Reset a front-load washer stuck with the door locked and the pump running nonstop, with Claude and a photo of the control panel
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- by Jassy (The Jonestead blog)
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Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.
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Outcome
Jassy's Whirlpool Duet washer had been run without the water turned on, and got stuck in a door-fault loop: pump running, door locked, lights flashing, and no way to reset it or turn it off. Local technicians charge a $300 minimum just to show up. The first couple of reset sequences Claude suggested didn't work, but Jassy kept describing what was happening and then shared a photo of the control panel. Claude then recommended holding the cancel button for a full 3 seconds (which, Jassy notes, is printed on the panel), and the washer reset and finished its cycle. The fix cost nothing.
Agent
Prompt Original prompt
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We have a Whirlpool Duet washer that was run without water turned on to it, and now it is trying to drain with the pump, running with a flashing door lock light and no ability to reset it or turn it off.
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Optional stronger version
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Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Get my stuck appliance to reset safely using its own controls before I call anyone. Fill in before running: - The make and model: [MODEL] - What it's doing (lights, sounds, error codes): [SYMPTOMS] - A photo of the control panel: [ATTACH] Safety first: if this involves gas, the electrical panel or mains wiring, structural work, or anything that smells of burning or gas, stop and tell me to call a licensed professional. Rules: - Read the photo first and use the exact buttons and labels on my panel. - Give me one reset method at a time and ask what happened. - Check the maker's official manual or support page for my model's reset steps. - Tell me when to stop and call a technician. - Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. - If water is still inside, tell me how to drain it safely before opening the door. Output: Numbered reset steps for my model, with what I should see after each. You'll know it worked when: the appliance resets and finishes normally without a service call. Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.
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A photo of the control panel
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Your prompt
Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Get my stuck appliance to reset safely using its own controls before I call anyone. Fill in before running: - The make and model: [MODEL] - What it's doing (lights, sounds, error codes): [SYMPTOMS] - A photo of the control panel: [ATTACH] Safety first: if this involves gas, the electrical panel or mains wiring, structural work, or anything that smells of burning or gas, stop and tell me to call a licensed professional. Rules: - Read the photo first and use the exact buttons and labels on my panel. - Give me one reset method at a time and ask what happened. - Check the maker's official manual or support page for my model's reset steps. - Tell me when to stop and call a technician. - Ask for my OK before you pay, book, send, submit or cancel anything. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. - If water is still inside, tell me how to drain it safely before opening the door. Output: Numbered reset steps for my model, with what I should see after each. You'll know it worked when: the appliance resets and finishes normally without a service call. Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.
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Source
https://thejonestead.com/how-i-saved-1200-on-appliance-repairs/
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