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Repair guides and support for top and front loading Whirlpool brand washers.

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Space between inner tub and outer tub

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Does anybody know what this is? It's right behind the inner tub, I guess.

This may be a dumb question, but how much space is there between the outer and inner tub? Does stuff like hair and debris get stuck in there and then come back out on the clothes? And if so, what do you do about that?

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@wonderingwoman

If your model is a WTW4816FW2 that you have been asking about before then here's the location of the lint filter in the machine.

It doesn't look too user friendly inasmuch as that it doesn't seem easy to remove on a regular basis.

However it still could get clogged up and therefore all the hairs. lint etc may stay lodged in the clothing or stay in the machine.

It shouldn't overflow the tub unless the water level is too high on the max level i.e. higher than it should be, and it splashes over during the wash/rinse cycle.

If the filter needs replacing search online for WPW10215093 to find suppliers that suit you best. The supplier linked was only to show the location of the filter.

Update (01/15/2023)

Hi @wonderingwoman

Can only suggest that you run the diagnostic tests as described in the tech sheet for the washer and check if they show if anything is wrong

Torn washing is usually due to clothes catching in the tub during the wash or too fast a spin cycle

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32 Comments:

So this is what I have to do? "The filter is under the basket in the bottom of the outer tub assembly. You will need to remove the basket and agitator to get to the filter. The filter is held in place by screws."

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@wonderingwoman

Seems like it. Not really meant to be replaced or cleaned too often.

You could try flushing it out and check if that works. just an idea

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@jayeff How stupid is that? Put something that gets clogged and needs to be cleaned out where you can't get to it? Wow. Whirlpool (or whoever made it) really outdid themselves on this one. How does one flush it out? I'll try anything. It is really messing up my life not to have clean clothes.

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@wonderingwoman

I think the filter is between the tub and the drain pump so if you remove the drain pump you may be able to direct water from the tub through the filter without it being impeded by the pump so hopefully it will flush more readily.

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@jayeff Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that take mechanical reasoning skills and mechanical creativity?

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@wonderingwoman it can but it shouldn't it all should get "flushed down the drain". Now, you do want to make sure that you are cleaning your filter regularly and on some washers you will be surprised about the sludge and stench that may come out of it. So make sure you have a good drain pan and plenty of rags in case it spills ;-) At my house we use about a 1/3 cup of baking soda poured into the drum and 2 good cups of vinegar in the soap dispenser. Then we run a hot water wash cycle. That does seem to keep things relatively clean and gets rid of the typical washer smell.

For more in depth information we would probably needing to know your exact washer model. Hope this helps.

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Yes, I think that could be the problem, not draining. I don't know how to clean the filter or even where it is. You clean your machine with baking soda and vinegar, but do you still have to clean the filter? I've been cleaning the machine a lot lately with vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, bleach (not all together). Hydrogen peroxide seems to work the best. That helps for a minute but not for long. The minute I wash something that's actually dirty, all that dirt seems to be spread around on the clothes that are supposed to be clean. If you have more information, yes, please do share it with me. I need all the help I can get. Nothing is insignificant, and no detail is too small when you know nothing. The model is Whirlpool WTW4816FW2. I think it's a worthless machine at this point. It doesn't clean anything. I have to clean all the hair and debris out of the tub after every load. Most loads I have to wash 2-3 times.

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@wonderingwoman that is terrible. I do know what you mean. I will never ever buy another one of those big snazzy looking washers that require special soap etc. I just want to do my laundry and don’t care about bluetooth connectivity or automatic water sensing. All that nonsense may sound good but does not get the laundry done.

I clean the filter every month and clean the washer with backing soda and vinegar bimonthly. I do not use my washer a lot since I luckily do not have a lot of laundry anymore. So, if you use it a lot it may need it more often. Let me see if I find out more about your washer

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@wonderingwoman let’s see if @jayeff or @mayer can help us out with your dilemma. They just got notified ;-)

Don’t get to frustrated, help is on the way. Nobody here fights their battles alone and people love to help out. Welcome to iFixit!

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@oldturkey03 Oh, @jayeff already knows me well. He helped me with it when bugs were in it.

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@oldturkey03 Sorry, I have no idea on this one.

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