There is a smell of burnt wiring when the washing machine is running.

What to do in a situation when the washing machine starts to smell like burnt wiring? The equipment must be de-energized immediately. Only after turning off the device can you proceed to troubleshooting. Let's figure out what can cause the burnt smell and what parts of the machine to pay attention to.

List of possible reasons

How to behave in this case? If you smell a burning smell while the machine is operating, immediately turn off the power by turning off the electricity supply to the apartment. After this, carefully inspect the socket and plug of the power cord. If the plastic has melted, you will have to check the contacts and change the plug. If everything is in order here, you need to “inspect” the washer. A burnt smell does not always indicate a machine malfunction. It may appear:

• when starting only the purchased washing machine. The first few cycles the machine may smell like burnt plastic when heating, this is normal. But if the equipment has been working for several months, this is definitely not the case;
• when using a powder that is not suitable for an automatic machine. In this case, undissolved granules settle on the heating element tubes, causing a burnt smell. To remove adhered particles of the product, it is enough to “drive” a high-temperature washing program.

If these reasons are excluded, you will have to perform a full diagnostic of the automatic machine to find the fault. The washing machine smells like burning:

• if the contacts of the surge protector or heating element are damaged;
• burning of tracks on the main control board;
• shorted wiring;
• when the drive belt is chafed;
• short circuit caused by water getting into the electric motor;
• when the pump overheats;
• contamination of the heating element, contact of foreign objects with the coil of the heating element.

You should not use a washing machine that smells like burning when you turn it on - it is unsafe.

You can try to find the problem yourself. Let’s figure out where it’s best to start diagnosing a washing machine and where to look for a breakdown.

Moisture got on the motor, problems with brushes

It happens that the machine smells like burnt wiring during operation due to water getting into the engine. However, most often the cause of the burnt “aroma” lies precisely in worn-out brushes. Replacing them is easy; even a beginner can handle the job. To change the brushes of the commutator motor, you should:

• turn off the power to the machine, turn off the water supply tap;
• unhook the drain and inlet hoses from the body;
• remove the top panel and back wall of the case;
• remove the drive belt from the pulley;
• find the engine - it is located under the tank;
• disconnect the wiring from the engine;
• Unscrew the two screws securing the electric motor in the housing;
• remove the engine from the car;
• unscrew the brush bolts and remove the parts;
• install new electric brushes and fix them in place.

Electric motor brushes must be replaced in pairs, even if one of the graphite tips is completely intact.

Inspect the motor winding. There should be no signs of damage on it. Having found carbon deposits, test it with a multimeter for breakdown or short circuit. If everything is in order with the brushes and winding, but the burning smell definitely comes from the motor, inspect the plastic tank. Even through a small crack, water can leak and get onto the engine. If you find a hole, fix it immediately.

Let's inspect the drive mechanism

Our sense of smell is the best way to effectively diagnose. Remove the back wall of the machine and take a sniff. The damaged element will emit a strong “aroma” of burning. Alternatively, the drive belt may fray. When the bearing assembly wears out, the tank pulley may become “skewed.” As a result, the drive belt wears out. During an intensive spin cycle, it will smell like burnt rubber, and the washer may even emit black smoke.

If the machine smells like burning at the spinning stage, inspect the drive belt; if it is damaged, replace the rubber band.

To change the drive belt:

• Turn off the power to the machine, remove the top case cover and back panel;
• remove the damaged rubber band from the pulley;
• Pull the new belt first onto the engine pulley, then onto the “drum” wheel.

If the belt is worn out due to worn bearings, replacing the rubber band alone will not do. The new part will also become damaged over time. In this case, be sure to change the bearings and seal. To do this, you will have to almost completely disassemble the machine, remove the tank, halve it, gain access to the inside of the drum, knock out the worn rings and press new components into place.

Surge filter and heating element

If your automatic machine suddenly smells burning, check the wiring of the surge protector. It is located under the top panel of the case. To remove the cover, just unscrew the two screws securing it. Find the interference filter and inspect its wiring. If you see black deposits or traces of carbon deposits, immediately replace the contacts or the entire protective device. If you find no damage to the contacts of the surge protector, check the wiring of the heating element. The element is located under the washing machine tank. Inspect the heater terminals for defects.

You can remove deposits from the tubular heater by running a high-temperature wash program and adding 50 grams of citric acid to the powder receptacle. If this does not help get rid of the burnt “aroma”, you will have to clean the heating element manually or change the element.

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