Water Inlet Valves - Maytag MFR Series Service Manual

The water inlet valves are mounted to the
rear bridge of the washer cabinet and are
accessed by opening the top cover. Most
of the MFR washer models will have three
individual one inlet/two outlet water fill valves
or a total of six fill valve solenoid coils.
Two of the valve units will be threaded into a
cast brass manifold for the cold water supply.
A single double valve unit is used for hot water
input, if supplied. There are additional valves
used in the MFR60 and MFR80 models to
provide additional flow to reduce filling times.
The inlet valves are designed to operate over
a water pressure range of 30 to 120 pounds
per square inch. Low water pressure and
particularly low flow pressure may result in a
valve not closing properly. Debris in the water
line may also affect operation of the valves.
nOTe: Less than 20 psi, valves may leak.
The first time the washer is hooked up and
the water is turned on, there will be a small
amount of water released through the valve(s)
as the water line pressure builds up behind
the rubber diaphragm(s) in the guide tube of
the valve(s). It is this internal pressure that
keeps the diaphragm seated against the valve
seat and avoids water flow through the valve.

WaTeR inleT valveS

3-6
The water at the inlet (G) pushes against the
diaphragm (H). The solenoid plunger (B) and
the spring (A) by themselves are not strong
enough to overcome the water pressure
trying to raise the diaphragm. Therefore, it is
necessary to equalize the pressure on both
sides of the diaphragm in order to keep the
diaphragm in a closed position. Pressure
builds up in the guide tube above the
diaphragm and keeps it in the closed position.
The flow of water is blocked until the solenoid
is energized. To accomplish this, a small pilot
hole (C) is provided in the diaphragm to allow
water to flow into the plunger area. The water
in the plunger area equalizes the pressure
on both sides of the diaphragm. The spring
pushes the plunger down into the center
hole (D) of the diaphragm and closes it until
the solenoid is energized. To energize the
solenoid an electromagnetic field is created
that pulls the plunger upwards, which opens
the center hole. Water is allowed to escape
through the center hole in the diaphragm,
reducing the pressure in the plunger area.
The pressure from the water supply forces the
diaphragm up and allows the water to pass
under the diaphragm and into the washer.