Bosch SGS6342 not heating water

[bedouin32]

Our 10yr old Bosch SGS6342 has just developed a fault – it is not washing properly and does not seem to be heating the water.

Putting it on appears to run through the cycle normally (but I think it is slower than it used to be) but at no point does the water get hot and the dishes are therefore dirty and streaked with undissolved detergent.

Basic checks show that the heater element appears to be okay (resistance of the order of 20ohms) water level is fine and being pumped around okay. However at no point was I able to detect any voltage being applied to the heater – so I guess it is failing to switch it on.

Any recommendations as to what to do next?

With the age of the machine it is getting marginal as to whether an expensive repair is worthwhile but I don’t mind calling out an engineer if (a) I can find a good one locally and (b) he will not charge the earth for telling me he can’t repair it.

PS if someone is being really helpful 😀 I have noticed a reduction in performance over recent months (more food left on plates) that I guess is going to be down to a reduced flow – I have tried a chemical cleaner that did improve things but assuming I can get the major problem resolved it would be good to do a proper clean of the piping underneath the main stainless container. However access to that area seems to be VERY restricted – is there an easy way to access the main pump and associated piping?

[bedouin32]

Re: Bosch SGS6342 not heating water

Further investigations reveal scorch marks and what is now a dry joint around one of the connections on the PCB to what I believe to be a relay that controls the power to the heater.

A quick go with the soldering iron and lo and behold – 240V appeared across the heater and things seem to be working again. Of course I am concerned that the dry joint was a symptom not the cause but I will have to see. The heater seems to draw in excess of 10A and that seems like a lot of current to pass through those thin PCB tracks.

I’d still be grateful for any advice on cleaning the pipes and so on underneath the body of the machine.

As a general word of caution for those reading this (before anyone says it for me) – poking around inside mains appliances with the power switched on can be dangerous and is not recommended.

[Penguin45]

Re: Bosch SGS6342 not heating water

Tubes and piccies HERE.

Penguin45.

[bedouin32]

Re: Bosch SGS6342 not heating water

Thanks – as I had the machine in pieces I have given that all a good clean.

However my specific concern is the water flow out of the lower of the two rotors – that seems to be less than it should be as it seems barely to rotate – the upper rotor seems better. I’ve cleaned everything I can reach easily and the rotor itself is clear but I am wondering if there might be a partial blockage in the pipes that lead to the rotor (maybe a bit of food that squeezed through the filters).

However the construction is such that the stainless body of the washer itself sits very close on top of the plastic tray and there does not seem to be any easy way of accessing the pump area without taking the whole machine apart.

I know that at 10yrs we have had our money’s worth out of it but there is no particular reason why it should not last several more years if only we could do a bit of cleaning and “Preventative Maintenance”.

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