Any Electricians/Plumbers out there?

jojo

jojo

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Recently, when my washing machine goes into the spin dry cycle, it pops one of the main fuses in my garage, but the fuse that's in the plug doesn't go?
Does that mean it's time for a new washing machine(it's around 7-8 years old) or does anyone have a clue why that's happening?
I'd also like to point out that the washing machine resides in an extended part of the house, or the utility room as some would call it, so could it be a wiring problem?
 
get an extension lead and and plug it in to the house then plug it in and see if it does the same thing .........sounds like washing machine the condenser could be knackered
 
It could be the pump on the washing machine as well .have the clothes been very wet lately after finishing the cycle.have you emptied the catch filter before the pump

FM I sound like a sweetie wife:lmfao:
 
Very rarely dose wiring ever go "bad" unless its been damaged some how...

With that said...I need some more info.

What size fuse is in the main box that keeps blowing?
Is it actualy a "fuse" or "breaker"?

How far away is the washing machine from the main fuse/breaker box?

The "fuse" that you refer to as being "in the plug"....are you sure this isnt a GFCI trip unit? (Does it have a TEST and RESET button on it?)
The reason I as is because I've never heard of a fues being "in the plug".


BTW...

In case your wondering....I am an Electricial Engineer Tech. and licensed Master Electrician of 8 years.
 
The reason I as is because I've never heard of a fues being "in the plug".
Click to expand...


In the UK every appliance has a three pin plug with a fuse built in due to the the ring main principal in the US (where I assume your from) you don’t hence the confusion in the US you have individual breakers/fuses supplying each socket.


The maximum rating of fuse in your washing machine plug can only be 13 amps so if your main fuse blows first it has to be .

1) a lower rated main fuse less than 13 amp .
2) the same rated main fuse but more sensitive e.g MCB rather than a fuse wire.
3) overload on the total circuit too many things running at once.

The washing machine could still be faulty but for it to blow the main fuse first it has to be :- lower rated, more sensitive or overloaded with other appliances /load for it to go first.
 
timps said:
In the UK every appliance has a three pin plug with a fuse built in due to the the ring main principal in the US (where I assume your from) you don’t hence the confusion in the US you have individual breakers/fuses supplying each socket.
Click to expand...

That interesting...

Are you saying that each branch circuit (to include general purpose and dedicated circuits) is not individualy protected via a breaker or fuse in the main breaker box?
 
It's a breaker in the main fusebox that keeps popping, I'm not sure how the wiring is done in the utility room, but the sockets where the plug goes into is hidden under a small sink and bolted to the cabinets. I'm thinking it's an overload of the circuit, cos the lights, washing machine and freezer is getting the power from one source I would have presumed.
 
That interesting...

Are you saying that each branch circuit (to include general purpose and dedicated circuits) is not individualy protected via a breaker or fuse in the main breaker box?
Click to expand...

No they are protected.

But legally you cannot buy a UK 3 pin plug without fuse protection built in and the maximum fuse you can buy to fit in this plug is 13 amps.

The reason is we use a ring main circuit which is a complete loop of usually 2.5 mm² cable which is protected by a 30 A main fuse in the fuse box with the wire returning back to the same 30 amp fuse, a number of sockets are daisy chained together on this loop & the individual appliances are further protected by the plug fuses.

We also have spares or radial circuits which are non returned circuits protected by a smaller fuse or thicker wire.

But because the ring circuit exists in many homes it does not matter which system you use you cannot buy an un-fused 3 pin plug in the UK by law.
 
audi upgrades
timps said:
No they are protected.

But legally you cannot buy a UK 3 pin plug without fuse protection built in and the maximum fuse you can buy to fit in this plug is 13 amps.

The reason is we use a ring main circuit which is a complete loop of usually 2.5 mm² cable which is protected by a 30 A main fuse in the fuse box with the wire returning back to the same 30 amp fuse, a number of sockets are daisy chained together on this loop & the individual appliances are further protected by the plug fuses.

We also have spares or radial circuits which are non returned circuits protected by a smaller fuse or thicker wire.

But because the ring circuit exists in many homes it does not matter which system you use you cannot buy an un-fused 3 pin plug in the UK by law.
Click to expand...

Thats pretty cool...

Your 2.5mm wire is the equivalent to our #10AWG wire which is rated at 30 amps (excluding volatage drop, ambiant temp, and free air space, etc).

I really like the "ring circuit" idea...

We dont use anything like that at the commercial/residential level over here.

But our utility grids and some industrial buss-duct systems are configured in that same manor. Provides a redundent supply in the event something happens at one end/side.

See....Im learning something from you Europeans already.:salute:
 
your utiity room should not have the sokets and the lights from the same breaker, it does sound like a overload problem more than a washing machine problem.

try unplugging the freezer while you do a wash and see if the same thing happens.

also whats the ampage of the breaker ??? it might have a spurious one fitted possibly even a 15 amp not a 30 amp one.

I hate cuircuit breakers, much prefer my fuses, I know they are old school but they work well and if I want breaker protection I use one of those plug in jobbies.
 
Been using pretty much the same setup for 7-8 years i've had the washing machine, this problem has started most recently, when the weather has got cold, was out all day, so didn't try the other sockets. The other half is afraid to use the washing machine whilst i'm not there lol, so she's taken the laundry to the inlaws haha, it's a pain moving my damn car backwards a few feet, just to open the garage door to get to the damn fusebox!
 
If this has worked for years and is now just showing a problem its unlikely to be a wiring fault, but don't rule out a dodgy breaker, they do and can fail.

I'd suggest there is some problem with the washing machine, possibly the heating element inside the washer as this has the highest load draw BUT If a washing machine on a 32 amp circuit is tripping an MCB out then its not an overload its a short circuit. the fuse in the plug top would go before the MCB on an overload.

Its either a faulty MCB or a short in the machine, maybe a wire has worn through over the years and is causing a short.
 
LOL, at least I can get around 3 quid for my current one huh?

The main fuse now justs pops when I flick the damn thing on, something wrong there methinks, I'm just baffled that the 13A fuse in the plug doesn't go first?!
 
Like I previously said (maybe you didn't read it) a fuse will only blow on an overload but a breaker will trip on an instantanous short. Much quicker than the fuse will melt.
 
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