Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

[justinbarrow]

Hi I was wondering if anyone has had this bizzare problem with dishwasher…Mine is a sTricity Bendix Slimline DH086 model and has the following problem…

2 Days ago it tripped the fuses and on opening the dishwasher it smelt badly of burning, I thought its the element as the smell came from inside the bottom of machine and not outside.
I have investigated underneath and cant find any sooty wiring or burnt smell. I have tested the element by putting a multi meter across the 2 electrical connectors and get a reading of 24 OHMS.
Continuity seems ok. Also had the door panel off tested the thermostats in the door and underneath near the main element and again all seems fine.

The annoying bit is I ran the machine after these investigations and it worked and heated up, but the timer got stuck on the hot rinse part with the element still producing heat and the machine stuck doing what it was. The machine also never blew any fuses this time.

Today its back to normal it will run through a complete cycle on all settings but refuses to get hot, the timer doesn’t get stuck now its not heating, but did when the heater was working, I have again tested the element and still get the same reading of 24 OHMS

I have checked for blockages and everything is clear, the only thing that really sticks out is when i connect my multi meter to the wires comming from the timmer to the wires that connect to the element (live and neutral) when i turn the timer dial and it gets to the part where it needs to heat the element the continuity alarm buzzes (like live and neutral have crossed)

The other thing is that if this is happening then why does it not trip the circuit breaker.

Also would this indicate that something is wrong with the timer but shorting or could it be the motor that is going to ground when the heater is required as the machine seems to do everything right apart from heat up.

Any help would be apriciated before i finally give up and scap it.

Thank you

Justin

Any help very much appreciated – Thank You

[Penguin45]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

This not a bizarre fault, it is a variation of the single most common problem these Zanussi based machine suffer from. Please read this:

http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.p … ge&pid=104

Yours is the blue tubes version – power off when you go underneath.

Regards,
Penguin45.

[justinbarrow]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

Thanks for the reply, I did check the blue pipes which where a bit dirty and jetted them out, also checked the horseshoe pipe underneath and this was clear.

I have now found something elecxtrical when i pull the wires from the element that come from the timer and check for continuity (on the purple and orange cables) it is fine but when i move the timer controll to where it needs to heat up it buzzes like somewhere the purple and orange wires have crossed but cant understand if it is doing this when conected up it dosent blow any fuses.

The continuity buzzer alwasys sounds when the motor is turning then the motor powers down and the continuity buzzer stages down with the spinning down of the motor then goes off.

Could this be timer related or something to do with the motor when the motor dosent turn the continuity buzzer does not sound.

Should i test for continuity at the timer end by taking the Purple and Orange leads that connect to the element from the timer and see if i get the same problem or should i investigate the motor as i cant see that it is burnt.

If i have to look at the motor if needs to be removed will there be any water spillage likley.

how often does the motor kick in, sorry but its something that is annoying but something that i will learn from, thanks to all you guys.

Any other thoughts on what i should do would be very much apriciated. Thanks

Justin

[justinbarrow]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

Forgot to add,

When i removed the blue tubes in the dome, where the water was looked a bit junked up, is there a way of throughely cleaning this out or will this clear when the machine pumps out sorry if this sound silly 😳

Also do i have the IWMS system as where you see the salt container from underneath it has a compartment full of brown small crystal/beads that the water pumps through before it then moves into the bottom of the machine. I actually removed this and put water through it but still had same problem of not heating.

The machine is a Tricity Bendix model DH085 and was bought january 2001

thanks again

Justin

[justinbarrow]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

I have now found that the neutral (purple wire) on the timer loses power at the hot rince, this wire goes to the thermostat that then connects to the element.

Its when this wire loses power that the machine timer hangs and you have to manually forward it on.

The hot rince bit is towrds the end of the cycle but dont understand why it has power to this wire at the start but still wont heat up during the main wash? part at the beginning

Only when the timer which is mechanical not digital gets to the hot rinse part and loses power what would be causing this to happen as i have checked everything i can.

I wouldnt have a dodgy thermostat stuck closed

Any help would be apriciated

[Penguin45]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

Let’s apply a bit of logic here…….

The machine now fills, drains and circulates through the cycle, up to 4 times, it also heats in the wash position. So…. we know that the heater and thermostats are doing their thing quite happily. Really, it only leaves the programme timer – whilst the hot rinse is basically a repeat of the hot wash, it is energised by a different section of the cams. Furthermore, the buzzing noise may well be the timer not quite reaching the full static heat position, again wear in the gears and cams may well be responsible.

There are early and late timers fitted to these machines, so we will need the pnc no from the label on the side of the door to identify the correct one. From memory, about £65 plus the VAT and P+P.

