Washer Won't Turn On or Start? What to Check

When a washer won't turn on at all, with no lights and no sound, the cause is usually power: the plug, the outlet, a tripped breaker or a tripped GFCI. When it lights up but won't start, the usual suspects are a control lock, a delay timer, a door or lid that is not latched, or a water supply the washer cannot detect. Most of these take minutes to check.

Safety first: if the cord, plug or outlet is wet, scorched or smells burnt, do not touch it; switch off the breaker and call. Ready.gov warns not to touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. Outlet, wiring and circuit repairs are for a licensed electrician.

Washer won't turn on: outlet, breaker and GFCI

1. Plug it straight into the wall. Whirlpool says to use a grounded three-prong outlet and not an extension cord. Make sure the plug is pushed all the way in.
2. Skip the power strip. LG says extension cords and surge protectors are not recommended for its washers, and that the cord should be plugged directly into a wall outlet.
3. Test the outlet. LG suggests plugging in a small appliance you know works, such as a lamp or a fan. If that does not work either, the problem is the outlet or the circuit, not the washer.
4. Check the breaker. Find the washer's breaker and switch it fully off, wait a moment, then switch it back on.
5. Check for a tripped GFCI. Whirlpool lists a tripped GFCI outlet as a cause. Look for an outlet with Test and Reset buttons, which may not be the one the washer plugs into, and press Reset. If it trips again right away, stop and call; it is doing its job.
6. Check the fuse if your home has a fuse box; Whirlpool lists a blown fuse too.
7. Reset the washer. Unplug it for a few minutes and try again. Our guide on how to reset a washing machine links each brand's steps.

If another appliance works in that outlet but the washer stays dark, the washer needs service. If the outlet is faulty or wired incorrectly, LG says to contact an electrician, and a dead outlet on a good breaker is an electrician's job too.

For its washers, Samsung calls for a three-prong, grounded 120V outlet protected by a 15-amp fuse or comparable circuit breaker, with the washer on its own circuit and no extension cord.

Washer has power but won't start

Child lock or control lock

A locked control looks like a dead washer with the lights on. Button combinations vary by model, so check your manual.

• Whirlpool: with Control Lock set, the control will not respond; you may see a Control Lock light, or LoC or LC on a front-loader's display. Hold the button labeled for Control Lock for 3 seconds.
• LG: CL means Child Lock is on, and every button except Power stops working. Hold the Child Lock button, or the marked pair of buttons, for 3 seconds.
• Samsung: Child Lock disables the buttons except a few, such as Power. Samsung says to hold both marked buttons once so the icon flashes, then hold them again until it turns off.
• GE: on top-loaders, GE says to hold Warm Rinse and Auto Soak, or Rinse and Spin, for 3 seconds; on front-loaders, hold the Control Lock pad for 3 seconds.

Delay start

A delay timer makes the washer wait on purpose, so look for a countdown or a delay light on the display. On GE top-loaders, the delay shows as 01H to 09H, and GE says holding Delay Wash for 3 seconds resets it.

Start button and cycle knob

Whirlpool says you may need to press and hold Start for up to 3 seconds. On its front-loaders, a display showing -:-- means the cycle knob is pointing at a position with no cycle assigned.

Door or lid not latched

Whirlpool says a top-loader's lid must be completely closed and latched for the washer to operate, and some models will not even start until the lid locks.

GE says its top-loaders built since 2015 lock the lid while sensing the load and filling, and when spinning above 50 RPM.

On a front-loader, close the door firmly and check that no clothing is caught in the seal. Whirlpool notes that its front-load door lock takes about 10 seconds to engage after a cycle starts.

Water supply not detected

Whirlpool says both the hot and cold valves must be fully open and both hoses connected. If the washer starts, hums and then stops with a fill code (Samsung shows 4C, for example), see washer not filling with water.

After a power outage or storm

Ready.gov advises disconnecting appliances and electronics during an outage to avoid damage from electrical surges.

When the power returns, LG shows PF if a cycle was interrupted. LG says to unplug the washer or trip the breaker, hold Start/Pause for 5 seconds while it has no power, restore power and restart.

Samsung also shows PF after an outage, a tripped breaker or an unplugged washer, and says to make sure the washer is on its own circuit without an extension cord.

If the outlet works but the washer is dead after a storm, a surge may have damaged the control board or its power supply; that is a diagnosis for a technician. If floodwater reached the washer, do not plug it in until it has been checked. For the rest of the house, see appliances not working after a power outage.

Stopped mid-cycle and won't restart

A washer can also stop mid-cycle to protect an overloaded motor. On LG front-loaders, LE means the motor is overloaded and locked; LG says to let the washer rest 30 minutes to cool down, then restart, and reducing the load helps. If LE keeps coming back, see LG washer error codes.

What usually fails

• Lid switch or door lock. The lights come on and you pick a cycle, but it never starts, or it stops with a lid or door code. The washer will not run until it confirms the lid or door is locked. Never tape, jumper or bypass it.
• Main control board. No lights at all with a working outlet, or a washer that died after a storm.
• User interface board. The display lights, Control Lock is off, and the buttons still do not respond.
• Power cord. A cut, crushed or scorched cord has to be replaced before the washer is used again.
• Water inlet valve. The washer starts, hums and never fills.

We test these before replacing parts, especially boards. If the outlet checks out and the washer still will not start, book washer diagnosis and repair instead of buying parts on a guess.

What it costs in Atlanta

The diagnostic is $80, and it is waived when you approve the repair. Washer repairs start at $180 plus parts, and a typical washer repair on a standard brand runs $250 to $450 all in; locks, lid switches and valves fall in that range, and premium brands can run higher. You get a written flat-rate estimate before any work begins, the repair can be finished on the first visit when the part is in stock, and every repair carries our 60-day parts-and-labor warranty. See our pricing.

Schedule a visit or read about our washer repair service. Prefer to talk? Call (470) 778-4087.