GE Washer Turns On By Itself? Here’s What To Do!

Have you been freaked out to see your GE washer turn on by itself? There is nothing to worry about, as there could be several electro-mechanical issues causing such an occurrence.

The most probable causes for your GE washer are a fault in the intake valve, hence water clogging, and control panel issues. Besides, a physical damage to the control board could trigger your GE washer to turn ON by itself.

Before you jump out and call a technician, go through this article to diagnose your GE washer and solve the issue. It helps you understand your issue better and save a lot of money.

Safety Precautions When Dealing With GE Washer That Turns On By Itself

Electric washers are made of a lot of mechanical moving parts, such as powerful motors, pumps, valves, and numerous wires.

If your GE washer turns ON by itself, there must be some electro-mechanical fault. Hence, you must follow some safety precautions while dealing with your washer to avoid fatal accidents.

• Firstly, use the control knobs or buttons to shut off the washer if it turns ON automatically.
• If the knobs or buttons are unresponsive, you can attempt to unplug the washer directly from the main line by pulling out the plug carefully.
• It is better to use rubber gloves if you want to address your GE washer for diagnosis or troubleshooting.
• Before removing or installing any parts such as valves, drain pipes, or the control panel, unplug the washer.

Troubleshooting And Fixing a GE Washer That Turns On By Itself

A lot of users in the community have reported that their GE washer turns ON by itself, along with some other symptoms and issues. Here are the most probable causes and easy fixes for you to get your GE washer up and running again.

1. Faulty Water Intake Valve

Similar to other washers, most GE washers have two water intake valves. These valves are responsible for receiving hot and cold water from the supply.

However, these valves are connected to the washer through a single structure. Hence, when there’s a leak or damage to any of the valves, water drips inside the washing drum and detergent dispensing unit.

As a result, water slowly starts to accumulate inside the drum. It results in activating the pressure, drain, and agitating sensors of the GE washers. This causes the washer to turn on by itself to drain out the water from inside.

To solve this, you need to check intake valves visually and physically. If it is repairable, then you can get it fixed with minimal cost. However, it is recommended that you replace the valve unit with the OEM part.

In order to know the part number, you can refer to the QR code or your GE washer model number located on the back panel. It might cost you around $60 for the original valve unit, including the shipping charge.

2. Problematic Control Board

The issue of the GE washer turning on by itself is more common in older models. Aging and heavy usage cause trouble for the control board somehow.

Hence, sometimes it gets confused, and the GE washer turns ON by itself following a complete drain and agitating cycle. In such instances, you cannot control the washer using the control knobs or buttons.

According to many users, a potential fix for this problem is to reset the GE washer to the default factory settings. Since you can do it yourself, you do not need to call a technician to save some bucks.

For this procedure, you need to unplug the machine because it might keep running and running. After unplugging the washer, rotate the main control knob to the middle, pointing “Medium” on top.

Now, put back the plug, and your washer will start making noises again. At this moment, press and hold the “Start/Pause” button while you rotate the control knob clockwise precisely seven times.

You’ll notice all the indicator lights going out and off. Lastly, unplug and replug the washer again, and it will start working nominally.

3. Damaged Control Board

In some cases, after your GE washer turns ON by itself and starts agitating or draining, it becomes uncontrollable. This means you cannot stop the washer using the onboard control knobs or buttons.

The only way to turn off the washer is to unplug it directly from the socket. This is a symptom of the failed main control board of the washer.

This board acts as the brain of the washer and controls the draining by engaging the pumps and sensors. Since it cannot be repaired and resetting the washer won’t do any good, you need to physically replace the board. The OEM control boards come with a plug-and-play feature. Hence, you can replace it by accessing the timer module on top of the washer yourself. The part costs around $200.

What To Do if the Ge Washer Still Turns On By Itself After Troubleshooting?

If you found that the GE washer still turns on by itself even after attempting soft and hard resets, there’s something big going on.

You can try to get into your washer’s diagnostic mode to see if any error codes are present. Besides, you can also check if all major systems are working fine.

If not, then it can be a symptom of internal damage in the washer, such as damage to the main control board, transmission, pumps, sensors, valves, wiring, etc.

In such instances, it is recommended to keep the washer unplugged and the valves shut off. After that, you need to get in touch with the dealership or a certified technician for further assistance.

FAQs

To know more about the diagnosis and troubleshooting of your GE washer, you might want to take a look at the answers to the following questions.

Final Words

If your GE washer turns on by itself and you are stuck with it, it is advised to try resetting the washer to its default factory settings, as it won’t cost you anything. 

Next, go to diagnostic mode and look for error codes, following which you can replace the indicated parts by yourself without any expert assistance.