Hope that clarifies things a bit, sorry it’s not a nice little 10 minute job.

Regards,
Penguin45.

[justinbarrow]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

Finally making progress…What i have found now is the dishwasher will not fill with water, the motor is working and is the pump, On the main wash the element gets hot (obviously i didnt leave it on for long as no water was getting into the machine) but when i turn the timer to hot rince the element will not get hot, only on the main wash will it heat up.

With the water not entering does the hot rinse mode only start to heat the element once a certain level of water has entered into the machine.

Come to thinkof it this was an intermittant fault 2 days before these problems started it would fill then it wouldnt then it woul etc.

Do you think i have timer trouble or inlet valve problem,

Many thanks guys.

Justin

[Penguin45]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

Water level switch is interlinked to the heater – no water, no heat. The humming will be the water valve solenoid opening, but the flood protection shut off is in the closed position. You’ve still got a blockage somewhere – the short blue tube links to the water level control switch, the long blue tube operates the cut off on the valve.

It is possible that the valve itself has become faulty with age, but one fill followed by no fill is a classic symptom of the blue tubes problem.

Regards,
Penguin45.

[justinbarrow]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

Thanks, I have really cleaned out the blue tubes. When you say the small tube is this the one that sits lower down.

Where else would there be a bloackage cant see anything obvious.

When the blue tubes enter the dome does one go to the clear thin pipe that goes to the pressure switch and the other blue tube does this go to the red tube that then conects onto the inlet valve where the water enters.

Is it worth blowing through these pipes.

Really apriciate the help, Thanks

[Penguin45]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

Basically correct Justin. What is happening is that the short tube has to be bunged up somewhere – possibly in the bottom of the chamber where the tubes sit, as the water is being cut off by the anti flood, not by the pressure switch. Pull them out again, and give the chamber bottoms a good clean – you’ll probably have to crawl in headfirst with a torch to see what’s going on properly.

Good luck,
Chris.

[justinbarrow]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

Thanks, im on with it now ive looked headfirst into the chambers where the tubes sit and it seems clear.

I have done a continuity test on the water inlet solenoid and at first i got a continuity buzz across the 2 terminals then on disconecting the wires i tested across the 2 terminals on the inlet valve this time got no buzz and got a reading of 1950 olms then on reconecting the 2 grey cable to the terminals and testing again this time i didnt get a continuity buzz and got the same reading of 1950 olms.

There is another solenoid near the salt water container i have tested this and get the same reading of 1950 olms but no continuity buz.

should i have got the continuity buzz at the water inlet valve the first time i tested as it seems strange i only got this before disconecting the 2 wires.

I am not getting round to looking for what i think from all your help is a small bloackage somewhere.

Can you confirm if 1950 olms is normal on the inlet valve.

Thank you

Justin

[justinbarrow]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

At last!!!!

I did a closer inspection of the chambers where the blue pipes sit and on the long one it is full of water and on the small one when i shon a torch down was gunged up with white fatty stuff, i poked a screw driver down and this wasnt working well.

What should i use to clean these out as boiling water hasent removed the junk.

What is this white stuff, how did it get there, is it due to rubbish tablets.

Thanks penguin you were spot on with this all along, do you think everything will work once it is all cleared out?

as the timer was getting stuck on the hot rinse part.

Thanks for any help guys, do u think mr muscle sink unblocker will work ive got a bit under the sink…but worried it will melt the plastic chambers.

Thanks again

Justin.

[Penguin45]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

It is just that Justin – fat. Use a stout straight bladed screwdriver and break it up. Pluck out what you can, then run the hottest wash.

Don’t be tempted to use any proprietory cleaning products in the machine – they generally froth like crazy when the machine starts to circulate, thus creating a whole new set of problems 😀 .

Bear in mind that heavy soil should be rinsed off the crockery before runing the machine – the fat will coagulate in the lowest point of the machine, in a backwater – ie the blue tubes recess.

Glad you got there.

Regards,
Penguin45.

[justinbarrow]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

i have now cleared one chamber, but the chamber that houses the biger seated blue tube still is blocked and this white stuff seems very hard like as hard as plastic itself, it seems to be really blocked. when i now tip water into the chambers without the tubes in the shorter housed chamber is clear but the other longer tube chamber seems to back up with water and will not go down like the other chamber.

Can this stuff be really hardwork to shift as im worried about prodding around to hard with the screwdriver and breaking something.

it seems very hard.

thanks, i feel im getting there but was wondering why one chamber is so tough to clear

justin

[Penguin45]

Re: Tricity Bendix dishwasher bizzare problem (not heating)

You in a hard water area?

Penguin45.

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