Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

[Penguin45]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Do you now have heat? You have an acceptable reading through the heater and re-setting the safety should restore the power supply. The heater is directly switched by the timer unit; the switch bank (from memory) will give you different temperature options. There appear to be three operating thermostats in the clip in the piccie – it’s unlikely that more than one would be faulty, so try a different temperature setting and see what happens. See comment about “static heat” above. If there’s no heat on any setting it’s quite likely that the timer unit has failed.

Penguin45.

[conaero]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Thanks Penguin

I have heat, and will try the lower / lowest heat setting tonight.

I took the drain pump out last night as it was making a horrendous grinding noise, since putting the unit on its side. I pulled it out and blew the waste pipe out and a load of scale came out, alot.

Now the drain pump leaks so I have to get a new o ring as it is stretched.

I did a test, after cleaning out and it all heated well, but still the same problem persists with the timer. TBH I am thinking it is not the timer, as it sticks in 2 places, and if you look at the chart below, I have hightlighted them both, and they are the same function. It just refusses to move on from this phase, and if I give the timer a manual click round it continues as it should, washing perfect, with loads of heat.

My thinking is that it is waiting for some sort of signal, the same signal infact before it will move on to the next phase.

If I/we can work that out, I think we have the route of the problem. As I have learnt the hard way, it does not pay to go buying parts on a whim!

Take a look, it seems to indicate in the key **

The thermostat has been tripping and I have lost heat, but clicking the reset works. I think its tripping because it is sticking on the cycles below, and getting too hot…or is that the route of the problem?

[conaero]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Here is an indetail slice of the 2 erroring phases:

All I can see is that the common item is heat…ie the thermostat is not pinging the timer to say that it has reached temperature.

Infact I feel we are getting closer to the route of the cause, if you look at the full chart above, the timer is stalling at both the only points where heat is required.

[kwatt]

Like I said, heater or stat. 😉

All you need to do now is figure out which one is faulty.

K.

[conaero]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Thanks Kwatt, I think we are nearly there now, your and Penguins help has been fantastic, a big thank you to you both.

I have just worked out that the timer stalls, and the power to the motor in the timer is cut until it recieves some sort of signal.

When I manually click the timer round to the next phase, I am getting an arching spark inside the timer on the terminal that goes back to the Dual safety thermostat, terminal 3 which relates to the lower 73 degrees with automatic resetting stat. The heat did trip out the manual reset higher 90 degree stat.

As I have loads of heat, would I be correct that the heater element is fine, and the Dual Safety Thermostat is kaput, or is it the heater element that is causing the stat to trip, I think its the stat, not the heater.

What do you guys think?

[kwatt]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Please tell me that you’re not live testing this thing?

It will be the stat if the heater is okay.

K.

[clivejameson]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

For the definitive diagnosis you need a multimeter…on the stuck position check for continuity (ohms) through timer switch E1-E3, heater, stat and associated wiring to live and neutral.

…with power off at ALL times when testing :zap:

…then replace either the heater or the stat as required…

[conaero]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Thanks guys, yes, a little bit of live testing, but I am being very carful.

I am going to order the stat from the online shop and Ill come back when its in.

Once again guys, thanks for all your help, and agreed Kwatt, you got is spot on in your first reply. Its just I wanted to prove it, as I hate buying parts that are not faulty….and you can probably tell that I am not the sort of person who gives up easy.

This forum helped me a few months back with the changing of the drum bearing on my hotpoint washing machine. For a novice, its a pretty big job, but being into my Italian cars, I have a good background in wiring and electrical errors, which always turn out to be something pretty simple in the end.

Its always been the way with me…..I could just have dumped the thing and bought another, but with a bit or research and a little hard work, the thing should be fine for a few years yet for around £30.

Great forum!

[conaero]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Ordered the new thermostat on Friday, it will be here in a couple of days.

Just put the dishwaher on, and guess what, it just completed its cycle without fault

Arggggghhhh!!!!

[Penguin45]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Now imagine doing it 10-12 times a day, 6 days a week………. 😆

:p45:

[clivejameson]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

😆 The joys of this job abound…all you need now is a non-paying owner who gives you the full report of progress at around half-past eight on a sunday morning 😯 😆

Back to the problem…if you can use a multimeter you can check resistance readings through the various switches (safety, timer etc) and anything less then half an ohm is good. If one reads over an ohm then odds on it’s goosed.

While you’re at it have a look at the wiring loom where it goes through the bottom of the door, check for breaks in the conductors….

[conaero]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Sounds like you guys have fun in your line of work!

I think i will get myself an AC multimeter, my DC auto one does give a reading, but it fluctuates, as an alternating current will do, but it does give an indication of current.

I will chuck this thermostat in first, and if that does not solve it, will go delving with the multimeter.

I have checked the wiring along the hinge point, my last dishwasher suffered the same fault that took ages to find, so it was the first thing I checked.

Matt

[conaero]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Well, got round to fitting the new thermostat and bingo, all is well.

Whilst I had it apart, I took the element out and cleaned it as it was heavily scaled, and burnt at the end where it sits below the thermostat. Also, alot of hard vasaline/soap was stuck all round it. Not quite sure what it was, but de gunked it. The timer still stops in the 2 places that it did, but it has resumed after 10 mins or so every time so far.

Thanks again for all your help.

[conaero]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Bo Ho, its playing up again, damn it!

Same fault as before, stopping mid cycle.

I have replaced the dual thermostat, and that seemed to fix it, but now its doing the same. I can imagine its broken already, so must just have been random.

I have bought myself a multimeter, stripped the casing off and this is what I have found.

1. When it hits program 12 and 34 (see chart on previous page – both these stages are when the heater is turned on) power to the motor of the timer unit is cut and sticks on that cycle.
2. Power is directed to the heater element, and has been checked and returns 234v and 26ohm, and heats as per normal.
3. I have checked for continuity over the dual thermostat and all is fine.
4. I have traced the power feed to the timer motor and one side goes back to the start button and the other goes to this thing: (it is located on the same block as the mains flex coming in from the back): What is it/would it cause my problem?

I am starting to think that its the timer. I dont like buying parts for the sake of it, so can anyone give me any other test to perform whilst its apart?

Thanks, Matt

[conaero]

Re: Bernstien Dishwasher playing up AGAIN

Well, here is an update. Ended up paying Hotpoint about £100 to come out and gaurantee fix it.

The ended up changing the timer, the 3 door stats and the heater element.

Its run like a dream up until yesterday when the door spring went:

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