How to change the heating element on a Whirlpool washing machine?
If 20 minutes after turning on the high-temperature cycle, the window glass of your Whirlpool washing machine remains cold, then there is a problem with heating the water. There is a lack of “heat” for several reasons, but most often the culprit is a tubular electric heater or, for short, a heating element. The element fails partially or completely. It is dangerous to start the machine with the heater not working. It is necessary to immediately begin diagnostics, and then repair or replace the heating element.
What will be needed for repairs?
Anyone can test and change the heating element - the procedure is simple and quick. You don’t have to purchase special tools and equipment, since a standard home “suitcase” is enough. More precisely, wrenches, socket 8, screwdrivers, multimeter and technical oil.
The most difficult thing is to buy a heater that is suitable in power and size. The type of heating element installed depends on the Whirlpool model, and buying a “foreign” device will lead to a quick breakdown. To make your search easier, you should prepare for your trip to the store:
remember the markings applied to the heating element (the combination is engraved on the metal);
show the consultant the dismantled heater as a sample;
Dictate the Whirlpool model serial number.
The price of a new heating element for Whirlpool is 8-12 dollars.
It is important to correctly determine the heater power. Typically, Whirlpool washing machines are equipped with a 1850-watt device. But some models will require higher values - it is necessary to clarify the information on the serial number of the washing machine.
Finding and purchasing a new heating element is not a problem.You can contact a service center or specialized store in person, or order the part directly from the manufacturer via the Internet. The cost will depend on the supplier, power and brand of heater. As a rule, the price ranges from 8-12 dollars.
Heater front or back?
Whirlpool washing machines are easy to repair: access to most key components is quite easy. TEN is no exception. It is located under the tank, and to get to it, you need to turn off the power to the equipment, turn it around, unscrew the back panel, tighten the drive belt and pay attention to the lower part of the case. Under the bottom of the drum there is a rounded “chip” with wires - this is a tubular heater.
It is impossible to confuse the heating element with another device, motor or pump. The first one is always located directly under the drum and has many connected wires. If the location of the heater is predictable, then the cause of its failure becomes more complicated. Many failures can lead to a problem, and for an accurate “diagnosis” you need diagnostics using a multimeter. As practice shows, the following are most often to blame for the malfunction:
voltage surges in the electrical network;
breakdown of the heating element thermistor;
scale on the heater, causing the element to overheat;
long-term operation of the machine (the heating element has simply done its job);
user error;
manufacturing defects;
moisture getting on the contacts;
faulty control board.
Most often, the breakdown of the heating element is caused by an unstable voltage supply in the electrical network!
Almost all of the problems described above will be solved by replacing the heating element. The only exception would be the failure of the control board - the module may not read the transmitted information or may not send a heating command.Perhaps the triac responsible for the heater on the block has burned out, the wires have come loose, or the “paths” have been damaged. In this case, independent inspection and repair are contraindicated - only contact a technical center for advice.
Description of repair
It is prohibited to use a Whirlpool washing machine with a broken heating element. Firstly, the self-diagnosis system will display an error on the display when starting each high-temperature cycle. Secondly, in cold water the detergent will dissolve less well and will settle on the internal parts in a thick soapy film. Thirdly, at low degrees, clothes do not wash.
It’s better not to put off repairs, but to get down to business right away. Changing the heater with your own hands is not difficult; the main thing is to act consistently and not forget about safety precautions. First, we disconnect the washing machine from the power supply, water supply and sewerage system, then we move it away from the wall. The next step is to empty the tank. It is worth remembering that after pumping out the water, some of it settles at the bottom and threatens to get onto the contacts of the removed heating element. The water is drained using a drain filter. The sequence is:
pry up the false panel at the bottom of the Whirlpool with a screwdriver and unhook it from the body;
We find a round black plug behind the door - a garbage filter;
cover the space around the washing machine with rags;
place a container under the filter plug (for convenience, the machine can be tilted back a little);
Unscrew the nozzle clockwise;
wait until all the water leaves the tank.
An empty machine can be disassembled. We turn the machine backwards forward or go around the machine, then unscrew the back panel and tighten the drive belt. There is no need to immediately remove the heating element - first we carry out diagnostics. The instructions are as follows.
We photograph the wiring connected to the “chip” so as not to confuse the phases during reassembly.
We release the wiring connected to the heating element.
Turn the multimeter into ohmmeter mode.
We touch the probes to the contacts.
We fix the indicator (the norm is from 20 to 30 Ohms).
After replacing the heating element, a high-temperature test cycle starts.
If the tester gives a different value, repairs will not help; replacement of the heater is indicated. First, you should remove the heating element: loosen the holding bolt and push it deep, loosen the device body and pull it out. All actions must be careful, as the rubber seal must not be damaged. Otherwise, the required tightness of the container will be broken.
After dismantling, we clean the “socket”, and then take a new heating element, fix the nut on it and treat the seal with lubricant. Then we install the heater in the seat, secure it with fasteners and hook up the wiring. We put the drive belt and back panel back in place and connect Whirlpool to the communications. After the repair, we run a test cycle - washing without laundry and heating at least 50 degrees. We wait 20 minutes and touch the sunroof glass with our hand; if it is hot, the replacement was successful.
If 20 minutes after turning on the high-temperature cycle, the window glass of your Whirlpool washing machine remains cold, then there is a problem with heating the water. There is a lack of “heat” for several reasons, but most often the culprit is a tubular electric heater or, for short, a heating element. The element fails partially or completely. It is dangerous to start the machine with the heater not working. It is necessary to immediately begin diagnostics, and then repair or replace the heating element.
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