Do you have a Siemens washer dryer with a pump filter that won’t open or is stuck or jammed? Well a quick Google search may have told you to turn it upside down, stand on one leg and buy an endoscope for investigation. Or you could simply try this fix as I did.
Warning – read the instructions and remember to disconnect your machine from the mains power and turn off the water before attempting repair.
It started as a simple “can you take a quick look at the washing machine it was making a funny noise the other day”… I recall having to do a similar job a year or so back after the pump seemed excessively noisy. I’m wary of these washer dryers after all the problems with them catching fire due to build up of fluff when tumble drying. So safety first and act seems best.
Last time the problem was how to open the pump filter to check for debris. It looks simple enough – the manual just indicates you turn the blue grey plug anticlockwise after draining the water using the little hose. I tried that but the plug would only move a quarter turn. It was stuck and refused to undo.
The manual did not mention how far to turn. Was it like a bayonet connector that only needs a quarter turn and then a tug? It did not say. So I got the mole wrench out and applied a little torque. It moved a little so I guessed not a bayonet and so something inside was jamming the filter.
A little more torque – be careful not to apply too much force using the wrench – and it moved some more. As water was now leaking from the filter I turned it back clockwise to check it would retighten. The manual appears to ignore the fact that the drain hose must be higher than the bottom of the pump where the water gushes out. So you need a thin tray (1cm high) to tuck beneath the machine to collect the water or have a towel handy.
After a few more twists of the blue grey plug and emptying the tray that collected a cup of water, I moved the plug further each time. It was tight but whatever was holding it became free after the mole wrench persuaded it to move. It finally unscrewed after several turns, which the manual should make clear.
I should say again never apply undue force if the plug really won’t move at all as it could damage the plastic plug or pump impeller. But in the end it it did move after a few goes back and forth. If you have a metal object caught inside the filter, using a mole wrench would likely result in permanent damage. So you have to judge how much force to apply or go buy that endoscope ( or see video link at end of post).
A plastic shirt collar stud was the culprit. “Collared by Ted” it said, fixed by a mole and no call out charge or new pump this time.
Siemens washer dryer filter opened
Siemens design is usually good, however with this machine it needs improvement. Why is there no filter trap to stop thin plastic items from getting trapped in the barrel? Our previous machines had a plastic basket trap that prevented items from fouling the impeller and getting stuck in the barrel. And why can’t the water drain hose actually drain all the water from the pump? What’s the point of having a drain hose and then having to mop up when the plug is finally undone? You can see how low the pump filter is on the machine compared to the hose outlet so I guess it should be obvious it won’t work!
If your filter plug really won’t turn there’s an excellent YouTube video Washing machine filter won’t come out (opens in a new tab) that explains how to clear the pump of coins and screws. But you will need to turn the machine on its back after disconnecting to remove the pump first. Note: YouTube links sometimes show “An error occurred” but if you refresh the page it usually plays, yet another broken…
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