It's a good idea to have your wife help you with this as it is probably one of her accessories that has caused the fault! This is also known as proactive preventative measures.
Lets get to it. If we are talking about a Fisher & Paykel Intuitive that is out of warranty then here are the 10 steps to follow.
1) Turn off the water supply at the tap where the hose is connected and syphen out the water in the machine with a hose.
2) Take off the lid by putting it in the upright position and pulling it straight up and out.
3)You will now see two screw plugs at the front top of the machine. Remove the plugs to reveal the two screws which you will also need to remove. Once the screws have been removed you can lift the top of the machine up and tilt it towards the back. The back needs to stay attached to the base of the machine.
4) Now inside the machine take off the top soap holder and put your arm down the tube to unscrew the the locking device that holds the assembly together. Now you can pull the assembly out and put it to one side.
5) The silver inner bowl needs to come out. The top cover of the bowl is clipped on by about six plastic clips which can break if you try too hard so be careful when unclipping these. Once unclipped you will be able to lift the plastic cover off but don't undo the attached spring. Just put the cover to the side that the spring is attached to and leave it there for now.
6) Lift the silver bowl that usually holds the clothes out of the machine. It might need some force but it should slide straight up and out.
7) You can now see (probably under some water) a red plastic cover with one screw holding it on. Remove the screw and take the cover out. You might know be able to see the offending item. It could be rusted by now. What is it? A hair clip or something? Show it to your wife with an all knowing look!
8) If the item has deteriorated you might need to take the next plastic cover underneath out. It should pull straight out and has a rubber seal that might fall off. Do not be alarmed! It fits snuggly back around the base of the cover. You will work it out when you go to put it back together.
9) You might want to syphen the rest of the water out. Point to note: it doesn't taste very nice! It is a good idea to give everything a clean with hot water as you go along.
10) Once you have removed all foreign objects you can put the machine back in the reverse order. If this does not resolve your problem, sorry, it's time to open the wallet and call a technician. Good luck!
James, April 2005
