How SmartDrive changes the repair
Most washers turn the drum with a belt and a pulley. A SmartDrive washer does not. The motor bolts straight to the back of the tub. A ring of magnets spins around a fixed set of coils. The control board reads the motor's position many times a second. That is how it sets the wash action for each load.
With no belt, the usual belt faults never happen. The faults that do happen are in the motor sensor, the coils or the board. A drum that twitches and stops often has a bad position sensor. A loud roar in spin points at the tub bearing instead. We cover the brand's other machines on our Fisher and Paykel repair page.
The washer sold in the US now
The current model is a compact front loader, 24 inches wide. The drum holds 2.4 cubic feet. It spins at up to 1400 rpm and has a steam option. The door gasket is treated to resist mold. It matches the brand's condensing dryer in width and height. Older homes often have a full-size SmartDrive top loader. We work on both.
Water that will not drain
A front loader that ends its cycle full of water needs the pump checked. This washer has a pump filter behind a little flap low on the front. Hair pins, coins and socks end up there. Fisher and Paykel's own help page says to clean that filter first. It also says to check the drain hose where it meets the standpipe.
If the filter is clear and the pump only hums, the pump has failed. If the pump is silent, we test for power from the board. A kinked hose behind a stacked pair is easy to miss.
A door that stays locked
The door lock is a safety part. The brand notes two normal reasons it holds. One is a hot drum after a warm wash. The other is water sitting above the bottom of the door seal. So a locked door is often a drain fault in disguise. Once the water is out, the lock lets go. When it still holds on an empty, cool drum, the lock itself has failed.
Shaking, banging and leaks
At 1400 rpm a small fault gets loud. Here is what we look at:
- Shipping bolts left in from the day it was set up.
- Worn shock dampers under the tub.
- Feet that are not level or not locked.
- A torn door gasket that drips down the front.
- A loose hose clamp at the pump or the soap drawer.
On a stacked pair, shaking also rattles the dryer above. Fixing it early saves both machines.
What you can safely try
Turn both water taps on fully. Check the hoses for kinks. Open the pump filter over a shallow tray, because water will run out. Spread a heavy load evenly and run a spin alone. Use high-efficiency soap and only a little of it. Too many suds can stop a cycle by themselves.
Fees, hours and the repair call
We charge $79 for the diagnostic at a home. That $79 is dropped if you approve the work. Your price is fixed before we begin and has the part and the labor in it. Washer visits are booked 6 AM to 9 PM, Sunday to Saturday, and most jobs are seen the same day. The company is independent and family owned. Washer techs hold a license and insurance and have each cleared a background check.
A direct drive washer has few moving parts, so most are worth a repair. A pump, a lock or a sensor is a modest job. We would steer you to a new washer if the tub bearing has failed and the drum is scored.
Northern Virginia owners can see our Virginia service area. Washer calls also reach us from Chicago, Los Angeles, D.C. and Houston. The partner machine is on the Fisher and Paykel dryer repair page. Other brands are under washer repair. One habit for this front loader. Leave the door open a hand's width after the last load so the drum dries.