Test a Washing Machine Triac

Washing machine (Hoover ws130) has developed a fault in that whenever it tries to turn the motor, the motor runs at full speed. This means it cannot wash and even on spin it spins for a few secs then stops. I have seen the motor reverse. Reading around suggests that either the tacho may be at fault or more likely that the triac has failed and is keeping the motor at spin speed. Is there anyway of testing the triac to see if this is the case. Or is it a case of trying a new one? I can source the part (BTB08-600BW) and I get the impression that failing triacs are common. Is this true? My concern is that if I call in the repairman he will just recommend a new control board/timer which would be costly to the degree that I would consider a new machine.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

J
Reply to
jamessmith50
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A replacement triac is under £1, so you could just swap it, if you have the relevant electronics skills. (You can probably use a BTA08-600 which is easier to find. It has an insulated tab whereas the tab on yours is live, providing yours isn't using the tab as one of the electrical connections.) Use new heatsink compound.

The symptoms you describe are not what I would expect from a failed triac though. If the triac had shorted, I would expect the motor to run continuously, but maybe that washing machine has some other means to disconnect the motor when not being used.

A warning if you are testing this... Never let a washing motor run at full speed with no load and no servo control. Many of them can spin fast enough for the armature to explode when not properly speed controlled.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

In article , Andrew Gabriel wrote: [snip]

Yes, it would be quite a few Amps of starting current and I can't see any contact on the programmer being beefy enough to handle that. It is more likely that the speed control has failed. Most likely being a failure of the wiring to the speed sensor (as they enter the encapsulated speed sensor block?).

Reply to
Tony Williams

The message from snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com contains these words:

Last time that happened to me was on a Hoover and the tacho-generator magnet had fallen off the end of the motor's shaft. Screwed it back on into epoxy with a brass screw and away it went.

Check the tacho coil hasn't gone open circuit, as it's unlikely to be the triac - if it had failed it would either be on all the time whether the motor should be on or not, or not run at all. Coming on at the right time but at the wrong speed is very tachoish.

Reply to
Guy King

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