I purchased my whirlpool duet washing machine model # GHW 9100LW in July for $967.00. The machine worked great for the first several months then I began to get what I considered a nuisance alarm code F 11 and sometimes F/dl. These codes were very easy to clear by pressing a pause button twice. I didnt think much about the problem because it occurred very infrequently. Fast forward to July the problem became continuous and so bad that the machine would just re-cycle to the error code every time I tried to clear it. The machine would essentially be stuck in mid-cycle, full of water with the door locked. I called an authorized whirlpool repair service who sent a technician to repair the machine on August 7. The repairman indicated that the pump filter was clogged and he charged me $94.00.
The machine worked for another month and I began getting the F 11 error code once again. I called the repair service once again and another technician was dispatched on October 23. He also said he found something in the pump filter. Charged another $94.00 and told us that if the problem persists he would have to change the pump. I had difficulty believing this was a pump problem since all the symptoms pointed to an electrical problem. (The F11 error code is a serial communication error per their tech manual). I called the repair service once again and discussed the issue because his solution was to order several parts including the pump, central control unit and motor control unit which cost many hundreds of dollars. He also recommended I call whirlpool customer service to see what they could do for me.
I followed his advice and called whirlpool. They told me since the machine was out of warranty there was nothing they could do. I escalated the call to a customer service manager and she re-iterated there was nothing they could do. When I told her I would have to pay as much in repairs as I paid for the original machine she had the audacity to offer me a 10% discount on a new machine, as if I would be stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.
I began to do some research and found the internet littered with people that have the same exact problem. If this is such a common problem I dont understand why the machine has not been recalled and why authorized service companies are not familiar with the problem unless whirlpool is purposely hiding the issue.
From my research I have determined the root cause of the problem is one of three things:
1. Central Control Unit that cost $200.00
2. Faulty wiring design
3. A $2.00 relay in the Central Control Unit
The following is a link of a YouTube Video from someone in Canada that illustrates this common problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch? V=a_B-WYd88e8
Anyone that buys this product is just looking for trouble:
Whirlpool does not stand behind their product and has terrible Customer Service
The machine is so electrically complicated authorized repair companies do not know how to diagnose and repair it.
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