washing machine: electrical fault?

cisko65

Hi, my washing machine kept switching itself off three times with different programs, and now doesn't turn on. I unplugged it and managed to drain most of the water. Before buying a new one, how can I tell if it is an electrical fault of the machine or the cable? Not easy at all to reach the back of the machine.

Thanks.

victor2

cisko65 said:

Hi, my washing machine kept switching itself off three times with different programs, and now doesn't turn on. I unplugged it and managed to drain most of the water. Before buying a new one, how can I tell if it is an electrical fault of the machine or the cable? Not easy at all to reach the back of the machine.

Thanks.

Unlikely to be a plug or cable fault if there's no obvious damage to it. Can you get at the cable to examine it? Even if it runs behind units or similar, you're going to have to remove it if you go for a new machine anyway.

grumbler

cisko65 said:

Not easy at all to reach the back of the machine.

Thanks.

Just pull the machine out. Open the door and grasp the top part of the opening. Wet the floor to make it easier.

macman

Very unlikely to be a cable fault: much more likely a fault on the PCB, or maybe the heating element has blown, if it fails at that same point in the cycle when the heater comes on. Tried a cold cycle?
If it's tripping out the RCD, then most likely to be earth leakage somewhere on it.
You need to expand on 'switching itself off' a bit more, it doesn't really help. Do you mean it's completely dead, or just that the cycle stops? 
If it's stopping at pump-out stage, then the pump filter just needs cleaning, as they regularly get blocked.

cisko65

macman said:

Very unlikely to be a cable fault: much more likely a fault on the PCB, or maybe the heating element has blown, if it fails at that same point in the cycle when the heater comes on. Tried a cold cycle?
If it's tripping out the RCD, then most likely to be earth leakage somewhere on it.
You need to expand on 'switching itself off' a bit more, it doesn't really help. Do you mean it's completely dead, or just that the cycle stops? 
If it's stopping at pump-out stage, then the pump filter just needs cleaning, as they regularly get blocked.

By 'switching itself off' I mean the power light swithces off and the washer is completely dead. It happened twice at different points of different cycles.

I'm afraid I'm not knowledgeable enough to understand you.

I will need someone able to reach the back of the machine. Hopefully an electrician/plumber will understand whether I need a new machine, or it is separate cable problem (eaten by mice?....). Or other things.

Thanks.

CliveOfIndia

cisko65 said:

macman said:

Very unlikely to be a cable fault: much more likely a fault on the PCB, or maybe the heating element has blown, if it fails at that same point in the cycle when the heater comes on. Tried a cold cycle?
If it's tripping out the RCD, then most likely to be earth leakage somewhere on it.
You need to expand on 'switching itself off' a bit more, it doesn't really help. Do you mean it's completely dead, or just that the cycle stops? 
If it's stopping at pump-out stage, then the pump filter just needs cleaning, as they regularly get blocked.

By 'switching itself off' I mean the power light swithces off and the washer is completely dead. It happened twice at different points of different cycles.

I'm afraid I'm not knowledgeable enough to understand you.

I will need someone able to reach the back of the machine. Hopefully an electrician/plumber will understand whether I need a new machine, or it is separate cable problem (eaten by mice?....). Or other things.

Thanks.

RCD = a "master" trip switch on your consumer unit (fuse-board in old money).  I'm guessing it's not that since you've made no reference to having to reset it.

PCB = Printed Circuit Board.  Essentially a simple computer circuit built into the machine that controls everything.  They can and do develop faults, and annoyingly they often cost near enough the price of a new machine to replace (unless you're lucky enough to know a whizz-kid who can actually repair them).

But check the simple things first.  You say you've unplugged it - are the wires in the plug itself seated securely into the terminals?  Pull the machine out and visually check the cable for any damage.  Check the socket itself (after having made absolutely certain you've killed the power to the applicable circuit at the consumer unit - check and double-check that it is indeed dead).  Again, just a simple check to make sure the wires are all screwed firmly into the terminals.  May as well rule out a simple loose connection or damaged cable that can be easily fixed yourself, or by a competent handy-man.

Yes, it may well be something more complicated (and costly!), but check the simple stuff first.

cisko65

CliveOfIndia said:

cisko65 said:

macman said:

Very unlikely to be a cable fault: much more likely a fault on the PCB, or maybe the heating element has blown, if it fails at that same point in the cycle when the heater comes on. Tried a cold cycle?
If it's tripping out the RCD, then most likely to be earth leakage somewhere on it.
You need to expand on 'switching itself off' a bit more, it doesn't really help. Do you mean it's completely dead, or just that the cycle stops? 
If it's stopping at pump-out stage, then the pump filter just needs cleaning, as they regularly get blocked.

By 'switching itself off' I mean the power light swithces off and the washer is completely dead. It happened twice at different points of different cycles.

I'm afraid I'm not knowledgeable enough to understand you.

I will need someone able to reach the back of the machine. Hopefully an electrician/plumber will understand whether I need a new machine, or it is separate cable problem (eaten by mice?....). Or other things.

Thanks.

RCD = a "master" trip switch on your consumer unit (fuse-board in old money).  I'm guessing it's not that since you've made no reference to having to reset it.

PCB = Printed Circuit Board.  Essentially a simple computer circuit built into the machine that controls everything.  They can and do develop faults, and annoyingly they often cost near enough the price of a new machine to replace (unless you're lucky enough to know a whizz-kid who can actually repair them).

But check the simple things first.  You say you've unplugged it - are the wires in the plug itself seated securely into the terminals?  Pull the machine out and visually check the cable for any damage.  Check the socket itself (after having made absolutely certain you've killed the power to the applicable circuit at the consumer unit - check and double-check that it is indeed dead).  Again, just a simple check to make sure the wires are all screwed firmly into the terminals.  May as well rule out a simple loose connection or damaged cable that can be easily fixed yourself, or by a competent handy-man.

Yes, it may well be something more complicated (and costly!), but check the simple stuff first.

Thanks for all the details and the warning!
I don't feel comfortable doing even simple thing myself. The cables underneath the kitchen appliances are tangled - too long and with extensions - and there's mice foam. I will call an electrician first (I wanted to do a check of the flat electricity system anyway). And than have the washing machine installed by a handy man or the seller.

macman

If this is an intermittent fault (it starts a cycle and then stops) then it's obviously not cable damage due to mice.
If the appliance still doesn't work properly when you plug it into another socket then you are justing wasting time and money calling out a sparky, because it's then clearly a fault on the appliance itself (and not a circuit fault,) for which you need a white goods engineer if you are not confident to do basic fault finding.

cisko65

macman said:

If this is an intermittent fault (it starts a cycle and then stops) then it's obviously not cable damage due to mice.
If the appliance still doesn't work properly when you plug it into another socket then you are justing wasting time and money calling out a sparky, because it's then clearly a fault on the appliance itself (and not a circuit fault,) for which you need a white goods engineer if you are not confident to do basic fault finding.

Thanks.
The first time the wm switched itself off during a cycle I pressed the power botton a few times and it switched on again. When it switched itself off for a second time, I pressed the power botton a few time but couldn't switch it on again.

I unplugged days ago and do not feel too confident in plugging it into a different socket. 

I'm not an expert.I need an expert...

Alanp

Could be a doorlock problem, hard to say though really, you need someone to look at it…

cisko65

Alanp said:

Could be a doorlock problem, hard to say though really, you need someone to look at it…

Mmm, that sounds interesting. A few months ago I realized the door closed properly but there was no bip sound when it was ready to reopen.