Washing machine and socket...

L

Larry_129

Active Member
Hello

Washing machine half way through third load of the morning, a 95c service wash to make use of the sunshine on our solar panels!

Bang we think from the socket and RCBO trips at the Consumer Unit (do I get points for using the correct terminology?).

With RCBO back on and WM unplugged I worked out the LH socket on the faceplate isnt working. So took faceplate off and noted a bit of evidence of something that had indeed popped (see pic of dismantled socket)

Have replaced faceplate. Checked with a simple loop tester and it looks good and the RCD switch on loop tester is tripping RCD as it should. Have plugged WM back in and run drain cycle, all fine.

What is likely to have happened here? Is this a WM problem or a socket problem?

Circuit is a 32a ring on a Hager RCBO and CU. Several years ago when we had a spark test the installation this socket was flagged as a problem because of a break in the ring but that was fixed.

Wife thinks the WM was making a funny noise but no more specific than that I'm afraid.

Any guidance useful, thank you. I'm only DIY.
 

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I agree with @spinlondon. It looks like a bad contact on the switch. A bad connection can cause an RCD to trip when under load ie washing machine plugged in and working. A dodgy connection might also account for the funny noise coming from the WM that your wife heard.
 
Thank you, that's helpful. It's a British General Nexus socket.

So money is on a dodgy socket as opposed to WM fault. That's reassuring... I'll try another load in the WM then...!
 
+1 for the socket rocker switch ….

and, sadly, you will indeed get huge bonus points round here from some people for using terminology such as RCBO and CU. However we’d all still have known what you meant if you’d said fuse board :D
 
Wellwisher said:
Rubbish. The assumption can only be that his electrics are around 50 years old and in need of an upgrade.
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That assumption is only assumed by one person.

Are you chuckling to yourself when you post such things? If you are, then I fully get it. If your not, then I think a few sessions of cognitive behavior therapy will help.
 
Whoah, please! No need for the all caps treatment!

A little grace please whilst I share with you the important update... It was the washing machine!

Just got it back on and it ran for ten minutes, started making a odd noise, cutting out a bit and then the motor seemed to give up entirely. It fills, heats and drains fine but the motor seems to be no more.

£200 for a new motor.... Its a Gorenje w8543c and 6 years old..... Am I buying a new machine this weekend or is it worth trying to find a compatible motor or try and replace brushes???
 
terrymac said:
Check the brushes first. Worn brushes wouldn't cause the damage at the socket ,that's another issue.
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Completely agree - there may well be a fault with the motor brushes too, but it’s hard to see how that would cause the fault OP showed us with the socket.
 
Surely some significance in the 95deg wash? I'd assume that's a lot of energy going through the socket compared to normal and would find any weakness.
 
stevie22 said:
Surely some significance in the 95deg wash? I'd assume that's a lot of energy going through the socket compared to normal and would find any weakness.
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Maybe - I was simply thinking that the washing machine has a 13amp fuse and sockets are typically rated to 20amps. As you say, it’s really only exposing a manufacturing fault in the socket if that’s the case.
 
Thanks all.
How does one tell if the brushes are worn?

I dismantled the side today and took the motor out. Thought might be easiest to just get a new motor, but the ones with the exact model number are £200 new so just not worth it. Annoyingly there are ones on eBay that look very, very similar for much less but I'm not sure that's a risk I want to take.

Then this afternoon I found a WM on Freecycle (what luck!) in pretty good nick which at least solves the immediate issue but if this one is fixable I'd like to fix it rather than tip it. Pic of one of brushes attached.

My only other thought is it possible the fuse (in the plug) is faulty? Or a poorly made fuse? And so the WM just created some kind of overload situation without the fuse tripping? I suspect this question reveals some ignorance so please correct me if so.

Thanks again for reasoning this out with me...
 

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The carbon brush pushes against the rotor, under its spring pressure, it wears down to a point where the spring can't keep it under presure. When you insert the brush into the motor if it doesn't retract into the brush housing and compress the spring behind it ,it is worn to the point where it needs replacing.
 
terrymac said:
The carbon brush pushes against the rotor, under its spring pressure, it wears down to a point where the spring can't keep it under presure. When you insert the brush into the motor if it doesn't retract into the brush housing and compress the spring behind it ,it is worn to the point where it needs replacing.
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Thanks. So they are pushing the spring back but only a very small amount. Amazon sell them for £10 so a pair is arriving tomorrow. I'll keep you posted...!
 
If both brushes are actually in contact with the rotor, under spring pressure,the motor would work. I suppose for ten quid it's worth a punt changing them if your unsure of their contact.
 
Larry_129 said:
My only other thought is it possible the fuse (in the plug) is faulty? Or a poorly made fuse? And so the WM just created some kind of overload situation without the fuse tripping? I suspect this question reveals some ignorance so please correct me if so.
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It's highly unlikely that the plug fuse was faulty. But when you consider the overwhelming majority of fuses never blow, who knows?

I still think that the switch on the socket is the culprit. Over time it has struggled with the current supplying the WM. This has caused the pitting and arcing as seen in the photo.

Arcing causes all sorts of problems, especially concerning appliances such as WMs. The voltage can fluctuate wildly which in turn buggers up (technical, I know) variable speed drives and associated motors as well as the electronics.
 
Well I can update that I replaced the brushes and the washing machine is alive again. Thanks so much for that advice!

Now the question is whether I keep the old one or the one I've got off Freecycle that has been cleaned to within an inch of its life!!
 
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