Hi,

I seem to have a Bendix washer / dryer that is shorting out the rings
MCB. This occurs immediately and only when the dryer is turned on. Now
I want just to check my guess that this is probably due to the heater
unit inside this thing. Is there anyway I can check before replacing
the part. To be honest I'm not too sure what this unit will look like.
The other disturbing thing is that instead of tripping the kitchens
MCB this actually trips the main switch on the consumer unit. Is this
most likely down to a duff MCB?

Many thanks for any help with both issues

Steve

In article ,
(Steve) writes:
Hi,

I seem to have a Bendix washer / dryer that is shorting out the rings
MCB. This occurs immediately and only when the dryer is turned on. Now
I want just to check my guess that this is probably due to the heater
unit inside this thing. Is there anyway I can check before replacing
the part. To be honest I'm not too sure what this unit will look like.
The other disturbing thing is that instead of tripping the kitchens
MCB this actually trips the main switch on the consumer unit. Is this
most likely down to a duff MCB?

My guess is that's it's an earth leakage fault, and the thing it
is actually tripping is an RCD which is covering the whole house.

Heater element would be no.1 suspect, but there are other possibilities
inside a washing machine such as water leaking into electrics, insulation
worn off wiring by vibration against a sharp edge, etc.

--
Andrew Gabriel

On 30 Dec 2004 14:39:26 GMT, (Andrew
Gabriel) wrote:

Heater element would be no.1 suspect, but there are other possibilities
inside a washing machine such as water leaking into electrics, insulation
worn off wiring by vibration against a sharp edge, etc.

Anecdote time.

Our washer/dryer would trip the RCD about one run in four, during the
spin cycle.

I took it apart, expecting to find something important soaking wet, and
everything looked fine. Just as I was sliding the top back on I had my
head at the right angle to see a minute burnt spot on the inside paint.

There is a capacitor strapped to a wiring harness, a good inch from the
case when the thing is off. Obviously sometimes when spinning this
bounces agains the case. There was a little peak on the solder
connection to the capacitor and it had hammered a pin-prick hole through
the heat-shrink insulation, so bingo - earth leakage and off goes the
RCD. File it down, put some tape round it, and a couple of extra cable
ties and problem solved.

But it was so difficult to spot - I'm still surprised I managed to.
--
On-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk

(Waterways World site of the month, April 2001)