Washing Machine blues

[Douglas de Lacey]

Hoover Logic 1300 Washer/dryer, about 20 years old. Blew a fuse last night, and when I replaced it this morning I was rewarded by a luverly flash and bang. There's a large pot which has exploded. The legend says KPB7077 X1Y 0.3uF + 2x0.01uF +680KOhm 16A 250VAC. It also has very large L and N letters on it. The problem is that since it ejected all its gubbins I can't tell which is which; It's 4 pole and I have 4 wires: yellow, blue, blue/brown and yellow/brown. Has anyone a service manual or helpful words of advice please?

Douglas de Lacey

[Guy King]

The message from Douglas de Lacey contains these words:

Was it on the motor?

[dtechy]

You've had 20 years out of it. May I suggest you push the boat out an get a new machine

-- dtechy

[Ian Stirling]

Assuming it's just next to the fuse in the circuit, connected to the chassis, and L+N. The washing machine will work without it. It's a snubber basically, to suppress noise going in and out.

order code

239-668 Wire three in parallel (to match the existing 0.3uF), L+N to the outer two pins, earth to the middle. With 506-5670 from live-neutral. (optionally, 4 of these, arranged as two strings of two in series in parallel, to marginally improve safety). T

[Guy King]

The message from dtechy contains these words:

You haven't got the hang of this "d-i-y" thing, have you!

[Fray Bentos]

Where the mains input wire enters the machine, is it the first thing the wire goes to ?

It could be a mains suppressor thing?

[Douglas de Lacey]

And Fray Bentos added:

It is indeed the first thing the wires go to, And indeed (now I have replaced the plug fuse with a working one, not a dud as I did first time round) it does indeed work. Thank you both. Ian, did you get my email to you? Douglas de Lacey

[Douglas de Lacey]

I asked advice about a blown mains snubber in my Hoover Logic 1300 Washer/dryer. Ian Stirling and Fray Bentos pointed out that it would work without it and so, without the requisite round tuit I ran it without. I expected that the worst that would happen would be radio/TV interference, but FM was totally unaffected. The World Service (648) however was hideously distorted -- until my wife put something in the microwave, when the interference disappeared completely.

Can anyone tell me why? Depite first-year physics 40 years ago I can't work out what would be happening. Just curious.

Douglas de Lacey PS Ian, I may need just a bit more info when I get the bits you recommended, is your id valid?

[john2]

1. what's a main snubber ?
2. FM is on 89-108 MHz, world service (on 648 metres ?) is on 0.5 MHz approx. which is where motors radiate a lot more interference. You could get world service on satellite, internet or possible DAB with no interference.
3. can't explain the microwave. Is the distortion there when the Hoover is running or when it's off.

john2

[Peter Parry]

The microwave will also include a mains RF filter. This is usually on the switched side so when the microwave is turned on the RF filter is put across the kitchen ring main and, if the washing machine wiring is suitably close and the filter sufficiently good, filters the whole circuit. RF mains filters are not directional.

[Tim Lamb]

Perhaps the microwave unit also has *snubbing* which is doing the clean up when in circuit? Be interesting to see if a resistive load does the same.

regards

[The Natural Philosopher]

My guess is the microwave was well made, and only connected ITS snubber across the mains when it was switched ON.

I have the reverse problem. My microwave totally buggers up a radio in the kitchen, but NOWHERE ELSE.

Must be a patrticular effect of circuits line lengths and capacitance ;-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

They are somewhat directional.

[Douglas de Lacey]

Ahhhhhhh, yes, thanks. If they were on the *same* circuit I just might have worked that out. Perhaps. Anyway, I can now sleep tonight:-)

Douglas de Lacey

[Andy Wade]

Quite. As it happens I've recently replace the mains filter in a friend's ~20-yo Bosch washing machine. This one also exploded in a similar fashion to Douglas's (making for easy fault diagnosis). The replacement filter (official Bosch spare) was ludicrously expensive (£30+) but still a heck of a lot cheaper then a new machine.