Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

[thegoose]

Hi. I put a wash on yesterday and went out, came home to find the power’s off in the house, eventually determined to be caused by the dishwasher. It ran for 2-3 minutes each time before tripping the main RCD, it didn’t matter whether I just reset the RCD and left the machine untouched, or if I also started the wash again from scratch. I tried it again this morning (i.e. from completely cold) and whilst it may have taken very slightly longer to first trip out there’s not much difference. The manual shows that the machine is designed to display fault codes via its indicator lights but due to it being powered off by the RCD there are no fault codes shown when the machine is turned back on.

My first thought was that maybe a thermal cut out has failed and if they were cheap I’d get one just to try but they appear to be really expensive.

Please can someone tell me the likely fault, or how to go about determining it?

This machine is old but isn’t used heavily (twice a week?). It occasionally doesn’t start wash programs (probably only happens every few months), but putting it on to rinse program instead for 10-20 seconds then changing to a wash program is a simple workaround.

Many thanks for your help.

[kwatt]

Re: Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

Try it on a cold rinse and see if it trips. If it does then it’s likely to be the main wash motor, cap or something like that.

If it doesn’t trip on a rinse only then it’s likely to be heater or stats.

K.

[thegoose]

Re: Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

Thanks (and why didn’t I think of trying that?!!), it seems OK on a cold rinse. How do I get to and test the heater and stat(s) please?

[kwatt]

Re: Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

It’s *probably* the heater in that case, can’t guarantee it obviously but it’d be my No1 suspect.

To test you’re looking for it being dead shorted, open or down to earth. The first two you can do with a multi-meter easily enough the latter and earth loop tester, not so easy.

Cheap version of the heater in it is this:

http://shop.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/80689037 … ng-element

Very simple affair so easy enough to test as much as you can when you get to it which, if memory serves, is from underneath and you’ll see the heating element around the base inside the machine.

K.

[thegoose]

Re: Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

Thanks. With the meter set on continuity it buzzed accordingly, although when measuring resistance it showed about 27ohms.

Does a short mean it needs a new one?

[kwatt]

Re: Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

Afraid so if it’s shorted to earth then that’ll pop the trip every time.

K.

[thegoose]

Re: Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

Sorry, I’d only measured across the two terminals on the element (after taking the wires off it).

I’ve now checked further and neither of the terminals is shorted to earth and neither of the wires is shorted to earth. The only short I’ve found is the element itself and I don’t know if that means it’s OK (e.g. same as a light bulb) or it’s at fault?

[kwatt]

Re: Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

It may be okay in that case.

Yes, like a light bulb but the most common reason for an element to go in that way and, one of the most common things we see on heating elements in appliances is a leak to earth. If that happens when you test like that it may well look to be okay but, it ain’t.

K.

[thegoose]

Re: Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

OK, I’ve bought an element, hopefully that will sort it (I’ll be straight back for more assistance if it doesn’t!). Thanks for your help.

[thegoose]

Re: Smeg DWI 710 E1 trips RCD after 2/3 minutes

Sorry, should have replied sooner. It arrived Saturday and was a doddle to fit. All working fine now. Many thanks for all your help.

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