What is the resistance of the heating element of a washing machine?

Making a correct diagnosis of the heating element of a washing machine is very important, especially for a novice technician. His mistake will result in the work part being thrown away. To assess whether it can be used, you need to know what the normal resistance of a working heating element is and be able to measure it with a multimeter.

Determine the resistance of the heating element

Before removing the heating element of the washing machine, you need to determine its resistance. To do this you need to use a multimeter. Normal resistance should be between 24.2 and 40 ohms. To calculate it, you need to square the voltage in the electrical network (220 volts), and then divide this value by the power of the device. As a rule, it is equal to 1800-2000 W.

Before measuring the resistance of the heating element, it is important to disconnect the washing machine from the electrical outlet. Then you can start checking and use a multimeter. If everything is done correctly, the result is displayed on the screen of the measuring device. It should be close to the one obtained in the preliminary calculation. If this condition is met, the heating element is in good condition and can continue to be used.

If the actual resistance is significantly less than the norm, this indicates a malfunction of the part. If the number “1” is displayed on the multimeter screen, there is a break inside the heating element. The number "0" means a short circuit.

Important! If, when measuring resistance, the result is less than the calculated one, 1 or 0, the part needs to be replaced.

How to check a part?

To assess whether the heating element is operational and measure the resistance, you need to disconnect the household appliances from the power supply. Then disconnect the wires from the heating element. In many models this part is located behind the front or back cover. By connecting a multimeter to the heating element, you can determine the resistance.

Having completed the measurement, experienced craftsmen do not forget to carefully examine the heating element. Sometimes defects are visible visually. Such parts also need to be replaced.

If you don't have a multimeter at hand

Sometimes you don’t have a multimeter at hand and you can’t determine the resistance of the heating element. But its performance can be assessed. Various methods are used for this.

1. Start the washing process and watch how the electric meter wheel rotates. If it picks up speed, the heating element is highly likely to be working.
2. The part is removed from the housing. To do this, unscrew the nut located in the middle, press on the protruding bolt and carefully remove the element from the bowels of the tank. Having taken it out, they carefully examine it. If there are even small cracks or dark spots on the heating element, it is better to change it.

Note! When installing an old or new part, it is important to ensure that the connections are tight.

When installing a tested and working heating element or a new heating element on the washing machine, you must accurately hit the mount, which is located at the bottom of the tank. If this is not done, the part will touch the drum during operation of the equipment and will quickly fail. Experts recommend following preventative rules that help increase the service life of the heating element.To do this, once every 6 months you need to run a standard washing program with an empty drum, and pour 1-2 tablespoons of citric acid into the powder receptacle. This helps eliminate scale that forms during operation of the machine.

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