The short answer
An Econ-O-Wash washer that does nothing when you press start is most often held by its door lock or waiting for water rather than electrically dead. The first three causes below cover the great majority of these calls and none of them need a tool.
What you actually observe
- It only starts when the door is pushed — That is the lock, and it is a complete diagnosis.
- The machine is in constant use and the fault arrived gradually — Commercial wear arrives on a timetable rather than at random.
- NEAR MISS: it starts and then stops part-way — That is a cycle fault and belongs on a different page.
What it usually turns out to be, ranked
- A delay start, a child lock or a programme not confirmed — Most machines can be locked, most offer a delayed start, and on many the programme does not begin until start has been held rather than tapped. Ranked first on an Econ-O-Wash washer: the machine is loaded by whoever is next in the queue, and overloading is the single commonest cause in a shared room.
- No power reaching the machine — A washer is usually fed from a socket behind it or a switched spur beside it, and either is easy to knock off. Ranked second on an Econ-O-Wash washer: this is proved in a minute and it rules out the whole list below it.
- The door lock or lid switch not proving closed — Nothing happens on a modern washer until the machine has proved the door is locked. Ranked third on an Econ-O-Wash washer: the electronics are the expensive end of the list and the least likely, so they stay below everything that is free to check.
- The taps turned off — A machine with no water accepts the programme and then waits, which owners read as a machine that has not started. Ranked fourth on an Econ-O-Wash washer: nothing downstream can work until water actually arrives, so the supply is proved first.
The order to work in, and the reason for it
- Look for a lock or delay symbol and read what the panel is showing — An unfamiliar symbol on the panel is the answer surprisingly often.
- Check the socket, the spur switch and the breaker at the panel — A completely dark panel is a supply story until proved otherwise.
- Close the door firmly and listen for the lock to engage — A machine that starts only when the door is pressed has a lock fault.
What an owner can safely check
- Clear any delay, release the child lock and select the programme again from the start — Hold start for as long as the panel asks rather than tapping it.
About 10 min
- Switch the spur or socket back on and check the breaker, then test the socket with something else — Do not keep resetting a breaker that trips again immediately.
About 10 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals or a panel off — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Before you touch anything
Safety
Unplug the machine or switch off its breaker before reaching into a pump housing or behind a panel: the drum and the impeller can both turn under power. Never defeat a lid or door interlock to watch the drum spin. A washer is heavy and awkward, so get help to move it rather than walking it on a corner.
When to call a technician
Call when the supply is proved, the door locks, the taps are open and no lock or delay is set, because what remains is the lock assembly or the control. Call sooner if a breaker trips whenever the machine is switched on, and do not keep resetting it: repeated tripping is telling you something real.
Related pages for this appliance
What is deliberately not here
This page is about the Econ-O-Wash washer as a class rather than any single family or model. Top-loading and front-loading builds differ in nearly every detail, and drive arrangements, suspension hardware and part numbers are not given here for that reason. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your machine, read that one first.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
