Hotpoint washing machine tripping breaker

[donney]

My Hotpoint washing machine was previously tripping a breaker in the fuse box after finishing its cycle, i.e. when the machine switched off it would cause breaker to trip. Last night when I switched machine on for a cycle it tripped the breaker immediately...any ideas!?!??

 

[topbanana]

first things first check wiring in plug then socket for loose connections.
then if all ok think back to when it first started and what work or movements have been made in the house b4 that time.

 

[JohnD]

do you mean it tripped an RCD or an MCB? (or tell us what is printed on the thing that tripped)

 

[donney]

Happy New Year & thanks for your responses. I take it a MCB is the main circuit board? If so then the washing machine trips a switch on this for sockets in the living room. Don't know what a RCD is! Other sources have told me that there could be a variety of reasons for the problem including a wire shorting, faulty heater, etc. Have had a look around the insides but nothing obvious seems amiss - no loose wires, etc.

 

[JimB]

I've had exactly the same problem.

Turned out to be the interlock switch on the door - which was why it tripped the mains at the end of a washing cycle.

I was advised to disconnect the machine from the mains supply by unplugging it, remove the interlock mechanism from the machine, and clean it out. I can't remember exactly how I did this but a bucket of warm water was required because liquid washing detergent had leaked from the drawer onto the mechanism.

Good luck and if in any doubt consult a qualified repair person.

J

 

[JohnD]

With a washing machine it's quite likely damp-related, unlikely to be in the plug or flex as it happens a at particular point in the cycle.

If you look at your consumer unit, it has probably got at least one big switch, that turns off everything in the house, and half a dozen or so little ones, that turn off respectively light, sockets, immersion heater, cooker. If the big one trips it is an RCD. If one of the little ones trip it is an MCB. When you get a trip, what does the thing look like that trips, and what is printed on it?

Here is an example of a consumer unit with a big RCD and ten little MCBs. It is very important to know which of them is tripping to decide what kind of fault you have.

 

[donney]

Excellent! Now I know what an RCD is! Thanks.
The switch tripping is definitely one of the MCB's and not one of the large ones.
I will check the interlock door switch tonight and give it a clean if necessary.
I did contact Hotpoint already but they will charge me about £90 for the callout/labour (parts free) so I would like to sort it myelf especially as I'm really skint after Xmas! Thanks for all the comments - if I get the bloody thing to work I will let you know!

 

[JohnD]

ummmmm... it may well be an entirely different sort of fault. If it is the MCB tripping, you have a large overcurrent problem, or even a short circuit. Now, I would not be thinking about damp so much as about a damaged piece of wire, for example chafed and touching another.

The MCB that tripped is probably rated to safely carry about 32 Amps, and to trip it has carried a big and dangerous current. If I were you I would unplug the machine, now, and unless you can see and fix an obvious simple fault, either get it fixed or buy a new one. Do you have one of those plug-in safety adaptors that people use with lawnmowers outside?

The only other thing to investigate - did you have several other heavy load appliances, like a tumble drier, dishwasher, kettle or electric heaters, running off the ground floor sockets at the same time? Maybe it was just overloaded rather than having an appliance fault (the MCB will support 2 large appliances running at the same time, but may be overloaded with 3 or more )

 

[donney]

Well I have tried it when everything else has bee switched off but no luck. Will try again though before forking out for repair/new machine.
What is really annoying is that I have only had it for just 2 years now - they just don't seem to build things to last these days...thanks for the advice however.

 

[JohnD]

The reason I asked about the plug-in RCD was because I had a feeling you might want to run it again. If you can lay your hands on one it will trip in the event of a fault to earth, which might save you from a very nasty shock.

Metal casing... water... electrical fault... bad news.

 

[keithy]

have u tried pulling wires from individual components, ieump,motor heater etc,pull wires from pump first then try the power if it still trips then u no its not that part at fault,carbon build up in motor also causes tripping, clean it with air compressor if u have one,or take it to garage air outlet and blow the carbon off it with the car pump,. good luck keithy

 

[donney]

Got an engineer in to sort it in the end....

Apparently the trip was caused by one wire (in a bundle of other wires) that was touching the top of the motor casing - it had slightly worn and needed replacing...£70 well spent NOT!
If anyone has a trip problem check this bundle of wires carefully - I overlooked them as at a glance they seemed OK.

Thanks for all the suggestions...

 

[bpowell555]

... but unplug the machine before you check the wires