Help! Knackered washing machine...

[Sway]

Our washing machine has started smelling like a Delhi sewer, is making sounds reminiscent of a plague of mice engaged in copulation, and leaks.

I've had the top and bottom off, and nothing seems amiss. The drum drain (big black pipe looking thing) seems fine (whipped it off, had a look, couldn't see anything). The long grey ribbed (for her pleasure) pipe out the back isn't blocked, but was full of black, foul smelling liquids. The filter itself has been cleared regularly (allegedly).

Looking at the general installation, I noticed that the standpipe the machine drains into is quite tall, comes up to roughly the centreline of the drum - is this correct?

My current thoughts are that either the standpipe is too high, causing a giant 'u-bend' trapping stinky water in, or the filter box itself is the cause.

Anything else that it could be?

Attached is a technical rendering:



Cheers for your help.

[grumbledoak]

My standpipes are far higher than that. The only problems I ever had was when the 27yo machine leaked.

But we did get a beautiful, delicate, translucent mushroom growing in the carpet to warn us.

[Paul Drawmer]

Have you looked closely at the drum seal rubber? - ugh!

There's a note on t'internet somewhere about low temperature powders, and why you should use a HOT wash every now and then.

[Simpo Two]

Sway said:

Our washing machine has started smelling like a Delhi sewer, is making sounds reminiscent of a plague of mice engaged in copulation, and leaks.

Anything else that it could be?

You could be in Delhi...

[Paul Drawmer]

It could be this...
http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/usage_2.html#cl_q1

[herewego]

You don't say where the leak is from. I get a smell sometimes through the standpipe, so you could check if the smell is from the washing machine pipe or from the standpipe. Maybe the standpipe is blocked.

[dickymint]

Split in the door seal most likely.