Hotpoint Washing Machine Door Locked? (here’s why & what to do)

If the door on your Hotpoint washing machine is stuck in the closed position and won’t open it can be worrying. Especially if it’s full of wet laundry, the longer the wet clothes are stuck inside the drum, the more likely they are to start smelling mouldy.

If your Hotpoint washing machine door is locked, keep reading. In this article I explain all of the reasons why the door might be locked and offer solutions to these problems.

Why Is The Door On My Hotpoint Washing Machine Locked?

There are several reasons why the door on your Hotpoint washing machine might be locked which include;

Probable Cause	Solution
Child Lock Activated	Deactivate the child lock
The Cycle Ended Prematurely	Perform a reset
Defective Door Lock Mechanism	Contact a technician
Blocked Drain Hose	Inspect the drain hose and remove any blockage
Defective Timer	Inspect and replace the timer if necessary
Control Board Malfunction	Contact a technician

Let’s take a closer look at each of these issues;

Child Lock Activated

Your Hotpoint washing machine has a child lock (sometimes called a control lock) which is a safety feature designed to prevent children from messing with the controls and either hurting themselves or damaging the appliance.

Once the child lock has been activated, the door will not open. You should see a symbol on the display screen that looks like a key. That key symbol indicates that the child lock has been activated. On some models you may have an amber light illuminated, this also indicates that the child lock is activated.

To solve this all you need to do is deactivate the child lock. This is often achieved by holding down the button marked Child Lock for 3 to 5 seconds. You should then hear a beep and the light goes out or the key symbol disappears.

Consult your user manual for model specific instructions on how to deactivate the child lock on your particular model.

The Cycle Ended Prematurely

There are several reasons why the cycle could have ended prematurely including;

• A Power Cut/Outage
  If there is a power cut or outage in your area, it will interrupt the cycle on your machine. Once the power is restored, the cycle will have been aborted but the door locking mechanism will be stuck in the lock position.
• A Tripped Circuit Breaker
  If the circuit breaker gets tripped, the cycle will stop and once the power has been restored the cycle will abort but the door will be locked.
• The Plug Not Fully Inserted Into The Socket
  If the plug isn’t fully inserted into the socket, your appliance will suffer from intermittent power. This could cause the same results as a power cut or tripped circuit breaker.

Defective Door Lock Mechanism

Over time parts and components become worn and damaged. If the door lock mechanism develops a fault, it could cause the door to become stuck in the locked position.

Below, I have listed a number of ways to get the door open but fixing the door lock is a job best left to a technician.

Blocked Drain Hose

If there is a problem with draining wastewater from your Hotpoint washing machine, it can prevent the door from opening. This a safety feature designed to prevent your home from flooding if the washer door was opened when the drum was full of water.

If you can see water in the drum after the cycle has completed, there’s a strong possibility that the problem is connected to the drain hose or drain filter. 

Check The Filter

You can check the filter by opening the flap at the bottom front of the washer. Inside there will be a screw cap that opens by turning anti-clockwise. 

Take care as all of the water left inside the drum will gush out. You need to place a bowl on the floor in front of the filter and control the flow by opening the filter slightly until the bowl is full and then closing the filter again.

Continue this process until all of the water has been removed. You can then remove the filter and wash it under a fast running tap. Check inside the housing for any foreign objects like coins, nails, screws, hair clips etc.

Check The Drain Hose

If the filter is clear, the problem will most likely be caused by a blockage in the drain hose. Carefully remove the drain hose from the standpipe or under sink connection and place it in a bucket to catch any water that’s present.

You may need to push a plumber’s snake through the hose to remove any blockage. Once the blockage has been drawn out of the hose, you can reconnect the hose and the washer should work normally again and the door should function correctly as well.

Defective Timer

If you own an automatic or semi-automatic Hotpoint washing machine, it will rely on a timer to operate. If the timer becomes defective or develops a fault, it could cause the door to remain locked after the cycle has completed.

Unless you are confident in your DIY skills I recommend contacting a technician to investigate the timer for you. The technician will probably need to replace the timer before your washing machine will function correctly again.

Control Board Malfunction

Every function on your Hotpoint washing machine is governed by the control board. If the control board malfunctions, it could be the reason why the door will not unlock or open.

Reset The Appliance

The first thing to do is try to reset the appliance. This can be achieved by disconnecting the power supply for 10 to 15 minutes to allow any residual power to dissipate.

After the time has passed, reconnect the power supply and wait for around 2 minutes, the door should now open. If there’s still a problem you will need to contact a technician.

Control boards are easily damaged and expensive parts which is why I recommend contacting a technician to investigate if you suspect that the control board is malfunctioning.

F06 Error Code

Whether there is actually something wrong with the door lock mechanism or it’s just that the malfunctioning control board thinks there is, your Hotpoint washing machine might display the F06 error code.

This error code indicates that there’s a fault detected with the door lock mechanism. This will be displayed if the door fails to close properly or if it won’t open.

How To Unlock The Door On A Hotpoint Washing Machine

There are a few ways that can help you get the door open on your Hotpoint washing machine if it’s locked. They include;

Perform A Reset

Sometimes all that’s needed to get the door open is to remove all electrical charge from the lock mechanism. This is done by performing a reset.

Just disconnect the power supply for 10 to 15 minutes to allow all of the electricity to run out. Once the power is restored the door should work properly again.

However, you may need to allow it to sit for a couple of minutes after reconnecting the power before it will open.

Use The Manual Door Release Tab

If your washer is full of wet laundry, you may not want to wait for 15 minutes before accessing it. Many Hotpoint washing machines have a manual release tab which can be used in this situation.

If your model has a manual release tab, it will be located under the same flap as the drain filter or under a flap close by. All you need to do is locate the green plastic tab and gently pull downwards.

Take care as it is only made from thin plastic and is easily damaged. If you’re not careful, you might snap it.

Use An Old Credit Card

To open the door using an old credit card all you need to do is slide the card into the gap between the door and the frame of the machine. Move it around the right-hand side of the door somewhere in the middle of the door.

Eventually you will find the latch and the door will open.

Use A Strong, Thin Line

This is a bit fiddly but can be effective. You will need a strong thin line like a strimmer line or fishing line. All you need to do is feed the line under the door’s edge between the frame and the door and run it around the door lock mechanism. 

Then pull both ends of the line from the left-hand side to force the line to open the door catch.

SEE ALSO: What Is The Extra Touch Button On Hotpoint Washing Machines?

Frequently Asked Questions