Strange fault on Bush washer dryer
Hello! I’ve started getting a fault on a 2.5 year old Bush wdnsx86w. When the motor starts to turn from stationary or changing direction there is a momentary screech coming from the appliance which almost sounds like something hitting the glass door. The appliance then gets stuck in a loop and the timer won’t go down. Cue the door lock engaging and disengaging and kitchen lights flickering. Eventually the appliance turns itself off.
Can any washing machine engineers / repairers point me in the right direction please?
IMG_0659.MOV
Solution Summary
AI-generated from this discussion
This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
Bush wdnsx86w screech/looping traced to motor contamination
- The problem
- A 2.5-year-old Bush wdnsx86w washer dryer made a brief screech or knocking noise when the motor started from rest or changed direction. The programme then became stuck with the timer not counting down, the door lock repeatedly engaging and disengaging, the kitchen lights flickering slightly, and the appliance eventually switching itself off.
- Likely cause
- Build-up of fluff and carbon deposits around the motor commutator. The original poster believed this was causing brief electrical tracking/arcing when high current was drawn at start-up. This explanation is supported by the contamination found and the successful result after cleaning, but the exact electrical mechanism was not independently confirmed.
- What fixed it
- The back panel was removed, the motor area inspected, and fluff and carbon deposits were cleaned from around the commutator. The motor was then refitted.
- Checks to try
- Drain pump operation was checked and reported as normal.
- Back panel removed to inspect the motor.
- Fluff build-up and carbon deposits were found around the commutator.
- Appliance was test-run afterwards through 4 loads without recurrence.
Safety: Disconnect from the mains before removing panels or inspecting internal components. Further diagnosis should be carried out by a suitably qualified appliance engineer.
9 Answers
Hello. I'm assuming you are referring to the knocking noise? Something is loose, by the sound of it. With a noise like this, someone needs to disconnect it from the mains and take off the lid and back panel. Then physically move and shake the drum about to identify exactly where the noise is coming from.
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that knocking sound would'nt be the drain pump kicking in would it be?
It sounds like a drum machine playing a nice beat.
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It's a very strange noise. It doesn't sound like any pump I've heard but then listening more closely it doesn't sound like a mechanical sound either. It's like a sucking almost electronic sound.
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No, it’s not the drain pump. Drain pump is running as it should.
Update on this:
I took the back panel off to see what was going on with the motor. There was a build up of fluff around the commutator and the fluff had carbon deposits on it. It seems like when the motor received high current to start a spin there was a brief short along the fibres to earth. Motor cleaned up and refitted and all good.
Wow. I've never seen that. It certainly was a sound I could not recognise. Presumably it wasn't doing a brief short to earth though? Otherwise it should have checked the electrics or blown the fuse. Unless the washing machine was an earthed of course!
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I don’t really understand it myself. The kitchen sockets are RCD protected at the consumer unit and it never tripped. The kitchen lights did flicker a little when it got worse. Since cleaning the fluff and carbon out of the motor I’ve run 4 loads in the washing machine since and they’ve all been fine. Strange.
Yes it probably was like a combustion flash, that didn't actually reach the metallic casing and therefore did not trip the electrics. All in all, it is strange thing indeed.
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