external switch for washing machine

I have a washing machine where the power switch is stuck in the on position. The switch is going to be replaced under home warranty, but that is moving like molasses while I wait for them to order and then come install it, and in the meantime I need a workaround to use the machine. Right now to run the machine I need to unplug it, set the dial to the start of the cycle, and then plug the machine back in. It then comes on and runs a normal cycle and shuts down. But the plugging and unplugging method is hardly optimal. I'd like to put the plug into some kind of external switch to use instead. Will a regular 15A switched surge protector for household electronics work, or is a washer too much current for one of those things? Looking for ideas.

 

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Pretty rare for the power switch to be stuck and be able to run a normal cycle.
Usually when the power switch is stuck on...... the cycles keep getting repeated.

 

It's stuck in the pulled out position. So it runs a cycle and ends, just as if you had pulled out the knob to start it. It's just that you can't push the knob back in when it's finished like you usually would to set the dial for the next wash.

 

I'm not convinced these external switches can handle a large appliance. For instance I once had a timer that was rated for 15A. I tried to put an exhaust fan on it and it burned out the timer instantly. The startup load for a large motor can be more than these switch components are meant to handle. Can ayone with electrical knowledge weigh in?

 

Rather than having this running in two forums I'll respond here.

Power strip switches aren't rated to handle in-rush loads of motors like from a washer.
You could use a regular wall switch if you mount it and a receptacle in an electrical box.

Actually you don't need much inrush switching because when the machine starts it's in fill and draws very little current so a decent power strip should be ok.

 

Thanks. This is just a temporary setup for a few weeks while I await the repair, so I don't want to start having to set up wall switches. I just want a fast and easy switch I can plug into the outlet.

But the point about the machine starting in a fill cycle, not with the motor, hadn't occurred to me. So it sounds like a power strip should be OK so long as people remember to turn the switch off before rotating the dial (which as it is now kicks the motor on and off as the dial spins across cycles while switched on)

 

Exactly.