The short answer
On a Criterion washing machine that is not starting, the cause to suspect first is taps closed or hoses kinked, with drive motor or its start circuit behind it. The ranking below is written for the top-load build, which you can confirm in seconds: a lid over a vertical drum means a lid switch the machine checks before it will agitate or spin. The door, the taps, the breaker and the load are owner work; the pump, the motor and the board are not.
What you observe
- Panel lights and the cycle never begins — Power is present, so the question is the lock, the water or a lock setting.
- Water still standing in the drum — Most machines refuse to start over it, so the drain is the real fault.
- The door will not lock, or unlocks again immediately — The lock is in the start path and it has not reported closed.
- It stopped mid-cycle and now ignores the button — Usually an imbalance pause rather than a fault.
- Completely dead with no lights — A supply question: the socket, the breaker or a protective device.
- NEAR MISS — it starts and then stops without filling — That is a fill fault rather than a start fault, and the taps are the first thing to check.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- Taps closed or hoses kinked — Ranked first here: it ranks first on a top-load machine because the taps are behind the cabinet where they get knocked, and because a closed tap is the cheapest possible finding.
- Drive motor or its start circuit — Second: a hum with a drum that does not move is power present and rotation absent, which is the motor circuit rather than the controls.
- Standing water the machine will not start over — Third: most machines refuse to begin with water in the drum, so a blocked filter or a kinked drain hose presents as a start fault rather than a drain fault.
- Delay start or control lock — Fourth: it is excluded early because it is free and because the indicator is small enough to overlook entirely.
- Door or lid lock not reporting closed — Fifth: nothing begins until the lock confirms it is engaged, and on a front-load machine that lock has to hold against a full drum, so it is built to be positive and it wears.
- Power at the socket, breaker or protective device — Sixth: a tripped breaker or protective device leaves the machine dead with nothing wrong inside it.
Check in this order, and why
- Check both taps are fully open and the hoses are not kinked — A machine that cannot fill waits silently rather than reporting.
- Listen for a hum with no drum movement — Power present and rotation absent is the motor circuit rather than the controls.
- Look for water still standing in the drum — Most machines will not begin over standing water, so this reads as a start fault.
What an owner can safely check
- Check both taps are fully open and no hose is kinked — A machine that cannot fill waits silently rather than complaining.
About 10 min
- Check the socket, the breaker and any protective device — A tripped device is far more common than a failed component.
About 10 min
- Open the door, redistribute the load and try again — A machine paused on an imbalance restarts once the load is spread.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE if water is standing and will not drain — That is a drain fault, and the filter and pump sit behind the lower panel.
Before you open anything
Safety
Isolate at the plug and shut the taps before removing any panel. The door lock stays as it is — it holds against a full drum and forcing it is how people flood a kitchen. Drain through the pump filter with a tray down before opening anything lower. A standard household branch circuit is 15 A or 20 A at 120 V, so a machine that trips protection is telling you something electrical and should be left off until it is looked at.
When to call a technician
Once the free checks are clean the remaining causes are few and a visit is short. Turn the machine off at the wall while you wait if it has hummed or tripped anything, rather than leaving it powered and trying again later.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
Written for Criterion washing machines as a class, not for one family. No family-specific page for this brand and appliance is published here yet; where one exists for your unit it takes precedence over this page. Wiring colours, torque figures and part numbers are deliberately not here: they differ by family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
