Fisher Paykel power wouldn't turn on

[tomkanpa]

I did a load of wash, and then put in a second load. Pressed the power button, NOTHING. Tried a few more times, still no power. I looked at the trouble shooting section of the owner's manual. It stated to unplug the machine and wait 60 seconds. I did this, pressed the Power button and everything was fine. My question is, what happened that prevented the power from coming on and what did the act of unplugging/plugging do to remedy the problem? Is this normal or a preview of an upcoming problem?

[EXT]

On-board computer crashed, needed re-booting by powering down and then powering up. Probably from a power line spike. This is a common problem and solution for many electronics.

I had a van a number of years ago where the transmission computer would lock into 2nd gear. Solution was to turn the engine off, wait a moment, then start up again and all would be right. Eventually had the circuit board replaced.

[salty]

Just about anything with a microprocessor in it can occasionally "lock up". Lots of potential causes, the most likely being fluctuating power at the wall.

If anything, I would shut off the power to that cicuit, remove the outlet where the washer is plugged in, and replace it with a new one. Only costs a couple dollars at most, and outlets, especially in damp areas, can become corroded inside.

Make sure you have a good solid ground connection (metal to metal) as well. Most washers have a separate grouind wire that goes from the chassis to the home's ground grid. That used to mean a cold water pipe, but that is no longer up to code.