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How to check if a washing machine is heating water?

Does the washing machine heat waterThe heater in the washing machine is responsible for heating, without which sometimes you can’t remove complex stains and do not start a delicate wash. If there is a suspicion of an inoperative heater, there is no need to try to put your hand into the drum during the cycle. There are safer and more realistic ways to find out if a washing machine is heating water. Below we consider what is required for the simplest test and when you need to urgently sound an alarm.

Heats or not heats: determination methods

The heater of the washing machine is checked for operability in several ways. At the same time, there is no need to open the case and look for a lot of tools - for the procedure, a timer and a free hand are enough. The easiest way to test the heater is as follows:

  • load some laundry in the drum so as not to empty it;
  • select the "Cotton" mode or another program with a preset temperature of 60-90 degrees;
  • press the "Start" button;
  • wait 15-20 minutes;
  • put your palm against the glass of the hatch door.

Modern cars are able to independently diagnose the system for breakdowns and display the corresponding error (for example, H1, H2, NOT, HC, E5, E6).

If the hand feels warm, then the heater has heated the water. But the ice door does not always indicate problems with the heater. It is likely that the time was calculated incorrectly, the machine has already switched to rinse mode and takes cold water from the water supply. It is better to repeat the test and have time to put your hand on the washing stage. There are other methods for testing the heater.feel the glass of the hatch door

  1. Feel the top cover of the body, which also heats up significantly after 15-20 minutes after washing at 60 degrees. Suitable for both frontal and vertical machines. In the latest cars, it is especially important, since the first method does not work due to the missing glass door.
  2. Touch the drain hose while draining waste water. Here you have to wait and wait in order to accurately determine the moment of merging. Then it remains only to take the hose in your hand and feel if its walls are hot. There is a more indicative alternative: loosen the clamp on the drain pipe, drain the water into the bath or sink and measure its temperature.
  3. Pay attention to the electric brush. 7-10 minutes after the start of the cycle, the washer will begin to intensively consume energy due to the inclusion in the operation of the heater, as indicated by the flashing light on the counter. The main thing is to disconnect all other household electrical appliances during the test in order to eliminate “interference”.

None of the above methods guarantee a 100% result. Ideally, the experiment should be repeated at least 3 times. Often, the heating element “jams” due to accumulated plaque and scale, which provokes jumps in the heating of water. A deviation from the norm is considered to be a warm, and not spent to 50-90 degrees heated liquid. If this is noticed, the heating element must be cleaned or replaced with a new one.

Search details

If there are doubts about the operation of the heating element, you will have to “ring” it with a multimeter. First you need to find the device itself in the typewriter. Its location largely depends on the brand of the manufacturer, for example, in Indesit and Ariston it is located at the back, in models from Bosch and Siemens - at the front.

Having in your hands the factory connection diagram of the heater in the washing machine, you can speed up the search.

If there is no instruction, then look for the heater yourself:TEN in the washing machine

  • inspect the back wall of the machine. Often a large panel indicates a heater located behind it;
  • we put the case on its side or tilt it back to look at the bottom and try to detect a heating element near the washing tub;
  • remove the back cover and carefully inspect the space near the tank;
  • we take a flashlight, see through the drum from the inside and try to determine the location of the heater by eye.

Simplifies the task that the heater is always in the washing tub. It is only necessary to specify its location. You do not need to remove the device - you can “ring” the heater without removing it. How exactly - we will tell further.

Heating element test

First, turn off the washing machine from the mains and turn off the tap. Next, we provide free access to the heater and, if necessary, remove the back wall or bottom. Then we take a multimeter and begin testing.test the heating element

  1. We photograph the heater to fix the connected wiring and eliminate errors during future installation.
  2. Disconnect all the wires.
  3. Set the multimeter to measure the resistance and set the selector to 200 ohms.
  4. We attach probes to the contacts.
  5. Evaluate the result.

A serviceable heater always shows a fixed value of 26.8 ohms. Small deviations from the norm within + -5 are possible. If the unit is displayed on the screen, then a break in the line occurs inside the heater and a part change is necessary. When the tester showed “0” or another digit less than 1, a short circuit was detected and the element burned out.

Voltage fluctuations in the mains and hard water with an abundance of impurities lead to malfunctions with the heater.

Often, checking for resistance is not enough, because with external serviceability, the dielectric inside can go to the housing and cause a current leak. To ensure safe operation of the machine, it is recommended to check the heater for breakdown. It is enough to turn on the tester in buzzer mode, put one probe to the contact, and attach the second to the multimeter body. If there is no piercing squeak - everything is in order. Otherwise, it is urgent to change the part and do not use the machine until the repair is completed.

   

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