How to replace the heating element in a top-loading washing machine?

How to replace the heating element in a top-loading washing machine?

In fact, replacing the heating element is not difficult. It is even easier to do this on vertical machines than on front-loading machines. Why is that? First of all, due to the more thoughtful design of vertical loading washing machines. Let's figure out where the heating element is in such machines, how to check it and how to install a working part instead of a broken one.

How to inspect a heating element?

It is very easy to find out the condition of the heating element of your vertical washing machine. You don’t even need to disassemble the body of the washing machine. We will tell you how to quickly inspect the heating element using the example of a Whirlpool machine. First, you need to lift the top cover and open the drum flaps. There is an inspection window at the bottom – through it you can look “inside” the machine and see the heating element. The hopper needs to be closed and rotated so that our “hatch” is on top, and it is more convenient to work with it.

To open the inspection window, "arm yourself" with a slotted screwdriver. There is a plug on the side that needs to be moved to the right. Then the latches will work, the grooves will jump off and the plastic "flap" will move away. There is no need to hold it, let it fall into the drum. The window is open - all that remains is to turn the drum again, open its flaps, pull out the plug that fell inside. Now you can assess the condition of the heating element through the holes. If necessary, arm yourself with a flashlight.

Through the inspection window you will see whether the tubular heater is covered with scale, whether there are traces of carbon on it. If the heating element is in a "deplorable" state, it is better to dismantle it and check it. It is very easy to understand which side wall of the "vertical" to remove to gain access to the heater contacts - also look through the inspection window. You will see on which side the wiring and the fastening screw are located.

How to replace a part?

Before you start replacing the heating element, be sure to de-energize the machine, turn off the tap responsible for the water supply. Then you can move the washing machine to the center of the room so that it is convenient to work with it. After that, you need to detach the side wall of the case - for this, it is enough to unscrew several bolts located along its perimeter. The further algorithm of actions will be as follows:

  • Find the location of the heating element - the “nest” is at the very bottom,
  • Reset the wiring. Before doing this, it is better to take a photo of how the chips are connected, so as not to get confused when reassembling,
  • Disconnect the temperature sensor plug from the heater,
  • Unscrew the central nut that secures the heating element,
  • Remove the heating element from the nest.

The heating element should be pulled out together with the sealing cuff. If the rubber has "dried up" and does not "go", treat it with dishwashing liquid. The product will help soften the gasket. After dismantling the heater, it is better to immediately clean the seat from dirt, debris, and pieces of scale. This can be done through the holes in the inspection window. Having finished with the "cleaning", it is worth starting to install a new, serviceable heating element.

If the heater had a thermostat, remove it from the old part and insert it into the hole of the new heating element. Then you can insert the element into the socket and tighten the central nut with a wrench. Reconnect all the contacts, the ground wire and the temperature sensor plug. This is how you can change the heater of the "vertical". All that remains is to assemble the body and run a test high-temperature wash. This will make sure that there is heating.

Testing the old part

To check the heating element, you need to know its working power. Then, by substituting the values ​​into the formula R=U²/P, where "U" is the voltage indicator in the network (220V), you can calculate the resistance that should be produced by a serviceable part. Then the resulting number is compared with the value displayed on the multimeter display.

For example, a washing machine has a heating element with a power of 1800 W. Then, by substituting the values ​​into the formula, we get a resistance of 26.89 Ohm. A slight deviation of plus/minus 3 Ohm is allowed.

Next, you need to "arm yourself" with a multimeter and switch it to the resistance measurement mode. One tester probe is applied to the right terminal of the heater, the other to the left. Then you need to evaluate the readings on the device screen. If the multimeter display shows a number from 23 to 30 Ohm, the heating element is working properly. Zero, one, or a value tending to infinity will indicate that the heater is out of order. In this case, replacement of the part will be inevitable.