[MJNewton]

Finally got to speak to Blomberg (well, Beko) and they think the white residue is a result of the detergent not fully dissolving. I’ll try some alternatives and the longer/hotter wash programmes to see if that helps.

Regarding the programme duration issue, and the 30 minute quick wash actually taking nearly twice that, I’ve taken a video – condensed down to four minutes to make it slightly more bearable to watch whilst hopefully illustrating the issue to them.

[video=youtube_share;4zyD4DLp5PM]https://youtu.be/4zyD4DLp5PM[/video]

[MJNewton]

*Sigh* It’s back again… 30 min wash seemingly finishing and then jumping back up to 30 mins on the countdown timer and doing a drying cycle. This time though we’re also finding white residue appearing everywhere (or at least on all the plastics, including plastic wash items):

[IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:”none”,”data-size”:”full”,”height”:”450″,”width”:”800″,”src”:”https://www.newtonnet.co.uk/permanent/blomberg1.jpg”}[/IMG2]
[IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:”none”,”data-size”:”full”,”height”:”450″,”width”:”800″,”src”:”https://www.newtonnet.co.uk/permanent/blomberg2.jpg”}[/IMG2]
[IMG2=JSON]{“data-align”:”none”,”data-size”:”full”,”height”:”450″,”width”:”800″,”src”:”https://www.newtonnet.co.uk/permanent/blomberg3.jpg”}[/IMG2]
There’s no salty taste so I’m wondering if it is limescale? We are in a hard water area (22.7 on the Clarke scale) but the softener has salt in it (and previously the inside of the machine has always been sparkling).

Of course, this latest issue might have nothing to do with the Mini30 problem, but if the control logic is that screwed up to not run the programme(s) properly perhaps it isn’t performing regeneration cycles like it should either?

I’ll try and get in touch with Blomberg for them to send someone out. That is proving easier said than done however!

[MJNewton]

Just to close this one off; the dishwasher is behaving itself perfectly now and the ‘Mini 30’ wash now indeed taking 30 minutes. I think, but can’t be certain, it was the EEPROM reset but I am not entirely sure why. Really appreciate the input given though – thanks.

[MJNewton]

So as not to risk sending you on a wild goose chase kaibart, just to let you know I’ve just run a ‘Mini 30’ programme and sure enough it took 30 mins to complete. Bang on, No drying cycle, no fan, and the programme finished immediately after the final rinse and drain.

So what’s changed? Unfortunately a few things so hard to say… That I can recall: I reduced the rinse aid dosage setting (just in case having it set high automatically triggers a drying cycle or something – pure speculation on my part), toggled the F2 Supergloss function (seeing if it is an allowable option for this programme – it isn’t but thought it might ‘clean out’ a stuck setting albeit one that wasn’t lighting the indicator – again clutching at straws!) and finally – and perhaps most notably – entering the Service Mode (Power and Prog button for 3 seconds from Off) and resetting the EEPROM (assuming that’s what ‘EEP’ then ‘rst’ does). I didn’t try any of the test features in the service mode but I couldn’t resist the reset in case it removed some glitch that was causing the issue (more speculation, but it must serve some use that doesn’t cause irreparable/irreversible damage – or so I hoped!). I’ll see if the new (and expected!) behaviour persists and either way will report back, for what it’s worth.

Thanks again though kaibart (and electrofix) for sparing me the time to help and sharing your thoughts.

[MJNewton]

Thanks kaibart – that’s very kind of you. Details as follows:

Model: LDV42244
Stock No: 7645453877
Serial:

This could be a red herring but I noticed that there is a ‘Super Gloss’ function (F3) that can be activated for the ‘Mini 30’ programme and sure enough this does extend the estimated time to 1hr. The manual is a little vague on what exactly this does (‘provides superior drying performance’) but a review of another Blomberg machine suggested it aids drying by increasing the temperature prior to finishing and activating the fan. When I opened the door mid-cycle I did think it felt hotter than the claimed 35C (slightly below what I have the shower set to) and so I wondered if this function is activating for some reason. The button and function indicator work though, and I can confirm it is definitely not enabled.

