The heater (or tubular electric heater) in the washing machine is an important element that provides heating of water when working in different programs. The quality of washing and the performance of all operating modes provided by the manufacturer depend on its performance. When the appliance stops heating water, the masters advise to diagnose the washing machine by checking the two main elements - the heater and the software module. As practice shows, most likely, the first option will be the cause of the breakdown. Due to hard water and poor-quality detergents, limescale deposits on the inside of the washing machine. The device starts to work for wear, since now more energy is needed to heat water, and over time, the heating element simply stops working. How to check the heating element of the washing machine and make sure that the problem is in it?
Design Features
The heating element is a hollow curved metal tube, inside of which is a spiral with a high resistance. This feature of the spiral is used to heat water. Inside, the entire space of the tube is filled with a dielectric substance with high thermal conductivity. The heater in the washing machine is in constant temperature change mode. Such design features of heating elements sooner or later lead to the failure of the spiral. In this case, the heater stops heating water and will have to be replaced. These are typical malfunctions in Zanussi washing machines, and eliminating them without help is not always easy, since not all models have it in the back.
How to check the heating elements of a washing machine without an appliance?
In case of failure of the heating element, the device may work, but it is incorrect to execute the specified programs. Noticing uncharacteristic signs for normal operation, you can understand without a device that the heater is malfunctioning. It is necessary to think about such malfunctions and their elimination in the Zanussi, Candy, Whirpool, Indesit, Ariston, Electrolux washing machines if:
- linen has an uncharacteristic smell after washing;
- the hatch door remains at room temperature during washing, does not heat up (during normal operation of the modes, the glass from the hot water heats up slightly);
- the laundry is not washed as usual, the washing quality has noticeably worsened;
- the washing machine draws water, but does not execute the specified program;
- knocks out the automation of the electrical panel;
- immediately after the gulf of water, it is drained;
- the machine finishes part of the washing regimes earlier than usual.
If these symptoms appear during the operation of your appliance, it is worthwhile to diagnose the washing machine.
How to find a heater?
Modern manufacturers install a heating element both in front and behind the device:
- inspect the back wall of the device, if it is large, then most likely the manufacturer installed a heater in the back;
- By tilting the unit on its side and looking from below, you can establish the exact location of the heater;
- if after removing the rear protective panel the heating element in the bottom of the tank is not detected, you will have to remove the front panel.
How to get to the heater?
There are several options for checking the heater of a washing machine. But in order to conduct this diagnosis, it is important to get to the heater itself.
This is easiest to do when the heater is located at the back of the appliance. Enough for this:
- disconnect the device from the network;
- drain the tank through the bottom filter;
- remove the rear cover by unscrewing the fixing bolts.
In the lower part under the tank, wires leading to the heater will be visible.
It is more difficult to get to the heater when it is located in front. In this case, you will have to remove the front cover of the case. The action plan is as follows:
- remove the clamp retaining the cuff, bending the edges of the elastic band inside the machine;
- remove the lock of the hatch of the washer (most often fixed with two bolts);
- remove the control panel of the machine, the plastic powder dispenser, the hatch door;
- remove the front panel.
And in this case, the heater is usually located at the bottom of the tank of the washing machine.
Wherever the heater is located - in front or behind the machine - do not immediately remove it. Before removing the heater from the washing machine, it is worth ringing it with a multimeter. This will avoid unnecessary work.
How to check the heater TEN device?
To check, it is enough to disconnect the power cables from it. This will allow you to check the health of the heater by ringing with a tester or a multimeter.
An important parameter of the heater is resistance. It can be calculated by the formula R = U * U / P, where U is the voltage and P is the power of the heater. The rated voltage for all household appliances in Russia is 220 volts. Most manufacturers indicate power in the data sheet of the instruction manual. For example, for a washing machine with a power of 1800 watts, it turns out that the resistance of the heating element should be 26.8 ohms.
How to ring TEN?
Power supply wires must be disconnected from the heater. We put the multimeter in the mode of measuring resistance in ohms at 200. We touch the sensors of the TENA terminals. If the instrument has 26 ohms, then the heater is in good condition.
If the meter shows 1, it means the coil breaks or burns out inside the heater.
If the device displays 0 or a value close to it, then there has been a breakdown on the case. These measurements show only the state of the spiral inside the heater. With a working spiral, there may be a breakdown on the case. To check for this malfunction, the multimeter must be put into dialing mode. The wires of the device are checked by connecting them together for the appearance of a sound signal, and the indicator should light up.
After checking with one terminal of the multimeter we touch the heater, and the other - the body of the washing machine or ground wire. In case of a breakdown, a sound signal will appear inside the heater and the indicator will light up, as in the case of checking the operation of the multimeter.
Conclusion
In all cases of spiral failure or breakdown of the heater, it will be necessary to replace it with a new heater. A working heater during testing should show the calculated resistance and not have breakdowns on the case.
It is important to replace the defective part only with similar components from this manufacturer. It is best to purchase parts for the washing machine at specialized authorized service centers.