Washing machine does not turn on after power surge
Voltage fluctuations in Russian apartment buildings are a completely standard situation. Residents try their best to protect household appliances by installing RCDs or special circuit breakers. However, despite all the advantages, such devices are not able to completely protect electrical appliances.
What to do if the washing machine does not turn on after a power surge? Where to start diagnosing a “home assistant”? How to protect yourself from a similar problem in the future? Let's look into the nuances.
Why is the “leap” dangerous?
A sudden voltage surge can be caused by various reasons. Variations are caused by accidents on electrical networks, poor quality of wiring in the house, overload of substations, simultaneous switching on or off of several powerful devices, lightning strikes along the line, etc.
More than 90% of changes in the network are insignificant; neither people nor equipment notice them. However, this is not to say that they are safe. Even insignificant voltage surges (with a deviation of 5-10% from the standard values), repeated regularly, provoke a malfunction of the equipment, lead to resets and the appearance of interference.
Any surge in which the voltage in the network reaches above 250 Volts reduces the service life of electrical appliances and destabilizes the operation of equipment.
Changes in the network by more than 10-25% reduce the “life” of a washing machine and other equipment by almost 2 times. If the voltage “jumps” to 300 V, then the control module, machine dashboard, noise filter and other elements may fail.
Modern electronically controlled washing machines often suffer from such power surges in the network. The most common internal parts of an automatic machine that are damaged are:
noise suppression filter;
main control module;
electric motor
If the machine stops turning on after a power surge, the first thing to check is the surge protector. We'll tell you how to test the element and, if necessary, replace it yourself.
Testing FPS
In most cases, the automatic machine stops turning on due to a burnt-out capacitor. To verify whether this is the cause, you need to run diagnostics on the surge protector. To remove the FPS from the washer:
de-energize the equipment;
turn the shut-off valve to shut off the water supply to the washing machine;
Unscrew a couple of bolts holding the top panel of the case;
remove the cover of the machine to the side;
find the noise suppression filter (it is a small round part).
The SMA interference filter is located under the top cover at the connection point of the network cable.
Dismantling the FPS is very simple. Unscrew the bolts securing it and remove the element from the housing. To diagnose the surge protector, you will need a multimeter. Let's figure out how to check the device.
To begin, simply inspect the interference filter. In most cases, it is not difficult to notice that a fire has occurred. The insulation on the part may melt and dark spots may appear. If a burning smell emanates from the FPS, and the contacts are charred, even without a multimeter it will be clear that the element needs to be changed.
If everything around the noise filter is clean, you need to check it with a multimeter. For this:
turn on the tester and switch it to buzzer mode;
attach the multimeter probes to the filter contacts;
see if there is resistance (if there is no voltage at the output, it means the filter has become unusable).
Replacing the filter is very simple - the new part is fixed in its original place with two bolts. Difficulties may arise in the process of searching for components. You should buy an FPS that is completely similar to the one filmed in all respects. It is better to go to the store with a damaged item and ask the manager to pick up a similar one.
After installing a new interference filter, assemble the “home assistant” housing. Next, connect the machine to the electrical outlet. Press the network button - if the control panel lights up, it means that the reason was indeed in the FPS. If during the diagnostics the malfunction of the noise suppression filter is not confirmed, it means that the machine does not turn on due to the control module or the engine. To check these serious washer components, you need certain knowledge and special tools. Therefore, it is better to entrust diagnostics to service center specialists.
Don't skimp on stabilizer
It is possible to prevent your washing machine from failing due to unstable “power supply”. For this purpose, stabilizers are used - they normalize the voltage in the network, bringing it to the specified standards. In addition, the elements perform the functions of a powerful surge protector - they prevent short circuits, “screen out” interference, and prevent high-voltage pulses from harming equipment.
Stabilizers can be installed for each electrical appliance; low-power devices are suitable for this. Since modern washing machines react quite sharply to voltage surges, it is recommended to provide a separate protective device for them. This will protect the machine from “jumps” on the network.
You can also put a very powerful stabilizer for the entire home network. These models are often used in country cottages and apartments. Due to the constant stabilization of voltage indicators, the service life of all electrical appliances is extended.
There is no need to skimp on a protective device; it will definitely pay for itself. For a 220 Volt network, single-phase stabilizers are used, for 380 Volts - one three-phase or three single-phase. A good model specifically for a washing machine will cost from $50-80, for a home – several times more expensive.
Voltage fluctuations in Russian apartment buildings are a completely standard situation. Residents try their best to protect household appliances by installing RCDs or special circuit breakers. However, despite all the advantages, such devices are not able to completely protect electrical appliances.
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