Washing machine kaput, tripping ring main RCD

[brewdexta]

It always happens at the least convenient time, just come back from a weekend away, my better half is loading the machine as I'm packing my bag to go on a business trip for 5 days. It starts its cycle then trips the RCD, and again.

So, usually I would at least give it a look over, if there was no obvious fault and it was greater than about 6 years old, as I usually buy almost the cheapest I usually buy another, not the greenest approach but I beleive the wisest as kit is not generally that repairable economically nowadays with spare part prices (my dad fitted a remote lubrication system to his hotpoint but that is another story!)

However, as we bought this when the first nipper was on it's way 7 years ago and we intended to use the old fashioned terry nappies, I bought a shop soiled (and soon to me much worse soiled!) Miele, brand new but no box etc. for about half price. I thought industrial strength biological warfare needed to be countered by a quality bit of kit.

Its a Miele Novotronic Premier 520, I' m guessing there's a leak and that's causing the agro but seeing as my better half has a bulging laundry basket and I will be jet lagged over next weekend I have two questions

1.) Anybody had a similar occurence with a similar machine so that I can get a head start when I get back so I could possibly isolate the fault quickly?

and if I cant find it...

2.) I believe Miele charge 100 quid+ a call out + a quid a minute or so plus parts (it had 5 yr parts and labour warranty), any decent repairers around west Yorkshire/Lancashire borders that a) know what they are doing and b) make keeping it rather than swapping it financially viable.

Cheers
Andy

 

[rtbcomp]

Have a look at the heater, I've known coins wear away the sheath on the heater and cause an earth fault.

Try it on a cold rinse cycle to see if it trips then, if not disconnect the heater (both wires, insulate them &c&c) and try on a normal cycle.

 

[madkayaker]

Heating elements are a common issue for tripping RCD (so are fridges) it could be there is no one fault but a build up of earth leakages tipping over edge. (E.g. Kettle leaks a bit, fridge leaks a bit and washer then you stick kettle on for a brew open fridge for milk etc) easy to trace with the right kit very difficult without

 

[BrokenBiker]

RCD's are the bain of my life at the moment. its all i get now, people phoning up because theirs keep tripping.

have done atleast 15 in the last 10 days.

but as said above, sounds like a heater

 

[brewdexta]

Thanks guys, that's giving me something to go looking for, much appreciated

 

[gordon stephenson]

I had a washing machine long while ago and was the RCD. Turned out to be the pump shaft seal. No drip but threw a very fine water mist when running. And this was causing shorts to earth.

 

[the snooper]

check any wires next to sharp edges have seen them wear through the insulation

 

[cumbriasteve]

Had 3 various machines over the years tripping within seconds of switching on, all 3 were down to the motor brushes worn down and shorting out..

Usually a very easy task to replace them and ebay worth trying to obtain replacements.

 

[brewdexta]

This one trips out just after the first fill cycle so probably when the heater starts up. I've left it with her indoors to sort as she has a busy week and doesn't want to wait until I come back. If it is the element it looks about 40 quid or you can buy the same one from Curry's part dept for £100. At least she knows if the repair man is taking the p if the parts mark-up is high.

She's not having a good day, my car is at the airport and she has just bundled the kids into the car then discovered she has a flat.......

 

[normspanners]

sounds like heater it could have corroded through whip the back off disconnect the feeds etc to the heater element obviously leave the earth connection, you can still use the machine till you get a replacement.
I did with mine,I just used warm water to fill the machine with a watering can through the soap draw it washed perfectly actually better than the standard program.
But I think that is because machines dont use enough water nowadays (green sh*t again) for people that actually work and have proper dirty cloths, I now extra fill the machine when I wash my work cloths and they wash MUCH better, in fact you can hear them washing. Next time I have the top off I am going to spend the time and adjust the fill level, I have already modded it by fitting a hot fill, reduces wash time by 40 mins !!

 

[KemppiFrog]

We have Miele and the Dish washer did the same thing. Heater element at fault. Part was €140 !! and not from Miele.
With any kit that involves heating water, most of the faults are with the heating system. IMHE

 

[mangocrazy]

Next time I have the top off I am going to spend the time and adjust the fill level, I have already modded it by fitting a hot fill, reduces wash time by 40 mins !!

Please do tell - how do you do that? It seems crazy to me that modern machines don't allow you to use domestic hot water but insist on heating cold water. How un-green is that? And how does one adjust the fill level?

 

[rtbcomp]

I thought it was only the cheapies that had cold fill only. I suppose one reason is that if you have a combi boiler that heats water on demand it's more efficient to heat the water where it's required by electricity. No cold water in the pipes to feed through, no heat to escape through the exhaust and no hot water sat in the pipes afterwards. It's also cheaper to build a cold-fill only machine.

To set the fill level look for a circular plastic thing with a thin pipe and several wires going to it, this will be the level switch. The difficult bit is finding which adjusting screw adjusts a particular fill level.

 

[Premiershipman]

Miele do get you on call outs and parts costs - from what I am led to believe they fire any engineer that divulges technical info about the machine to allow others to repair them.

I did plenty of research a few years back when our old 12 year old machine died, I replace it with an ISE machine, not cheap at about £800 but a 10 year guarantee backed up by AXA and spares that are supplied at a little over cost price and no problems at all.

My sister prefers to buy a cheap machine and use it until it breaks and then buys another one.

 

[tlovatt]

If you use the correct detergents a lot of washes can be done cold.

Modern machines do not use a hot fill as it normally takes so long for the hot water toreach the machine that it is already full of cold / slightly warm water and you just end up with hot pipes! If you have a combi boiler in the same room it may be ok but in my house its about 5l of water to flush through until you start to get hot water, then some modern machines tend to take it a bit at a time as opposed to a simple direct fill.

Using good powder based detergent and a new washing machine I wash everything cold, including overalls covered in oil and dirt without any problem

 

[Premiershipman]

They say your choice of detergent is just as important as your choice of washing machine...!

 

[tlovatt]

I use a commercial detergent from the wholesalers, you only need about 1 tablespoon per wash and it has never failed to clean the clothes / overalls on a cold wash - cheap as well, a £10 tub is still half full 2 years later!

I agree about the quality of the washing machine as well, it a moment of madness I purchsed a British made Hoover washer dryer (I only have space for 1 machine), what a mistake, it never worked properly from day one and even on a good day struggled to wash and dry much more than a pair of socks! I sisposed of it after less than 2 years andgot a Korean (LG) machine - absolutly brilliant, has never let me down and will wash and dry an almost full load.

 

[normspanners]

My hot water tank is the other side of the wall to the washing machine, that was done by design when I modded the house the furthest hot water tap is about 12 ft from the tank.
I fitted another solenoid valve there was a blank space for one at the back and a hose connection to the drawer back that needed the plug drilling out. That done I then fitted a change over timer to the original solenoid valve and a momentry switch to the front set the machine to whatever program and start it does a two second cold purge first then as soon as the machine starts to fill hit the momentry switch that then self latches the timer in so that the washer fills from the hot till the timer switches off and changes back to the cold fill for the rinses.
A normal wash takes 127 mins so the countdown says with a hot fill it cuts it down by at least 40mins.
It definitely makes a massive difference to washing my overalls and getting dog hairs out of my sweatshirts !!