Washing Machine Motor Tripping Mains RCD

[The Natural Philosopher]

I'd guess teh drain pump has gone, and its full of water now..

[BigWallop]

Pull the machine out and drop the outlet hose in to a big bucket so the water can syphon out. You need to be strong as the machine will be heavy to pull if full of water.

Get as much water out of it as you can using the outlet hose and bucket. Once the level of water has fallen, the door safety lock should release. The lock is there to stop you opening the door while the machine is working and full of water.

[Paul Barker]

You're on the right tracks, carbon dust is the cause, cleaning it shoul

fix it, there is no way that harm could come to any other part. Th speed control is the only thing in connection but that just measure the voltage from the circular rev counter on the back and sends ac t the brushes in pulses depending upon the part of the program it's o and the voltage /speed information feed back.

If it can't be cured by cleaning it first check your main dru bearings, these are problematic on Hotpoints. Try to lift the inne drum up and down, there should be no apreciable play between it and th plastic outer. Also take the back off and check for signs of rus tracking down from the bearing on the back of the plastic outer drum Either of these indicate soon you will need to replace the bearings For an experienced hand that is just a 1hr job, but it would take a di who hasn't done it ever before 1/2 a day. Therefore factor this into th decision to renew the motor. For me it would be worth a new motor, fo you it may not be if drum bearings are on way out. Depends on you abilities with bearings, similar job to hub bearings on a car.

Paul Barke

-- Paul Barker

[Gary Cavie]

If it's not that, another problem which can cause this is the vacuum /=20 breather pipe which runs up inside the front panel, to some sort of=20 pressure switch affair at the top. We had exactly the same problem on our= =20 machine, and clearing out the sludge from this pipe cured the problem.=20 The repair man said that it is worth giving them a really hot wash, on=20 towels or something similar once a month or so to stop this build-up.

[Ninthlamp]

replying to John Hill, Ninthlamp wrote: Hi This thread helped me diagnose my InDesit IWDE 7145 B UK motor problem so I thought I'd try and pay back a little. A couple of months ago, the drum drive motor failed and it was easily fixed with new brushes. Last night, it started tripping the RCD. It was an earth leakage fault that, in spite of a stripdown and thorough clean with alcohol, I couldn't get rid of the 10Megohm leak to earth that was tripping the RCD. So, time for a new motor, probably from indesitspares.co.uk for £99. BUT; here's my bit of wisdom: I've temporarily disconnected the earth from the motor and checking ( while in attendance! ) that the machine runs through a full cycle. This is to make sure that changing the motor is all it needs.

[Fredxx]

I can assure you a 10Megohn leak to earth would not trip a RCD. You would need 1,000 times more current.

So, time

I would suspect the heater first and suppressor caps second. Both can be disconnected and you can then run the machine (cold wash) safely with the earth connected.

[Brian Gaff]

Hmm yes fine but one cannot help wonder how it became a resistor in the first place. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Hmm, well the usual fail on the capacitors is rather destructive. I'd think maybe the short is worse when its rotating giving the extra current needed to earth. However washing machines can do some very odd things as they age, sadly. Brian

[tony sayer]

I'd stick my money on heater element leakage!...

[tabbypurr]

Yep, I bet the leaker element is heating. On most machines it can be unplugged & the thermostat wired over to check it then works fine.

NT

[Martin Brown]

+1

Annoyingly they can fail then heal for a while and then reappear. Our village tea urn developed that fault from time to time.

My circular saw did fail by motor leakage though so it is not impossible but given the stated measurements seems unlikely. You are looking for something leaking to earth that is probably less than 100k (or may even be a wild value like -100R if there is electrolytic action between the element and the frame). You can get two different answers by swapping the meter leads!

[Scott]

Mine used to trip out the flat (including computer) at the start of the spin cycle.

[tony sayer]

You need to check where its leaking, it could be an element to earth leak short in its case not that far from the neutral end in which case it would work but it would take the trip out once it started heating..