The short answer for the WHP models
On the AEG WHP washer models, a machine that will not start leads somewhere the brand-generic article does not put first — a motor thermal cut-out has opened. The brand-generic ordering opens instead with this: the door lock or the interlock switch. It moves down behind the lead here, because this family is one model rather than a range, so the ranking can be specific where a brand-wide one has to hedge.
What you observe on these models
- It starts and stops again within a minute — A check at the beginning of the cycle is failing.
- The door will not open and the machine is dead — A locked door with a dead machine usually means water inside or a lock that has not released.
- It works only sometimes, and a firm push on the door helps — Intermittent and door-dependent is close to a diagnosis on its own.
- NEAR MISS — it starts and stalls half way — That is a cycle fault, not a start fault.
Causes, most likely first on the WHP family
- A motor thermal cut-out has opened — The motor protected itself and will come back when it cools, which is a clue about load or drive rather than a fix. Ranked first on the WHP models.
- The door lock or the interlock switch — No washer will run without the door proven shut. Second.
- The switched supply and the furniture door — A built-in machine is usually fed from a spur or an outlet inside a neighbouring cupboard, and its door has to pull a furniture panel with it. Third.
- The control board or the timer — The most expensive place to guess. Last, and that is the point of the order.
- Body: The spine for the WHP family records a single model code, so there is no variation inside this family to hedge against: what is written here applies to the whole of it. Where this departs from the brand-generic ordering: the cause that moves up on these models is this one — a motor thermal cut-out has opened — and the brand-generic lead moves down behind it.
Check in this order on the WHP models, and why
- Find the spur or the outlet feeding the machine before anything else — First: On a built-in installation it is in a neighbouring cupboard rather than behind the machine, and it is the single most commonly overlooked cause.
- Turn the empty drum by hand — Second: A drum that will not turn freely explains a hum with no movement, and it takes one hand and no tools.
- Close the door firmly and listen for the lock — Third: It is free, and the lock is the commonest single cause.
Before you open anything
Safety
Isolate at the breaker and close both valves before a panel or a hose is touched: the capacitor holds a charge past the switch, and the drum and sump hold more water than they look like they do. The door interlock stays as it is — it is what keeps a fast-spinning drum shut, and it holds the door while the water is still hot.
Models covered by the WHP family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| WHP120 | aeg:washer:whp |
When to call a technician
Call when the door latches firmly, the breaker and the outlet are live, no lock or delay is set, the water is on, the drum turns freely and the machine still will not begin — that puts it at the lock, the motor or the board. Call rather than retry if the breaker trips the moment you reset it, or if there is a smell of hot insulation at the machine. On the WHP models the line sits where the check stops being one you can make from outside the cabinet. When you book, say that the machine is built in if it is.
Other symptoms covered for the WHP family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
