There was a smell of Bakelite from our washing machine this morning. At least, I think that's what it is. It reminds me of Veroboard, and old light-brown PCBs. Can I assume that one of the components on a board is overheating? Or is there something else that has a similar smell?
You don't see so many phenolic PCBs these days, but it is still used in motor windings so I think I might be looking there.
Okay, thanks. Perhaps the missus overloaded it this morning? I changed the brushes a few months ago, but I can't imagine any connection between the two, unless I damaged something, or failed to reconnect something properly. Anyway, I'll have a look soon.
Sometime SRBP is used for the motor speed controller circuit board but less so in modern machines. Also the capacitors in the mains power filter can let out the smoke and smell similar. in this case the machine will continue to run as the capacitors are shunt not series.
Thanks. A few more things to check :-)
FR2 is very common, often with green varnish to make it look superficially like FR4. It does not suit high vibration uses like washing machines.
NT
Well, its hard to tell from just that. Mostly I associate the smell with overheating, but it could be lacquer in a transformer or motor, or the pcb having gotten wet and caused heating or a dry joint that is heating the pcb, or any number of other things. All I'd say is that you need to be in when its running until something actually fails. If its getting hot then its not going to be a good thing, and all things being equal its probably a component that needs a large current or is actually sparking to create that smell. I'm not sure if I'd advise looking at it yourself, but if there is a way to look and you see blue smoke then I'd suggest you found the issue!
Brian
No it won't be the brushes that has caused it and on mine at least it refuses to go more than a couple of turns if it suspects its overloaded, I'd assume most have a safety feature these days. My money is either on the motor has a fault condition in a winding , there is a mechanical sequencer fault or a mains connection on a pcb, maybe near a relay, is dry and getting hot.
Brian
I think an empty run might test if something terminal is about to happen. He does not say the make or age of this machine and its history. Brian
Yup. Macgi smoke probably about to come out. Largely that will be shellac in the motor winds, and means you have worn brushes, siezed beaeings or an armature short.
On holiday in France many years ago and in bed with a severe hangover, I head a bang. Investigation lead me to the dishwasher, once I could struggle out of bed.
I took a look and at first saw nothing wrong. Another look, still nothing. Finally I spotted a 1-1/2" diameter capacitor that had blown. The reason I hadn't seen straight off was that the cover had blown right off and the wound internals had gone with it, extending telescopically and it looked like a 2" pipe going from one side of the machine to the other!
SteveW
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