Washing Machine Woes

And have plenty of towels and or shallow trays around when it does release. Most seem to release eventually but if you have one that does not then I really do not know unless somebody in the service business might have a particular trick for your make. Brian

Harry is correct.

You need to get the water out first.

Sometimes you can just lay the outlet hose low, almost along the floor, and drain the water something. I?ve never had a machine this didn?t work for but I?ve heard some have valves. If yours does, tip it up and undo the drain from the drum, with something under it. Make sure the machine is unplugged.

The door interlock should release when cool and the water is out.

A common reason machines don?t drain is a block in the level sensor pipe. The level sensor is generally round or a rounded rectangular box maybe 3? dia or long, above the middle of the machine. It has a few wires and a small pipe which connects to the lower part of the machine. Check the pipe isn?t blocked, a common place is where it connects to the lower end. Problems spinning is a common symptom of a block in this pipe as the machine won?t spin if it ?thinks? it has water in it. Sometime, a partial block will just cause things to be delayed until the air in the pipe escapes past the blockage.

I don?t rate either Bosch or AEG.

Our first new machine *was an Ariston, it lasted 17 years with no more than door seals and a door handle (perhaps a switch as well- although that may have been a later Ariston). Since then, others of various makes have typically lasted 5 or 6 years with little difference between makes. We now only buy machines which have 5 year a warranty included and plan on replacing then when they die, unless it is something trivial.

• we bought a s/h machine when we were students, it lasted several years.

Our experience with AEG ( admittedly not washing machines) hasn?t been good. Ditto Bosch.

This is drifting. What make and model is it, It is quite probable that his question is a common one on the web somewhere. If its a machine that still retains a mechanical switch or rotating knob, often returning it to the off then plugging it in can release the door, but if it does trip even then, IE its not a motor fault, then I feel you need a person who knows the tricks of the trade. Brian

Bosch these days are total junk.

There is often (always) an interlock to prevent the door opening if the machine still has water in it.

Sorry Brian, that is wrong...

If the fault is an N to E short or leakage, then even turned off, it can still cause an RCD to trip.

Brian Reay formulated on Sunday :

They are an extremely low pressure switch. Water rises up the pipe, building up very slight air pressure in 'the box', which acts on a flexible diaphragm, which then operates a microswitch. Releasing the pipe from the box, you should be able to blow easily down it and hear it bubbling in the drum, unless there is a restriction. Fitting a short bit of pipe to 'the box' you should be able to blow very lightly ad hear the microswitch click over.

Do you happen to know of a good summary of neutral-earth shorts? I've done a bit of searching and am even more confused! For example "... I would look for a neutral/earth fault. Not only can these can cause an RCD to operate, but it is also possible for a neutral/earth fault to defeat an RCD and prevent it from operating." (at

Not sure about the bubbling, the pipe is normally connected at the top of the sump area which should be empty when you are working on the machine.

Generally I find the blockage is a grey gunge, a mix of chalk, washing powder (or fluid), oil from the wash, and dirt. The same gunge is often in the other parts of the machine.

Agreed

We replaced one with a Siemens which, when it failed (out of warranty) I discovered used some identical parts inside to the Bosch it had replaced- to the point some parts I?d kept from the Bosch would fit and allowed me to repair it.

while the master breaker would be double pole, the ones on subicircuits would almost certainly be single pole.

That's not surprising, Bosch, Siemens and Neff applances are in the same group. Their domestic appliances have much in common but appear to aim more upmarket in order Bosch - Siemens - Neff.

From

Thanks. It's a bad day when you fail to learn something useful from uk.d.i.y!

Others have responded to the question of double/single pole MCB.

What has to be understood is that RCD's are triggered to open on a fault, by an imbalance between current of live versus the neutral conductor.

Most MCB's are single pole, isolating just the live. If there is a voltage differential between the N & E (there is usually several volts difference), even if the MCB is open, with a N&E leakage, or short/ or fault - current can still flow down that neutral, through the RCD and cause it to trip.

Which is why so many people have such difficulty finding the causes of an RCD constantly tripping. Simply turning MCB's off or unplugging alone, may not allow an RCD to be reset.

Brian Reay used his keyboard to write :

Lots of the smaller parts in CH boilers, washing machines, cars and many other things are common to many other makes. Why make something from scratch, when you can buy off the shelf and add a few extra percent, by putting it one of your own boxes?

Correct. Neutrals all come back to a big busbar and an earth neutral short will cause anything on wiring close to it to trip.

Its a matter of whether the return conductancee via the earth short is a reasonable fraction of the true neutral return: If it is it will divert enough current to trip the RCD

In the same way that the Ford Anglia and the Mini both used the same Lucas starter. But it was cheaper froma Ford dealer than a BL one.

That's the advantage of miniature RCBOs - break L & N and, so far as I can tell, fitin the same space as an MCB (BICBW).