[MJNewton]

Just done a bit more investigating (I must have better things to do than this… maybe not actually) and found something quite strange.. I set the ‘Mini 30’ P7 programme with my watch timing and decided to open the door just shy of the 30 min mark and, to my surprise, found it saying 1 min to go! So I closed it again and it went through a drain cycle and sat there for a bit… with the floor LED still on… and I began to wonder if maybe I’d set the wrong programme on my previous tests (there is afterall one that takes 58 mins). But the floor LED remained on and the fan (I think?) started up. I opened the door and it was now saying 23 mins remaining!

It seems that it might be tacking on a drying cycle but the manual makes no mention of this, and it surely undermines the whole point of a 30min ‘quick wash’ – particularly one that is stated as having no drying cycle within it. If it is by design, albeit an odd one, I suppose we can accommodate it knowing that if we need a quick wash we can take things out at the 30 min mark (will just have to time that bit given the activity floor light won’t help) and then either let the rest of the ‘bonus’ drying cycle conclude or cancel the whole thing and be done.

[MJNewton]

Thanks Kaibart – that’s an interesting one, and we do use tablets. The manual does describe an ‘Auto Tablet’ feature:

Auto Tablet is a feature which detects the use of combined tablet detergents automatically. Drying performance of these type of detergents is improved by adjusting temperature and duration accordingly. Owing to this feature, there is no need to press any button in case of a tablet detergent use.

Sounds like a winner! Unfortunately having checked this setting on mine it wasn’t enabled. I’ve enabled it now and will test again but if anything I’d expect it could take even longer if it is going to now account for the use of tablets and extra dissolving/drying time etc. I won’t rule anything out though. I wonder how it detects the use of tablets?

One other thing I have now tested is the flow from the appliance valve – I was rather hoping it might have a blockage, perhaps an issue with the check valve, but having tested its flow rate it is ‘pretty intense’ (that’s the technical term that results from it filling a 2L milk bottle in hardly any time at all). Mains pressure is 2 bar. The inlet hose could still be restricting the flow but I’m not sure how to test that.

I contacted Beko via Facebook and they were quite quick to reply, confirming that it should indeed take 30 minutes. They asked if enabling the F2 ‘Rapidclean’ function shortened the time from 55 to 30 minutes but that feature isn’t selectable with this particular programme. I guess it likely uses most of the changes the Rapidclean might’ve employed anyway. I’ve replied and will see what they say next – it wasn’t clear if the F2 suggestion was to help pinpoint a potential cause they had in mind or simply a suggestion of how to shorten the programme time more towards what I was expecting.

[MJNewton]

Thanks for your thoughts Dave.

I must say, I’ve been quite surprised how quietly this machine fills – I wonder if that could be indicative of slow filling? It’s got an AquaStop-type inlet hose on it (one with the solenoid valve at the supply end) and so I’m not quite sure how I’d measure how well it was flowing compared to how I might with a conventional hose that I could easily undo. All that said, I am pretty sure I’ve noticed the washing part of the cycle starting fairly quickly and so if there were slow fill issues I’d expect to see obvious delays here if it waits until a certain volume has been received?

Regarding water temperature the ‘Mini 30’ is fairly cool at 35C and so ought not to take too long with a starting temperature of, what, 15C ish? I am fairly certain the heater is working as other (hotter) programmes and definitely functioning. I must admit to not having timed those, not least as it’s less of a concern (to us) how long they take as they’re all fairly long as standard anyway, but perhaps I should.

Definitely food for thought though Dave – thank you. I’ll do some further investigation. I might try interrupting the programme and seeing how long the time-remaining indicator says and seeing if that holds any clues as when the unexpected delays are occurring in terms of progression through the programme. I did wonder about overriding the interlock and running it with the door open to everything but I can imagine it might be easier said than done eliminating the risk of water being sprayed over the kitchen!

I am still intrigued by the apparent drying cycle as the instructions said it doesn’t do one on the Mini 30 (which doesn’t surprise me). That alone might be taking 20 minutes for all I know and without that I’d be down to 35 which wouldn’t make me bat an eyelid.

Incidentally, I don’t suppose you know if there’s a ‘service mode’ (or whatever they might be called) on these that I could use to exercise the different functions? I was thinking I could perhaps use it to see how well the water fill is working. Perhaps timing the ‘rinse-and-hold’ programme might suffice for that?

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