Miele, ouch

[Theo Markettos]

Had my head in a Miele dishwasher which is suffering an earth fault (10K resistance live to earth, trips the RCD straightaway, was previously emitting white smoke). Looking at the wiring diagram, my prime suspect is the interference suppressor or failing that the heater relay. (can't actually get at them to test)

I managed to find a parts list for a similar model on the net, so rang up Miele with the part numbers in hand for a quote...

Relay 51.52 inc VAT Suppressor 56.47 Next day postage 15.60

Ouch! I think I'll be buying from eBay or generics, for about a fiver each...

Theo

[Andrew Gabriel]

I had to delve inside a Homark dishwasher when something went wrong. On gaining access, I found that the suppressor had blown up at some time in the past, but managed not to blow the fuse so I never new. Didn't seem any point fitting a new one since it had been running fine without it. (The fault was completely unrelated to that.)

[Owain]

At those prices it might be worth considering the Miele =A3105 (outside central London) fixed price (1 hour time) service.

Owain

[Frank Erskine]

You can get very useful suppressors from old microwave ovens...

Probably free.

[Theo Markettos]

Including parts?

Previous experience of Miele service visits has been that they say 'beyond economic repair' and exit forthwith. The machine is indeed 25 years old. The people in the service department themselves are really helpful if you want to do it yourself, but they don't seem so keen on servicing them. The last visitor diagnosed a fault, said 'not cost effective' to repair due to a

100 pound plastic part. Their chief service engineer gave me a ring and told me how to fit it (substantial dismantling required). When I got around to having a look, it turned out to be a 12 pound plastic part that had perished, no dismantling at all.

Theo

[Frank Erskine]

three-legged "delta" network, one cap across the supply and one each from the supply leads to earth.

[Owain]

Beg pardon, squinting at the less large print shows

"Replacement spare parts required charged as extra."

Owain

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd second the suppressor. Easily checked as it should work without it.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It may be unimportant to you - but could be very important to others if removing it wipes out their TV etc.

[NT]

If it does its trivially easy to fit one. However thi seldom happens in practice.

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It certainly did on my previous machine, an Indesit, which had a brush motor. And just because it doesn't interfere with anything you have, doesn't mean it won't elsewhere.

[Man at B&Q]

This was about incoming mains suppressor. The motor should have its own suppression close to the motor.

MBQ

[D.M.Chapman]

250 quid inc parts.

Our Miele washing machine came with 10 yr warranty. After that'll, if it dies I'll not be too sad. It's had a hard life.

Dishwasher had 5 year warranty. Probably the same tbh - hard to believe it'll be economic to repair if it's not something I can do myself. Still, I'm happy with the cost/performance over 5 years (actually, it's 8 years old now.... touch wood...)

Darren

[Theo Markettos]

Nope, it's fairly well off the ground too so unlikely.

I managed to drag out the machine which was well boxed in, and to Miele's credit there's a little plastic flap at the back which can be removed to reveal the power inlet and the suppressor. So I didn't need to rip out the machine, drain it (without any power) and turn it upside down.

The suppressor/line filter was indeed very dead when tested - 10K live to earth, plus a bulging top and a big soot mark on the side. Mr Miele was nice again and provided an inlet terminal block with two spare spades on each side that I could reconnect the wires downstream of the suppressor without having to kludge up an adaptor for the the wires with the suppressor removed. (I was a bit worried of bodging up spades to take 13A without risking heating effects)

Lots of humping of kitchen and it's working again. Test longwave radio and analogue TV and not a crackle or a speckle. All for 0 pounds 0p.

Theo