Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

[Camperdownfamily]

My mother in law has an Electrolux EW1006F. For various reasons I won’t bore you with she bought it but it then sat in an outhouse for five or six years brand new but unused.

It has now been brought into the house and is being used but is suffering with issues (of course she thinks it is still a brand new machine and should be working fine).

The heater failed, so I have replaced that, but it is now stopping in the middle of the sections of the dial marked C, D, F and G. If I turn the dial on a click it will then carry on, but often (but not always) then gets stuck at the next stage. Oddly half loads seem to run ok only full loads get stuck.

I have disconnected the water level sensor pipes, checked them for blockages and leaks. I have checked the level sensors and they certainly work when I blow into them and I have checked the continuity to ensure they are switching ok. I have also checked the filter tank to see that it hasn’t got gunge growing in it for being left standing for so long, but it’s clean as a whistle.

I have also checked the temperature sensor, but the resistance reading seems to be ok, and when I run a boil wash (starting at A) it fills, does the pre-wash, drains, refills and heats the water no problem until it gets to the back – end of C and then stops.

Any ideas on what to check next or what the problem might be would be really appreciated.

Thanks

[Camperdownfamily]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Since 44 people have looked at my question, but no one has been able to make any suggestions about faults, I have done some more fault finding, and discovered something odd.

The machine runs just fine if I select ‘Half Load’ but if I deselect it, the machine stops at a number of stages through the programs (as detailed above). I don’t know if this gives more of a hint as to what the problem could be – but I hope someone can give me some ideas.

I notice that the machine has two level switches and two pressure tubes which come from the box next to the pump, but when I look up exploded diagrams on the internet, they all show only one level switch and pressure tube. Is it possible one could be faulty and not identifying the water level for a full wash, but with the level being less on a half wash it manages ok? One level switch is a simple on / off switch, by the way, while the other one has three stages, each of which switches in turn as the pressure in the tube increases.

[Martin]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Replace the level sensors (pressure switches). The mechanical one because that may well be the reason the heater failed in the first place. And the analogue one because you blew into it and likely damaged it as a result.

[Camperdownfamily]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Martin,

Thanks for the advice. Any ideas how I can identify the second level switch? All the exploded diagrams I can find on parts websites only show one.

[Martin]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Camperdownfamily wrote:Any ideas how I can identify the second level switch? All the exploded diagrams I can find on parts websites only show one.

I would need the full PNc number of your machine to look it up. No doubt your machine is best end of 17 yrs old and the two pressure switches I have for that vintage then the part nos for are: 1246839102 and 1245355209.

[Camperdownfamily]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Thanks for that. I’ll look up the PNc number tonight when I get home to double check.

Maybe the machine was sitting new and unused in the outhouse longer than 5 or 6 years – it was certainly purchase new and has only been in the house and in use for 9 months or so – it’s amazing how time flies!

[Camperdownfamily]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Hi Martin,

The PNc Number is 914789527/00

Thanks

[Martin]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Camperdownfamily wrote:The PNc Number is 914789527/00

The part numbers I gave then are correct but I was way out on your machines age. It was manufactured back in 1996 not 1999. 😯

[Camperdownfamily]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Thanks for that. I had no idea it was as old as that!

A quick search of a number of spares sites brings up 1246839102 at between £59 and £89 (already a high price for such an old machine), but every site I can find lists 1245355209 as discontinued. I’m on the verge of telling my mother-in-law to buy a new machine, rather than try to fix this one, despite it’s 9 month working life – but before I do, do you think there anywhere to look that might (a) have the parts at a more sensible price and (b) still have the second part in stock somewhere?

Thanks

[Martin]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Firstly, I must correct an earlier post regarding the types of pressure switch fitted on your machine. Both switches are purely mechanical and therefore blowing into them to activate the switch stages will not necessarily harm them contrary to what I said earlier. Secondly, the single level switch acts as a heater safety switch (ensuring the heater won’t come on with no water in the tub). The 3 stage switch operates the two water levels plus a 3rd overfill safety level.

[Camperdownfamily]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

I was wondering why it had two switches – that makes a lot of sense – thanks.

The single heater safety switch I noticed was easy to get to switch when I blew into it, but the three stage switch very easily swiched the lower level, but the upper level took a lot more ‘puff’ and there was very little between the upper level switching and the overflow switching (of course all non scientific and just measured by mouth).

Does the machine use the level switches to switch on and off the water inlets, or does it do that independently, and then measure what it’s put in? The reason I ask is that the machine has never appeared to overfill – with no clothes in it the water level sits just at the bottom of the glass in the door – but when the machine stops, it typically appears to have just filled with water and then be waiting on something before carrying on. I thought it was the heater (which I recently replaced and which did appear to solve the problem initially, but then it came back), but putting it on a boil wash with a pre-wash from position A, it runs through the pre-wash no problem, gets to B, fills, heats the water very hot (but not boiling), then moves to C and stops in the middle of C. If I nudge it forwards a click, it drains, does a quick spin and then starts the rinses at F, but gets stuck in the middle of F. Again a nudge forwards makes it drain and move on until it gets to the softener rinses at G, where it gets stuck in the middle again, but following a click on it drains, goes through the spins and stops.

I have made sure I am not being impatient because when it last stopped at C I left it all night to see if it would move on, but by the morning it was still there until I nudged it on a click.

As I mentioned previously, the half loads run from beginning to end no problem.

Does all of that give you any thoughts on whether it’s the level switches or if I should be looking somewhere else?

Thank you for your help.

[captaincaveman1]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Firstly if the drain hose is installed in a standpipe on the wall check you haven’t pushed the drain hose to far down it if not then check you haven’t reversed the two pressure tubes by mistake swap them them around and try that .

[Martin]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

captaincaveman1 wrote:if not then check you haven’t reversed the two pressure tubes by mistake swap them them around and try that .

The tubes fit on the same air chamber so it makes no difference which tube goes on which. Though you do make a good point about the drain hose, the outlet end of which should be higher than the highest water level otherwise it would syphon out.

[captaincaveman1]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

The air chamber on this range is internally split between the nozzles for the hose’s and has a slanted top meaning more capacity on one side and more than once have I been to a job after an engineer had reversed the hose’s.

[Camperdownfamily]

Re: Electrolux EW1006F Randomly Stops

Hi, thank you for all your advice.

I can confirm that the two hoses are definitely connected to the right pressure sensors because I only disconnected them one at a time, and also because one is longer than the other, so if they were the wrong way around, one would be a loose fit and the other would be very tight.

I have also checked the drain hose, but it is completely clear. The drain hose is connected just below the level of the top of the machine to an appliance trap and is held on with a jubilee clip, rather than being pushed into a stand pipe, so it’s not possible for it to sit below the water level in the trap.

I’m rapidly running out of ideas, but the machine still completes all the programs fine when the half load button is pressed, but gets stuck when its running full loads. I have found a copy of a timer chart for the machine on partmaster.co.uk (124752601u-EN). The time chart shows the water levels through the programs and in the F and the G programs is shows a dotted line for water level going up to level 2, and a solid line at level 1. My guess is that must be the difference between full load and half load? It would be roughly where these dotted lines reach the 2 level that the machine just stops, and when I click the dial on one click, it then drains and then seems to continue ok. When it fills with water, it just fills and then stops, it doesn’t agitate the clothes at all, so I guess it is the water level sensor at level 2 which is the problem.

Is there anything else to check first? Is there any way to check that and confirm the results before buying a new sensor? I guess I could wait for it to stop and then put a multi-meter across the contacts on the sensor and see what it is reading?

Thanks

[Author]

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