Can't open GE washer door.

[alta47]

A friend posted this on another group I belong to (not a Usenet group):

"We bought a new high efficiency GE washer in May 2006. It has worked fine until today. When my wife started a load of wash last nite, it started working and we thought everything was fine. This morning, the power button does not work, the door is locked and the wash and water are in the machine. We tried unplugging the washer. We tried resetting the circuit breaker( it was not tripped). Any help would be appreciated as we called a repair guy, but they can not come out until Monday. We are leaving this evening for the weekend. Thanks in advance."

I'll pass along any suggestions.

Thanks.

[dpb]

This a front or top loader? Never had one other than top and nothing kept door from opening while unpowered, water or no.

Sorry, no clue other than see if there's any reset or fuse one can find on the unit itself.

Try googling the appliance repair/parts places--sometimes their FAQs or tips are pretty insightful for common symptoms. I like simple so at least if it stops while the tubs full I can use a drill pump or slip the hose off the pump intake and empty it. If can't get door open, that's pita... :(

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[DerbyDad03]

DAGS for the manual. You may need to remove the top panel or bottom skirt and manually release to door latch to at least empty the washer before you go away.

[alta47]

Thanks all. The person I posted this for just wrote back that he was able to get a repair person to come out a short time ago. The problem turned out to be a blockage in the water discharge (which apparently caused the "lock up" where the door won't open, the washer won't run, etc.).

I noticed that this computerized feature on newer washers makes it impossible for someone to do simple things like stop the wash cycle in the middle, add or take out an article of clothing, and resume the cycle. Supposedly, it is some kind of safety feature so people can't open the lid while the tub is spinning etc. Seems stupid to me, but I guess that's how they work now.

[DerbyDad03]

It may not be as stupid as you think, especially with a front loader. My machine spins at 1100 RPM. I'm glad I can't open the door while it's spinning! I can, however, hit a pause button, wait for the door to unlock and then have it continue where it left off.

In addition, with many of the upper end models which sense the amount of water they need and how much dirt is in the water, adding/removing clothes in the middle of a cycle might not result in the most efficient washing.

All in all, I'll take my high tech machine over anything I've had in the past.