Zanussi ZWF1000M Drain/Spin problem

[Whittlehoot]

Hi, I hope someone can help me with this?

I have a six year old ZWF1000M that is beeping continuously following a drain or spin cycle. It appears to drain okay (I’ve checked and cleaned the pump filter and waste pipe), but it won’t spin at 1000rpm (I think it manages 500 or 700 rpm) so the clothes are still very damp at the end of the wash. It even beeps if I set it to ‘no spin’ on the spin cycle.

I wondered whether it could be a balance issue because the bearings are whining a bit, although would it still be checking the balance, even on a drain cycle?

The machine was made in China, so there are no diagnostics or error codes.

Thanks.

[1totalshambles]

Re: Zanussi ZWF1000M Drain/Spin problem

“would it still be checking the balance, even on a drain cycle?” No it would not.
Difficult one this. Gut feeling is that the programmer has gone wrong though they don`t usually fail like you describe as as I`ve seen but there again I don`t just repair Zanussi. Best to check the motor / brushes which will be worn not necessarily worn out ? / wires which will probably be ok, the air trap for blockages and the pressure switch hose which once again it`ll be doubtful they will be faulty but check to make sure, any disaster can happen and that is not because it is Chinese or Thia! If the drum is actually wobbly loose that is the answer if it just the beginnings of noisy bearings and IF the tank unit is a sealed tank affair ( ? because you don`t give the prod code e.g. 91?????/?? ) then its a gonna anyway based on total cost, parts supply etc…anyway.

[Whittlehoot]

Re: Zanussi ZWF1000M Drain/Spin problem

Thanks very much for your response. I didn’t think it would be checking the balance either (I tried removing the drive belt and doing a drain cycle, with no joy). The reason I mentioned it was because when it first went wrong, it was only sometimes and only on a full load. If I took out half the washing and tried again, it completed successfully.

To answer the points you’ve raised:

I’ve checked the brushes. Yes, you’re right, they are worn, but not worn out (about 7mm left). On the few machines that I’ve replaced brushes on, they’ve gone intermittent first on spin, before failing completely. I guess the armature current increases as the brushes wear down and if that’s being monitored, it could cause issues?

Can’t see anything obviously amiss with the wiring.

Air trap and pressure switch hose are clear.

The drum is whiny rather than wobbly. It seems quite smooth still when turned by hand. The machine had a two year guarantee and just before it expired, I noticed the bearings were whiny so called the repairer out to change them, which makes them about four and a half years old now. The engineer told me that the reason the bearings wear out so quickly on the Chinese built machines is because they are smaller. Before that, the heating element went O/C when the machine was six months old. The engineer spent about half an hour trying to get the diagnostics to work, before calling the workshop to be told there weren’t any. He replaced the circuit board and motor (which had an earth leakage fault) which made no difference, but came back later to replace the heater.

Pretty sure the tank unit is in two halves.

Product code is 914579831/00 (Serial number – 04915861)

Other than not spinning at 1000 rpm the machine seems to work/wash okay. It’s only because it beeps continuously and flashes the ‘spin’ light at the end of the cycle that tells me there’s a problem. Can’t justify an expensive repair, but can’t justify ditching it either.

Thanks again for your help.

[1totalshambles]

Re: Zanussi ZWF1000M Drain/Spin problem

Via Zanussi parts site tank appears to be sealed type at £132 but it is the way they`ve drawn it and then they also mention another part at 88 quid as a tank kit with no picture makes me have an element of doubt still so no further forward on this, typical!.
Well there could be a heater problem revisited in way of the heater to have a slight earth leakage = still heats, trip does not go, but messes around the pcb ( all sounds far fetched but it is getting very common on washing machines in general ) BUT they don`t usually cause a reduction of spin speed but anything is possible. You could have a play as follows: put a NORMAL SIZE towel load in the machine, set on 40 or 60, get the machine nice and hot ( because if there is an earth leakage it`ll now be at its worst / highest ), turn off power, set machine to spin and see what, if anything, happens. You could then disconnect both heater wires and insulate unless there`s no need to, turn power back on, set to spin again then start and watch and listen. If machine now spins at 1000 there`s your answer buy a new element if still no joy it looks as though pcb was at fault all along, think pcb about 108 quid via zanussi site and the heater is rather a rip off 45 quid; welcome to the wacky appliance world.

[Whittlehoot]

Re: Zanussi ZWF1000M Drain/Spin problem

Tried your suggestion (disconnecting the heater etc). No luck I’m afraid, still not spinning at 1000rpm.

You don’t think it’s possible the short brushes could cause this type of problem?

I know what you mean about far fetched faults. I had to clean the water nozzles on a Zanussi and when I’d finished, the drum motor wouldn’t work. It was thirteen months old and the shop quoted around £160 to fix it. I checked the motor relays and found one of them had an intermittent contact, which I was able to clean, but it still didn’t work. Although the triac measured okay (as far as triacs can be statically tested), I replaced it with an identical one from my old tricity-bendix. Fixed! New triac – £2.60.

[Martin]

Re: Zanussi ZWF1000M Drain/Spin problem

It does have alarm fault codes based on a combination of wash, rinse and spin LED’s.

[Whittlehoot]

Re: Zanussi ZWF1000M Drain/Spin problem

Unfortunately not on this machine Martin, only on the Japanese or European built ones. Pressing the Start/Pause and Option buttons and turning the selector does not put it in diagnostic mode.

There is some kind of test mode though, if the Prewash button and the Option button to the left of it are pressed while turning the selector. After two seconds, all the leds light up and the buzzer gives three long beeps and three short beeps. One of the water inlet valves opens for a short while then stops. Turning the selector further causes the other valves to open and fill the drum. I’m not sure what two of the positions do, but turning the selector to the Spin position causes the pump to drain out the water and putting it in the Drain position causes the drum to spin. The fastest it spins is the same as during a normal spin cycle, so it’s not really telling me anything. None of the other positions seem to do anything – no beeping and no flashing leds.

[Author]

Posts