Pulling your washing machine door handle and realizing it won’t open sucks.
You’ll either have to return your dirty clothes back to the house or hand wash them, neither of which sounds pretty.
Luckily, issues causing your Hotpoint washing machine door to lock are easy to handle and resolve. Some need simple diagnosis and fixing, while others require contacting a professional washing machine technician.
The issues range from child lock, pressure system fault, cycle in progress, door lid catch/switch, delayed timer, and even power outage.
Let’s explore more and also find solutions to these problems.
Why is My Hotpoint Washing Machine Door Locked?
Cycle in Progress
Front-loader Hotpoint washing machines lock the door once you load laundry and press the buttons for clean, wash, and dry. The door stays locked until it completes the cycle for the time you commanded it.
Note that the door stays locked for safety reasons, such as
- Prevents injuries from hot water if you are doing a hot water wash
- Water spillage and flooding in your laundry area
- Prevents Machine damage when spinning at high speed, which causes drum imbalance
- It prevents detergent dispensation since the machine dispenses it at various cycle points. The door stays locked for a successful completion of the cycle.
Fix- Wait For The Cycle in Progress To Finish
The only way to fix a locked door because of a cycle in progress is to wait patiently for the cycle to finish. This will take the time you instructed the machine. In case of any errors between the cycles, you can read the manufacturer’s manual and find out how to solve the issues as per the error codes displayed on the machine.
If your machine still doesn’t open despite trying to solve the error displays, you can contact Hotpoint Washing Machine customer support for further assistance.
Child Lock
Do you have children at home? Do you often put Child Lock on your Hotpoint washing machine? If you have used the child lock several times, you could have pressed the child lock settings knowingly/ unknowingly before the cycle.
Child lock prevents unauthorized access to the washing machine when the cycle is still in progress.
Fix – Disable The Child Lock
You have to turn off your child lock by pressing a combination of buttons on your machine. But you must do it after the machine completes its cycle if it is still in progress. If the machine is empty and there is no cycle, you can still try to turn OFF its power from the main switch and wait a few minutes for the lock to release.
If you turn it ON again and the door still doesn’t open, and the Child Lock combination buttons still don’t work, call Hotpoint customer care for further assistance.
Faulty Pressure System
Another primary reason why your Hotpoint washing machine door stays locked is because it has a faulty pressure system. The pressure system is designed to send signals to the control board once your machine completes a cycle so that it can start another one. If your machine’s pressure switch continues registering water in the washer’s drum, the door will stay locked.
A faulty washing machine pressure system occurs because of a Clogged pressure hose, faulty pressure switch, water inlet valve problem, Blockages in the Water Inlet Filters, Wiring or Control Board Problems, and Sensor Calibration.
Fix- Unclog The Inlet Valve, FixThe control Board, Replace The Faulty Pressure System
Before replacing the washer’s pressure system, you must know where the issue lies. First, switch OFF your washing machine and then inspect the pressure hose. If it is clogged, disconnect it from both ends, unclog it, and reconnect it securely.
Also, check the pressure switch behind the control panel. Test it with a multimeter to check for continuity. If there’s no continuity, the pressure switch is faulty, and you must replace it with a new one.
If the water inlet valve is the one causing problems with the pressure system, try to unclog it by turning OFF the water first. Remove the valve, unclog it, or repair it for damages. If its damage is beyond repair, replace it with a new one.
If wiring/ control board problems cause the issue, contact a professional washing machine repairer to replace the control board.
After checking all the possible causes of a faulty pressure system and correcting them, and it still does not work, consider replacing it. Buy a new pressure system and let your technician fix it. This should solve the issue, and your Hotpoint washing machine door should unlock easily after completing all washing cycles.
Faulty Door Lid Switch
Have you ever thought of the door lid switch as the one causing your Hotpoint machine door lock? A faulty door lid switch can malfunction when the machine cycle is still in progress, making it impossible to open the door.
Fix- Replace The Faulty Door Lid Switch
You can fix the door lid switch or use your warrant and let the company handle the issue. If you choose to repair it, call a professional repairer to check it at your own expense.
The repairer will have to access the switch and remove the front panel of your washing machine. Use a multimeter to test if the door lid switch functions continually when disengaged. If not, the switch is faulty, and the repairer can replace it with a new one.
Faulty/ Broken Door Catch
Your Hotpoint Washing machine could have a broken door catch that keeps it locked even after a successful cycle. The catch might have broken after a previous slamming exerting excessive force on its mechanism.
Alternatively, the catch stopped working because of wear and tear caused by repetitive closing and shutting of the door. This is common if your machine is old and has corroded the door catch. If not, some pieces of cloth lodged in the door catch, leading to malfunction because of obstruction.
If your machine is still new and the handle is still intact, the issue could be a manufacturing defect. Maybe the catch/handle needed to be assembled properly, or the manufacturer used low-quality material that wore fast.
A faulty machine door catch could also arise from an electric issue, especially if it’s new. It could have experienced short circuits leading to component failures and malfunctions.
Fix- Replace The Faulty/ Broken Door Catch
The best solution for fixing a faulty or broken door catch is replacing it with a new one. Start by turning OFF your Hotpoint washing machine from the main switch. Unscrew the hinge screws and lay the door on a clean and soft surface.
The door will come out in two halves, which you should prise carefully. To release the handle and catch spring, slide out the pivot pin.
Now it’s time to fit in the new door catch/handle and reassemble. Slide the pivot through the frame, side of the spring, and handle. Ensure it goes through and with aligning parts. Remove the pivot until the latch clears while the spring remains fixed.
After locating the hook, ensure you push the hook completely through. At this point, your handle should move the catch and return to the right direction when you release it. If it works well, you can refit the remaining half-door frame with the glass correctly positioned. Now you have a working door catch and should be able to open your washing machine door.
Power Outage
Have you checked if there’s power in your home or if your machine is receiving power? When there is no power, your Hotpoint washing machine will interlock and lock the door if the machine is running before the interruption.
Fix – Wait For Power Restoration
You cannot do anything now because this is not a mechanical issue. You have to wait until the power comes back, and your washer will continue with the cycle and unlock the door after completion.
Yet, if the problem lies in the washer’s connection to the main switch, you can call an electrician to fix the issue.
Delayed Timer
Timing plays a significant role in a washing machine, affecting the door lock. The timer influences the door lock mechanism in that the door remains locked during the washing cycle and opens once the process finishes.
So, if you set a delay timer on your washer, you instructed it to start the cycle and finish after your desired time. As the machine counts down, it remains idle and triggers the door lock mechanism, which you cannot open until the cycle completes.
Fix – Wait For The Cycle To Complete, Turn The Washing Machine OFF and On
If you intentionally or accidentally set the delayed timer, you must wait until the washing machine completes the cycle as per your instructions. If you don’t have the patience and want to get your laundry out before the timer starts, you can turn OFF the machine, give it a few minutes, and then turn it ON. At this point, the delayed timer should automatically turn off to make the door openable.
If the cycle completes and you have also turned the power OFF and On and still don’t open, your timer might have some wear and tear issue or is displaced. So, call a technician to replace the timer with a new one for effective running.
