You were right Linz! Thanks for your help. This is what I did:
I put a long plastic thing down the 'hole' that the water should go down, but it felt absolutely solid like a plastic valve had shut, but, still going with the 'stuck soap idea, I kept pouring hot water down it and wiggling the plastic thing about in the hope of loosening the blockage and releasing the water. One glass of hot water, wiggle wiggle, syphon off the hot water. Every time the water came out soapy, so I thought that there must be a blockage. But nothing was doing the trick! and I could feel the plastic hose was quite delicate and I didn't want to make a hole in it, so tried something else. I didn't want to lie the machine down as thought of broken toes and hernia, so opened the back. This didn't tell me very much as there was a ruddy great big drum in the way. So: opened up the top of the machine. I took the front screws out which hold the soap compartment and it came loose. There is a spring-loaded wire which controls the er... controls and this came away quite easily. I could just put my hand in to try to feel the hose. It is a thick black hose of wide diameter and I could feel that the whole of the 'U' bend thing was blocked solid with soap powder. I mean it was absolutely solidly packed! It felt like it was hard plastic. This fits into the drum and was very easy to get out. It then took 2 hours to loosen this soap with spoons, and screwdrivers, very gingerly and carefully so as to not make a hole in the hose. With this finally done, reconnected the pipe to the drum, reconnected control wire thingy, and then put top back on and back back on, straight this time, as someone had put all the screws in at an angle and they were a devil to get out then reconnected blue and red pipes. Hopefully, there are no leaks and no problems! Phew! Hope this helps someone out there.
Servis help needed
September 2005
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