Hi,
I have a Miele W980 washing machine which is over 11 yrs old. The inlet warning light/buzzer has been activated. We called out a Miele engineer who diagnosed a problem with the WPS valve which is uneconomical to replace. I am trying to fit a standard inlet hose without the waterproof system but the machine is still not filling. Is the valve inside the machine still activated? If so how do I disable it.
Thanks,
Affers
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.
Miele W980 inlet warning with Waterproof System hose not admitting water
- The problem
- A Miele W980 washing machine, over 11 years old, showed the inlet warning light and buzzer and would not fill. A Miele engineer reportedly diagnosed the Waterproof System (WPS) valve/hose assembly as faulty and uneconomical to replace. The owner then tried a standard inlet hose, but the machine still did not fill.
- Likely cause
- The strongest supported diagnosis is a fault in the WPS hose/valve assembly, as the original hose would not pass water when disconnected. There was also discussion that a WPS fault can be triggered by leak detection in the base, with the machine expected to reset once the fault is repaired, but no leak was confirmed and the exact internal cause was not proved.
- What fixed it
- Recommended checks were to confirm water supply from the tap and test whether the disconnected hose passed water. Forum advice was that a disconnected WPS hose that does not pass water indicates the hose/valve assembly needs replacement, either with the proper Miele part or a normal hose if compatible. However, because the machine still would not fill with an ordinary hose, the exact repair was not confirmed. Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
- Checks to try
- Tap pressure/supply was confirmed to be fine.
- The WPS hose was disconnected and tested; it did not allow water through in normal orientation.
- The WPS hose was tried in reverse into a bucket and water did flow.
- An ordinary fill hose was connected to the machine, but the machine still did not fill.
- Parts or tools mentioned
- WPS inlet hose/valve assembly
- Ordinary fill hose
10 Answers
WPS stands for water proof system, which has a leak detection system in the base of the machine. Did it leak from the inlet hose? If so you should be able to fit a normal hose but if there's still water in the base of the machine (assuming that's what triggered the fault) then it may still produce the error. According to Miele, as long as a fault is repaired the error code should reset itself. Do you have more details?
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
Hi. Thanks for your reply.
I have been trying to contact the engineer to find out what caused the warning light to trigger in the first place. I don't believe there was a leak. I get the impression that the valve in the external grey box on the inlet hose has been diagnosed as being faulty. There are other (?triple) valves inside the machine that may be preventing the machine from filling.
Can you suggest a way of allowing the standard inlet hose to work?
I'm trying to remember how these hoses work. As far as I'm aware these hoses that supposedly guard against flooding have automatic shut-off systems so if they get an internal leak something causes the hose to stop letting water through to prevent flooding. I can't think of a reason why replacing this hose with a normal one shouldn't work.
Try this, turn off the water supply to the hose. Disconnect the hose from the washing machine and hold it into a sink or bucket. Turn the water back on and see if water runs through the hose at a good pressure.
If no water runs through it then just fitting a normal hose should get the washer running again
If it does then the washing machine must be preventing the water coming in.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
The washing machine can't affect the hose especially if disconnected. If no water goes through the hose when it's disconnected then the hose needs replacing. Either with an equivalent Miele hose or any washing machine hose.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
Note: Normally, if no water comes through a disconnected washing machine fill hose it isn't wise to assume the hose is at fault. This particular incident is about a special hose (other manufacturers also use similar hoses) where there is a device inside the hose that shuts off the water if it detects and internal link. These hoses are usually pretty thick, often coated in corrugated plastic and with a large device incorporated inside it at one end.
Once activated, no water will come through the hose any more and there is usually some form of indicator on the hose (like a red spot) that appears in order to indicate it has been triggered.
With a normal fill hose, or to make doubly sure, you need to disconnect the hose from the tap too and check to see that water is coming through the actual tap because taps can become faulty and not let water through also - or the water supply otherwise cut off.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
If water supply is restored it should work unless the error code triggered hasn't reset. Is the machine still giving an error? Have you unplugged it since the error?
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
No luck so far. So I gave up DIY and ordered the (expensive!) part for it to be fitted today but was badly let down by the local company who failed to turn up and gave not even a hint of an apology. I would like to name and shame them on this forum if I am allowed?
So unless you can help further with the repair I may have to buy a new machine rather than rely on cowboy repair companies.
Thanks
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