 or so loads a week. I have a business and use it about 5-7 loads on top of that.

 

[mrstickball]

Should be able to loosen the screws behind the unit and push it rearward to access the front interface panel to get front access w/o unstacking. It'll be a tight fit but absolutely doable.

 

[panasonicvac]

Best of luck!

I'd be curious to see if this could be done without taking the dryer down. When my pump failed, the technician tilted the the machine up to have easier access to it. In addition he replaced the pump with a different one where he claims the older style pumps last longer than the newer ones. So far haven't had any problems. I just recently got my grandfather a new SQ SF7 and one of the reasons is because it's supposed to be the easiest to have access to the pump.

LG WM8100HVA pump issue

Our washer just had this problem today. The pump was making a funny noise and it was not draining like it's supposed to. I thought the lint filter was clogged but it wasn't. And there's no error code popping up. I'm going to guess that it has failed and we'd need to get a replacement pump for...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[tomdawg]

Thank you

I’ll have to try that.

Anyone know why a drain pump fails so fast?

Both times basket catch has been clear and super clean. Maybe a little muck but otherwise clean. I don’t use fabric softener and use more hot and warm washes than cold.

My only thought is too much suds. Weekly I wash my wands in bleach with no soap. It’s not a suds lock but plenty of foam. I use the towels cycle, since it uses the most water.

 

[henene4]

Going from the back is going to be tricky.
Not saying it can't be done, but it'll be quite a reach with the tub in the way.

But certainly easier than on other machines that aren't direct drive.

Those pumps have a duty cycle rating. The one I found ad hoc searching for parts for your machine was something like 15 sec on 45sec off.

I don't think LG really takes that into account in programming.
If the pump is running for long consecutive periods that could wear them out sooner. (I am 90% certain these pumps should have thermal protection built in - those don't necessarily fail the second you exceed the duty cycle once, but the more you do, the more likely they fail).

So things like cycles with particularly high water levels, frequent suds conditions, very large absorbent loads.
Anything that makes the drain pump run more.

But then again, the AC pumps on these used to last somewhere between 5 and 10 years before it was common to get noise issues reported by users.
If you run 3 times what most "heavy use" consumers run through such a machine - yeah, 3-5 years out of a pump doesn't sound out of the ordinary.

 

[tomdawg]

Reply #4

Most of my business stuff are run through the towels cycle, nothing gets cleaned enough unless I use it- mainly because my rags and cleaning pads get so dirty, the normal or bright whites cycle doesn’t use enough water. So that makes sense.

The speed queen is looking more and more attractive to buy, hence the hefty price tag!

 

[panasonicvac]

Yeah I think the SQ is very expensive for what it is. One of the other reasons I got the SF7 was because the insurance company paid for it completely, it was very hard to turn down on that offer. Plus I like the warranty length, appreciate that its assembled here in the US, and how simple it is like again the drain pump would be easier to have access should it need to be replaced. Otherwise if that window never happened, I would've for sure gotten a LG Washtower.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Oh this is just GREAT news to hear. as an LG FL washer was my biggest to go if/when my current washer dies...

 

[tomdawg]

Reply 7

I still think it’s a good washer, considering how much I use it. So far I’m $120 into repairs. So it’s not bad.
I do think DC pumps would be more reliable, just listening to it, you can hear it slowing down when there’s no water in it. My sister has one with an dc pump and it’s 4 years old and still going strong. She has about 2600 cycles.

 

[tomdawg]

All fixed

Let’s just say, it’s almost impossible to replace the pump with out unstacking. Too many bolts and screws to fiddle within that opening.

 

[combo52]

Replacing the drain pump full-size front load washers

All of the current stacked machines either the one piece or stacking two separate machines together make this a pain in the neck.

Since they eliminated the access panel like the earlier duets Frigidaire and Maytag Neptuneshad this becomes a very difficult job.

This is where the superiority of the Speed Queen design comes through. It only takes a few minutes and four screws to replace a drain pump on these machines or access the trap. Speed Queen’s are designed to be repaired in place without moving them because of their commercial use, speed Queen seems to use a much better pump too than many machines are using. I think I’ve only ever changed one.

I had to change a dryer motor on a stack Speed Queen a while ago it took less than 15 minutes and only about four screws. The entire assembly just lifts right out the laundry manager couldn’t believe I did it so quickly.

John L