On 29/12/2019 14:39, John Kenyon wrote:
On 24/12/2019 21:12, Steve Walker wrote:
On 24/12/2019 09:38, John Kenyon wrote:
On 19/12/2019 15:52, Scott wrote:
On Thu, 19 Dec 2019 15:19:43 +0000, Chris Green wrote:

Scott wrote:
On Wed, 18 Dec 2019 20:35:25 -0000, "Brian Gaff \(Sofa 2\)"
wrote:

I'd try it and see.
Is it one of those filled with what looks like talc?
Brian

I don't know what's inside it and to find out would destroy the fuse.

Also, what if it appears to work? Could it not then let through far
more than the rated current?

Hardly, the resistance of the wire inside it will be a fraction of an
ohm, the resistance of the 'damp sand' (or whatever) will be tens if
not hundreds of ohms. Water isn't a very good conductor, distilled
water is almost an insulator, it's mostly down to dissolved impurities
that water conducts at all.

Would detergent make a difference when it has been in the washing
machine - or heat?


From recent experience...

The heating element in my washing machine finally gave up the ghost.
It failed in the middle of wash cycle (water+detergent), taking out the
13A fuse in the plug and the 32A ring main MCB.

Reset MCB, replaced plug fuse, I tried to do a plain rinse cycle - empty
drum, straight mains water (idea being I could use the machine to rinse
and spin the half washed load before the element is replaced).
Turns out the rinse cycle turns on the heater.
Blue flash from drum, but this time only the 13A fuse went. The MCB was
untouched.

Conclusion: Mains Water+Detergent is a better conductor than mains water
alone.

(Heating element should arrive today, will probably take 90 minutes to
replace - 30 minutes to strip+rebuild, 60 minutes to get the b'stard
wire+spring seal retainer back on.)

The last heater element I replaced took 5 minutes. All it required was
the mains and earth connectors pulling off, a single clamping nut
slackening to reduce the pressure on the rubber seal and the whole
heater just pulled out. Replacement was, in the words of a Haynes
manual, the reverse of removal. Nothing else needed to be touched.

SteveW

Replacing the element hardly took 5 minutes - it's gaining access that
takes the time.

On a Bosch, the only thing you do from the back is replace the drum belt.

Remove lid (2 screws+slide off)
Remove front panel (3 screws from front, smaller screw on side).
Remove kick panel (1 screw)
Open door, remove seal retainer, and separate seal from front panel.
Remove two screws at bottom of panel, carefully separate, and then reach
down and unclip the plastic cable management device from the front
panel, and then unclip the wiring loom from the door lock.
Put panel to one side.

Then you are into the "5 minute" job.
(noting that on a Bosch you need to transfer the thermostat from the old
element to the new one)

Ours is a Hotpoint - unplug, slide out, unscrew and remove back cover,
pull off heater power connectors, loosen clamping screw, pull out
heater, then do the reverse.

SteveW