So, is your Maytag Bravos washer not agitating? This might be related to a problem with the agitating kit itself. If it’s broken, the washer won’t agitate, and you should replace it.
Other reasons might include a faulty motor component that affects the spinning cycle as well as the agitator, a drive block that prevents the washer from agitating, or a malfunctioning motor coupling. Nevertheless, these problems can be easily fixed, so your washer will work the way it should.
The Agitating Kit Doesn’t Work Properly
Having a Maytag Bravos washer is an excellent addition to your laundry setup because it saves time and effort as it cleans your clothes properly. However, in some cases, the washer might not agitate.
To tackle this problem, you need to unplug the washer and make sure that it’s dry. If the washer isn’t draining, you need to drain it manually by checking the drain filter and hose. If you have already checked the motor and made sure that the spinning cycle is working properly, then there might be a problem with the agitating kit itself.
After removing any wastewater, you need to remove all the screws with a screwdriver to lift the panel from the bottom of the washer and locate the agitator. The next step is to examine the agitator. The kit contains all the agitator components that normally wear out with continuous use. The constant movement, while different objects hit the wings of the agitator, eventually ruins the agitator.
A worn-out or malfunctioning agitating kit isn’t easy to fix, and in most cases, you just have to replace it. If the parts are broken, you can’t really fix them, and you easily buy and install a new agitating kit.
A Problem with the Motor
In some cases, your washer might fill with water but doesn’t agitate at all. This can be extremely frustrating but might be related to a faulty lid switch, a broken motor belt, or any other component of the motor that prevents it from spinning.
Although the motor components are designed to work for a long time, there are several reasons that can cause the motor components to break or malfunction. Using the washer too often, overloading it with extra laundry, or not doing the regular maintenance work can cause the motor parts to break down. Moreover, some parts naturally wear even if you take good care of your washing machine because of friction and normal operation.
To determine that there’s a problem with your motor or any of its components, you need to unplug the washer and make sure that it’s completely drained. After that, you should check the spinning cycle. If the spinning cycle is working properly, then there’s nothing wrong with the motor, and you need to check other parts of the washer to find out why your Maytag Bravos washer isn’t agitating.
A Worn Drive Block
The job of the drive block is to connect the washer’s transmission to the agitator, so it’s crucial to keep your washer agitating and working the way it should. The motor and the agitator kit might be working correctly, but there might be a small problem related to the drive block, and replacing it will solve the problem.
Naturally, using the washer continuously will wear out the drive block. While the transmission shaft will still move the way it should, the agitator will start to slow down until it completely stops moving. Checking the drive block will help you identify the problem. If it’s stripped, broken, or damaged, you should replace it to push the agitator to move.
A Malfunctioning Motor Coupling
Overloading the washer with a larger amount of laundry will eventually cause the motor coupling to fail. The motor coupling protects the motor and the washer’s transmission when you’re doing a load of laundry. When you continuously overload your washer, you end up with a broken motor coupling that should be replaced to get the washer to agitate.
The motor coupling can also naturally wear with time and regular use. After examining the motor coupling, you can replace it with a similar model that keeps the washer functioning the way it should.
The agitator has big arms or wings that move from right to left, pushing the water towards the edge of the tub and up through the drum, then back towards the center of the washer. This motion moves the water and the detergent with the dirty laundry, forcing the clothes to spin. This motion cleans the clothes and can even remove tough stains.
2. Which Is Better, A Washer With or Without an Agitator?
An agitator improves the cleaning performance of your washer and provides a better result. However, there might be a risk of damaging the clothes, especially if the agitator is damaged or spinning too fast while you’re washing delicates.
3. How Do You Know That Your Washer Is Agitating?
The agitator will move back and forth to mix the clothes with water to clean them properly. If it’s not moving, the sensor might be depressed, which means that the sensor is malfunctioning and should be fixed or replaced.
Conclusion
A Maytag Bravos washer that doesn’t agitate won’t clean your laundry the way it should. However, there are several reasons that might cause this problem, and you can easily solve it to make sure that the washer is working the way it should.
First, you need to check the agitating kit itself. If it’s working fine, there might be a problem with any of the different parts of the motor. Check the parts by examining the spinning cycle. If the motor is working fine, there might be a malfunctioning drive block or a motor coupling that should be replaced.
