New dishwasher or repair?

Smick100

My dishwasher has started to trip the RCD. I reset the RCD a few times and ran the dishwasher again.

Now, the RCD keeps tripping until I turn the isolator for the dishwasher off. Even without setting a programme, the RCD trips. 

The dishwasher is 10 years old. I could get it repaired, but I am repairing an old machine with 10 years worth of hard water, wear on the seals etc. Fix one problem to unearth the next.

My thought therefore is to get a new machine, get it installed, old one taken away. £400-£500 including installation and removal.

My main worry is that I do that and then the RCD keeps tripping anyway. 

What do people on here advise?

GDB2222

What would make you think that the rcd will continue to trip?  Have you tried disconnecting the current dishwasher and seeing whether the rcd trips?

Smick100

GDB2222 said:

What would make you think that the rcd will continue to trip?  Have you tried disconnecting the current dishwasher and seeing whether the rcd trips?

I am not sure what is causing the RCD to trip so am unsure if a new dishwasher will fix the issue.

The dishwasher itself is integrated so I can't remove it without some work. I can stop power to the dishwasher at the isolator switch and the sockets all stay on. When I then turn that switch on, the RCD goes again.

I have done a few small jobs myself like, for example, when my fridge stopped working last year, I got a new thermostat, replaced it, working like a charm now. My general thought was that if it was already broken, I can't do too much more damage.

The dishwasher, though, has water, a drain, and is causing a problem at the consumer unit. There's the potential of damage beyond the dishwasher itself.

TELLIT01

The symptoms would suggest that the fault is with the dishwasher, although it could still be at the switch.  At 10 years old it has given good service, but with the alternative being between £400 and £500, I would be inclined to get it checked out assuming it was working OK prior to the current problem.

Smick100

TELLIT01 said:

The symptoms would suggest that the fault is with the dishwasher, although it could still be at the switch.  At 10 years old it has given good service, but with the alternative being between £400 and £500, I would be inclined to get it checked out assuming it was working OK prior to the current problem.

Thanks. What sort of inspection would you suggest?

What is preventing me is that an appliance engineer will come out with a call out fee of £60, diagnose something that needs done, buys a part for £50, comes back and installs that, charge for parts, labour. I am £200 down and still have a ten year old dishwasher. Spend an extra £200 on what a repair would cost and get ten more years.

Sandtree

We are in a somewhat similar situation but our machine is of an unknown age as it came with the house but the kitchen we know is over 15 years old so could be a safe assumption.

Ours has an issue with the door sensor and frequently stops mid cycle (several times) unless you are leaning on the door... given how many hours a cycle is, not a practical solution. Cleaning the sensor etc seems to have helped a little but still over 50% of the time it'll stop 2-3 times during a wash. The counterweight on the door also broke some time ago so drops if you dont lift it down.

Have to admit that whilst ours is probably a more definite fix that we are minded to replace the machine anyway... modern ones have features like a quick wash or an eco programme that uses much less water and electricity than our current one does. Plus if two mechanical elements have now failed it feels like it may be the thin edge of the wedge. 

EssexExile

The most common cause of tripping is a heater element fault, but not always. If the element is visible then faults are usually obvious. How much that costs and how easy it is to replace depends on the machine. Only you can decide whether it's worth repairing or not.

GDB2222

Smick100 said:

GDB2222 said:

What would make you think that the rcd will continue to trip?  Have you tried disconnecting the current dishwasher and seeing whether the rcd trips?

I am not sure what is causing the RCD to trip so am unsure if a new dishwasher will fix the issue.

The dishwasher itself is integrated so I can't remove it without some work. I can stop power to the dishwasher at the isolator switch and the sockets all stay on. When I then turn that switch on, the RCD goes again.

I have done a few small jobs myself like, for example, when my fridge stopped working last year, I got a new thermostat, replaced it, working like a charm now. My general thought was that if it was already broken, I can't do too much more damage.

The dishwasher, though, has water, a drain, and is causing a problem at the consumer unit. There's the potential of damage beyond the dishwasher itself.

So, this isolator switch - is the dishwasher wired into it directly?

It seems to me that you have more or less decided to replace the machine, but first  you just want to double check that it isn't something to do with the house electrics. The only way to check that is to disconnect the machine and plug it in somewhere else. If it still trips the RCD, you have your answer. It almost certainly will, so you might just take that chance.

victor2

Unless you're particularly attached to the 10 year old dishwasher, and have confirned it is what is tripping the RCD, replace it.

We had our faulty integrated dishwasher replaced by a Neff one 6 years ago, for about your budget. Very pleased with it - it's still going strong.

Ms_Chocaholic

If I were in your shoes I wouldn't spend any more money on a 10 year old dishwasher, it's going to go anyway shortly, replace.

Smick100

Thanks a lot everyone! I think I knew the answer, but getting the same answer off everyone else has made the decision easier.