The short answer
The Criterion CLTW family is a single washer model, so a machine that will not start can be worked through as a fixed sequence rather than against a range of builds. Almost all of these calls end at one of three places: the outlet and its breaker, the lid or door interlock, or a control that is waiting for something — a lock, a delay, or a cycle that was never actually started.
What you observe
- No lights, no sounds at all — Supply: outlet, plug, cord or breaker.
- Panel lights but nothing happens when the cycle starts — The interlock is not making, or a control lock is engaged.
- A click at start, then silence — The control began and stopped: usually lid, water or a stuck motor.
- Cycle appears to run but nothing moves or fills — Taps closed, or a delay-start setting active.
- NEAR MISS — starts, fills, then stops mid-cycle — That is a cycle fault rather than a start fault, and the cycle page covers it.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Supply: outlet, breaker or cord — First, because it is free to test and because a laundry outlet shared with other equipment is a common trip point.
- Lid or door interlock not making — Second, and the single most common real fault on any washer: the machine is designed to refuse everything until it is satisfied the lid is shut.
- Control lock or delay start engaged — Third, and not a fault at all — but it presents exactly like one and it is set by accident more often than owners expect.
- Water supply not open — Fourth. Many machines will start a cycle and then stall rather than run dry, which reads as a failure to start.
- Control board or timer — Last. Real, but far behind the four above, and only worth quoting once they are clear.
Check in this order, and why
- Test the outlet with something else — It takes a minute and it removes the whole supply branch from the list.
- Open and close the lid firmly and listen for the interlock — The interlock is the gate everything else waits behind, so it comes before any panel work.
- Check for a control lock and any delay setting — Both are on the panel, both are free, and both are common.
- Confirm both taps are open and the hoses are not kinked — Last of the free checks, and the one that explains a machine that starts and then stalls.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the washer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off, and the motor and its control restart on their own when power returns. Shut the hot and cold taps before opening anything behind the machine, never defeat the lid or door interlock to watch a cycle run, and get a second person before walking a loaded machine out.
Models in the CLTW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| CLTW44A2BG | criterion:washer:cltw |
When to call a technician
Outlet testing, lid checks, unlocking the panel and opening taps are owner work. Call a technician once those are clear, because what remains is the interlock switch itself, the motor circuit or the control, and all three mean working inside the cabinet. Call at once if the outlet is warm, the plug is discoloured, or a breaker trips again after being reset.
Nearest pages of this class
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