Nel
My Hotpoint washing machine is only 13 months old and only used about once a week. Today towards the end of the wash I noticed a very strong oily, plastic type smell coming from the machine. I waited for the cycle to finish (only a couple of minutes) and when I opened the door the smell was even worse. The washing stinks. I have checked the water filter which was clean. The machine has very little use and I clean the door seal after every use so I do not see how this could be mould or mildew, which is all I can find online about smells. It doesn't exactly smell like burning but as I said, oily, plastic, chemical sort of odour and very strong.
Before I book a service person, any suggestions? My husband wants to run the 70 minute cleaning cycle but I don't want to switch it on again at all as I feel that there may be something seriously wrong with it.
Thanks for any thoughts.
Solution Summary
AI-generated from this discussion
This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
Strong oily/plastic smell from Hotpoint washing machine near end of cycle
- The problem
- A 13-month-old Hotpoint washing machine, used about once a week, produced a very strong oily, plastic or chemical smell towards the end of a wash. The smell was stronger when the door was opened and the laundry also smelled. The filter was checked and found clean.
- Likely cause
- The accepted reply says the smell is most consistent with plastic burning. If the smell is definitely from inside the drum, the washing machine is the likely source. If the smell is in the room rather than clearly from the drum, the wall socket or mains plug could be overheating or burnt.
- What fixed it
- Do not use the washing machine again until it has been repaired if the smell is coming from the machine. Check the plug and wall socket for visible signs of burning. Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
- Checks to try
- Water filter checked and found clean
- Advised to check the plug for signs of burning
- Advised to check the wall socket for signs of burning
Safety: Do not continue using the appliance if the smell appears to be from inside the machine. Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
1 Answer
The description of that smell sounds like plastic burning. There's a certain type of plastic used in wall sockets, plugs, and maybe inside the washing machine that give off a strange an pungent fishy smell when subjected to being burnt by excessive heat.
If it's definitely coming from inside the drum it must be the washing machine and needs to be not used until repaired.
If the smell is just in the room it could be the wall socket or mains plug. Check the plug and wall socket for signs of burning.
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