Washing automatic washing machines are usually connected to the water supply, sewerage and electricity. However, they only need cold water, since they heat the water themselves, using a built-in heating element.
Ten is a heating element in a washing machine.
It heats the water to the desired temperature, which is programmed into the washing machine.
From this article you will learn about what a heater is and how it works. You will also learn how to choose the right heater when buying, how to check it and install it in its place.
- How does the heater work in the washing machine (principle of operation)
- Design
- Power
- How to check the cause of the failure of the heating element
- The location of the heating element in the washing machine
- How to choose a new heating element for a washing machine
- The form
- Fixing system
- Other Options
- Where to buy a heating element for a washing machine
How does the heater work in the washing machine (principle of operation)
Installation tips are the same for almost all automatic washing machines, because their design is very similar to each other. If the heating element breaks down, then the further operation of the washing machine becomes impossible - it stops the program and shows an error.
Design
In an automatic washing machine, the heating element is presented in the form of a tubular structure, which is responsible for heating the water.In the middle of this design is a thin conductor made of a special alloy that has high resistance and is able to heat up to high temperatures without breaking. From the steel outer shell, the spiral isolates a dielectric material with high thermal conductivity.
The ends of the spiral are soldered to the contacts, and a supply voltage is applied to them. Most often, a thermoelement is located right there, which is responsible for measuring the temperature of the water in the tank of the washing machine. When a program is launched, the heating element is supplied with voltage from the control unit, it heats up itself and starts heating the water. As soon as the set temperature is fixed by the sensor, the control unit will turn off the heating element and the water heating will stop.
Power
Sometimes the power of the heating elements reaches 2.2 kW. The stronger the heating element, the faster the water will heat up in the washing machine, and the faster the wash will begin. It is also very important that the heating elements have high inertia and resistance, so they almost do not react to surges in the power grid. The increased short-term voltage in the network does not have a visible effect on the conductor inside the heating element. Due to this, the service life of the heating elements is increased.
How to check the cause of the failure of the heating element
As already mentioned, a distinctive feature of heating elements is their reliability. Therefore, they most often fail for the following reasons:
- Deposition of scale.
- Manufacturing defects.
By the way, when buying washing machines, carefully check the correctness of filling out documents and warranty cards (presence of seals, etc.). The most terrible enemy of heating elements is scale. Settling on the outer part of the body, it prevents the transfer of heat into the water. Due to the fact that scale has low thermal conductivity, it provokes overheating of the heating element. As a result of overheating, the heating element may burn out. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to use anti-scale.
Also, the occurrence of scale is dangerous because it contributes to the formation of rust on the metal shell of the heating element of the washing machine.
As a result, its integrity is violated and there is a danger of a short circuit. That is why scale must be fought actively.
Before completely replacing the heating element with a new one, you first need to check it.
To do this, you must have all the necessary tools, and basically an ohmmeter or a multimeter, which will have an ohmmeter mode. You need to check the heating filament for resistance and also make sure that there is no leakage on the body of the washing machine.
Basically, the resistance of the heating element ranges from 20 to 40 ohms (it all depends on how much power you have for the heating element).
And by the way, about leaks. When the heating element is in a normal state, then the ohmmeter must show that there is no resistance there. The verification process is carried out by measuring the contacts for the presence of resistance and the case. The ohmmeter will independently transfer to the maximum allowable limit of its work (it can measure tens and even hundreds of megohms).
You also need to check the control module for the presence of a supply voltage - for this you need to purchase a voltmeter or take a multimeter with a voltmeter (alternating current) mode and fix it on the contacts of the heating element. After the probes are on the contacts, you should run any program and wait for the voltage to come. If there is no voltage, then the control module must be checked.
The location of the heating element in the washing machine
In order to find the heating element you need to remove the back panel. As soon as the cover is removed and put back, you can see the plastic tank at the bottom, which will contain the contacts of the heating element, as well as the contacts of the temperature sensor. In some cases, the heating element contacts are located on the side, so you have to remove the side panels to get to them.
If you find the heating element contacts at the top, then these are not the contacts you need. This is a drying heating element, which is not of interest to us now, however, it is worth checking, and it is checked in the same way as a heating element for water.
In order to measure resistance, there is no need to remove the heating element itself. Also, not far from the heating element or between its contacts, you can find the contacts of the temperature sensor.
Changing the heating element is not difficult. You need to unscrew and remove the non-working element, replacing it with a new sample. After all the fasteners are tightened, you need to check the tank for leaks.
How to choose a new heating element for a washing machine
Heating elements mainly differ in their shape.
The form
The most popular are U-shaped and W-shaped heating elements.
All heating elements have contacts located at the back.
You may also come across heating elements in the form of a heart. There may be spiral heating elements, remember the old electric kettles and samovars.
Fixing system
In addition to the shape, the heating elements may differ in the way they are connected and fastened - fasteners and terminals can have a variety of shapes. Fasteners are presented in the form of fittings with flanges of various diameters. The same applies to the contacts of groups in which the washers are connected to the wiring.
Heating elements can also have special fuses and temperature sensors that can protect the elements from overheating, which is a fairly common occurrence as a result of scale. These contact groups are located near the contacts of the heating element.
Because of this, it is very difficult to choose an analogue of the heating element for your washing machine.
However, if you did not manage to buy an identical model, then you need to try hard in order to connect the new heating element to the wiring and seal the place where it will be installed.
Other Options
You also need to consider the power of the heating element before buying it.The parameters of the old model and the new sample must be equal - in this way, all washing programs will also do their job perfectly, the water will heat up quickly, and there will be no errors when checking the self-diagnosis system.
If your washing machine is rather old, and finding new elements is problematic, then you should look at heater models that are compatible with the old ones. Of course, connecting and installing them is quite difficult, but it will be much easier than fixing the entire washing machine.
Where to buy a heating element for a washing machine
When you yourself try to fix your washing machine, it is considered as an economical option in terms of money. Since finding new parts for a washing structure is a difficult job, because parts are not sold in home appliance stores. But you can solve such problems, you just need to order the necessary items at a service center or on the Internet, but keep in mind that they will be very expensive for you.
It won't be difficult to find them. Just type the following words into any search engine: (the desired part, in our case, the model of the heating element you need) for the washing machine (your model).
