Disable the LG washer/dryer melody at end of the cycle?

Question

Title is the question, the loud melody is obnoxious. This is a last ditch effort, the manual doesn't provide any information, surprisingly this fairly comprehensive machine doesn't seem to be designed to disable a sound? Is there a cord to cut or sequence of steps to silence the sound?

Model: LG WM3997HWA Ventless 4.3 Cu. Ft. Capacity Steam Washer/Dryer Combination with TurboWash, TrueBalance Anti-Vibration System, NeveRust Stainless Steel Drum, Allergiene Cycle in White

Both of our LG units (I'm thinking about 8 years old) have buttons on the front to adjust the signal volume or turn it off. — Hot Licks, Apr 07 '17 at 21:58
For LG F14A8YD....beep can only be changed during cycle...press and hold Temp. And Spin buttons — WeeMee, Sep 13 '17 at 09:46

score 13 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 06 '17 at 21:37

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I've used the following method to make obnoxious sounds coming from home appliances and toys much quieter:

Find where the sound comes from. Usually there's a little grill or perforated plastic that covers the loudspeaker or piezo inducer.
Tape over it with a transparent office tape. I sometimes do two layers in cross-hatch pattern if sounds are very loud.

Usually, it makes the sound quiet enough not to be bothersome anymore. You could, of course, disassemble the whole thing and cut the wires to the speaker (if it's not PCB-mounted, which many of them are), but in my experience just covering the hole where sounds come from is good enough.

answered Apr 06 '17 at 21:37

haimg

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Multiple layers of tape works to further quieten it (up to a point). But quite a lot of sound can get though plastic housings – Chris H Apr 07 '17 at 08:06
...and if the speaker is PCB mounted, hot glue will shut it up quite well – Chris H Apr 07 '17 at 15:24
and if having tape on the outside bothers you, you can remove the plastic face and put the tape on the inside. – Woodrow Barlow Apr 07 '17 at 17:51

user289394 · Answer 2 · 2017-04-07T01:03:50.580

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Manufacture mentioned there is no way to silence sound.

Inspired by Haimg's advice, I disconnected one of pins from the speaker module off of the components board.

edited Apr 07 '17 at 01:03

answered Apr 06 '17 at 21:24

user289394

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score 9 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 06 '17 at 21:35

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Strangely, page 26 of the manual mentioned in the question says the following:

Does that not work, or only apply to some subset of this model? Maybe there is some trick to get it right (sometimes these translated messages lack certain clarity). I would guess that it probably resets if power is lost.

I would not recommend physically cutting any wire to silence the beast. Sounds are also used by the repair technicians to diagnose problems. (if repair is ever needed)

answered Apr 06 '17 at 21:35

JerryD

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good eye! the manual the manufacture [points to](http://www.lg.com/us/support-product/lg-WM3997HWA) must be for a more comprehensive model, my machine doesn't have the "signal" button. :/ – user289394 Apr 06 '17 at 21:48
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bummer. I looked at the manual because I might be in the market for a new washer in the near future. Looks like you have to pay extra to not be annoyed. :-( BTW: the LG site has your manual at http://www.lg.com/us/support/manuals-documents. Just enter your model and it will come up. – JerryD Apr 06 '17 at 22:14
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@user289394 Mine does not look like the one on the manual. It's just below the play/pause button. You sure you don't have a Signal button? – Machavity Apr 07 '17 at 01:23
Right - the OP pulled a connector, rather than cutting a wire. – Carl Witthoft Apr 07 '17 at 14:16
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BTW, if it is a speaker module, fine - disconnecting a passive piezo speaker that is fed via a transformer could theoretically upset or even damage the electronics feeding it. – rackandboneman Apr 07 '17 at 15:37
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@rackandboneman - I have asked a question on EE SE about removing a piezo buzzer safely. Could you please respond to it? http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/297304 – Bort Apr 07 '17 at 20:15
@Bort I have seen piezo drivers using 1:100 tapped coils to boost the drive signal. Since the Piezo acts as a capacitive load, removing it results in just the coil reactance could "possibly" higher V=L dI / dt voltage than the transistor switch is rated for .. I believe that's what he was thinking too. But tape over the aperture hole will silence pretty effectively if plastic enclosed. – Tony Stewart EE75 Apr 07 '17 at 20:40
That is exactly what I was talking about. – rackandboneman Apr 10 '17 at 08:08

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 29 '18 at 13:46

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I thought my washing machine couldn't be silenced, but the manual section titled "Signal" advised to hold down the Extra Rinse button for 3 seconds to control the volume.

answered Apr 29 '18 at 13:46

user85257

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Mine indicates under the "Extra Rinse" button the Extra Function as "*Drum Light", is that similar to your model? Is that for every cycle or a global setting? Can it be completely silenced? I do notice a "1", "2", "3" option when pressed. – user289394 Feb 13 '19 at 18:03

Disable the LG washer/dryer melody at end of the cycle?

4 Answers4