Electrical Smells When Rinsing on a Maytag Atlantis

Drive Belt

• A defective drive belt may cause the electrical smells during the rinse cycle. Older Maytag Atlantis models have drive belts to distribute power from the motor to the transmission and pump. If the belt is not functioning properly because it is worn or broken, it creates friction. This tension causes a burning smell and may also produce loud noises. Depending on the model of the machine, there may be a separate belt for both the transmission and the pump.

Motor

• A problem with the washing machine’s motor may be producing the electrical smell during the rinse cycle. Newer machine models don’t have a drive belt; instead, they have a direct drive motor, which turns in one direction for some of the washing machine’s cycles and reverses direction for other cycles. A malfunctioning drive motor may turn in one direction or the other – but not both. However, its inability to turn will produce a burning effect, which results in an electrical smell.

Transmission

• A defective transmission may also cause the electrical smell during the rinse cycle. On some models, the drive motor only turns in one direction, and the machine uses a shifter to transition the transmission from the agitator to the spin cycle. However, if either the transmission or the shifter is malfunctioning, the machine will produce a burning electrical smell.

Other Considerations

• The U.S. Fire Administration warns against overloading the washing machine since this creates unnecessary pressure on the machine’s parts and can result in electrical smells and possibly fire. In addition, if the washer is not grounded or is using an outlet with the incorrect number of prongs, this can also cause electrical smells, which may be a warning sign of an impending fire hazard. Although electrical smells may manifest during the rinse cycle, the electrical problems can occur anywhere during the laundry process.