Having a washing machine stop working in the middle of a wash cycle is a thorn in the sides of many and while some issues can be fixed with relatively little effort, a washing machine that does not properly heat up water will likely require some form of professional repair. In most cases, a faulty water heater element is to blame. Before picking up the phone and ringing an engineer who offers washing machine repairs in Birmingham, here are a few steps to help verify whether or not you are dealing with a faulty heating element.
How to Determine if Your Washing Machine Has a Faulty Water Heating Element
1. If, minutes after turning on the washing machine, a circuit breaker or fuse pops, this may indicate the presence of a faulty water heater element. However, there are several other possibilities for this and further testing may be needed.
2. If clothes are not being washed as thoroughly as they used to be, this could mean that they are being washed in cold water as a result of a broken water heater element.
3. If the wash cycle seems to last much longer than it once did, this could mean that the water heater element is faulty since many washing machines utilise sensor technology to ensure that proper preset temperatures are being met prior to moving on to the next wash cycle. However, there are other issues that could cause this type of problem and therefore further investigation by a qualified engineer may be needed.
4. The only true method of testing whether or not a heater element is faulty is with the use of a special tool called an ohmmeter. An ohmmeter is a tool used to test electrical valves. In order to verify that an element is not working, an engineer will connect the device’s live and neutral wires to the appropriate connectors on the water heater element and look for a positive reading. In the event that no reading is obtained, there is a strong likelihood that the element is faulty.
Unlike some of the smaller home appliances, repairing a washing machine requires a high degree of competency working with electrical components and an engineering background since many complex parts and wires are involved. The best way to see that your washing machine is repaired properly is to contact an engineer who has experience providing washing machine repairs in Birmingham. There are many appliance repair companies available to send an engineer to your home to perform tests such as the test for a faulty water heating element; many can even repair your washing machine on site so that you do not need to worry about transporting a large appliance around the town.