How to check the surge protector of a washing machine with a multimeter? Surge protector disassembly and repair – Setafi

The main way to check the surge protector of a washing machine with a multimeter consists of 2 steps. First, the part is carefully inspected and, if there is no damage, they call with a multimeter. If there is no voltage at the output, the unit is out of order and needs to be replaced. How to check it and install a new element is described in this material.

Purpose and types

Before you understand how to disassemble a surge protector, you need to understand its purpose. This is a small device that plays an important role in protecting the washing machine from power surges that occur:

• inside the unit itself;
• in the external power supply due to unstable current supply.

In fact, this is a fuse that blocks any oscillations whose frequency does not correspond to the standard (50 Hz). Even if electricity is supplied to the apartment regularly, during washing there are often peak loads and, conversely, power failures.

As a result, malfunctions of the surge protector may occur for write-off, in extreme cases it may even break, but it will save the machine itself. The node protects the unit both from power surges and from its reduction. In the latter cases, the engine gets very hot and can burn out, but to prevent this from happening, the mains filter uses the previously accumulated energy concentrated in the capacitor.

When discussing how to check the filter in a washing machine, 2 types of these devices should be distinguished:

1. External, that is, the usual carrying with an off button.
2. Internal - built directly into the machine itself. This is a small but important unit, without which the unit can burn out.

Internal filters differ in technical parameters, such as load limit, voltage level, and the amount of time between the occurrence of a step and the response.

How to check the surge protector

The device is inserted inside the machine, enclosed in a shockproof housing. Therefore, in order to figure out how to repair a surge protector, you need to determine its location and remove the panels. The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. The washing machine is turned off, the plug is removed from the outlet.
2. Close the faucet supplying cold water.
3. Take a screwdriver and unscrew the bolts on the back panel.
4. They look inside and find a small rounded part (may be black or white) located on the network cable, that is, in the place to which the power wire goes.
5. To determine the malfunction of the surge protector, you need to unscrew all the bolts.
6. Carefully inspect the part and the wires suitable for it. If melted insulation is found, dark spots, charred contacts, and even more unpleasant smell, there were clearly reasons for the breakdown of the mains filter for write-off, so the part is definitely subject to replacement.
7. If there are no external signs, it makes sense to test the part with a multimeter. It must first be switched to the buzzer mode.
8. Attach the probes to the contacts of the node.
9. Measure the resistance values ​​at the input and output.

How to change the filter

If there is no voltage at the output, the node is definitely not working. Therefore, the question arises of how to change the fuse in the surge protector. To do this, you first need to purchase exactly the same part. They take an old burned-out spare part and go to the store with it. When buying, pay special attention to 2 indicators:

• maximum impulse overload current;
• maximum current consumption - it must match the power of the washer multiplied by the number 2 or 3.

For replacement, the reasons for writing off the surge protector are not so important. If it burns out, the voltage is zero, the part must be changed, since it cannot be repaired. The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Cut off the terminal block for the output.
2. Clean up contacts.
3. Since the cause of a surge protector is often associated with a power surge, which causes the wires to burn, they must be heat-shrinkable.
4. Put on new terminals and fix them with pliers.
5. If necessary, you can add a few more pieces of heat shrink.
6. Next, you need to perform grounding. To do this, the terminals are sawn off with a hacksaw for metal.
7. Drill a hole in the ground terminal.
8. Install the sawn fragment on the ground terminal and tighten with a bolt.
9. Since the mains filters cannot be repaired, it remains only to replace the part. The input wires are connected to the terminals marked "L" and "M".
10.  Output wires to output 4 and 2.
11.  Ground wires are connected to the appropriate terminals.
12.  Fix the filter to the body of the washing machine from the inside.

Thus, breakdowns of the mains filter for disposal cannot be repaired, so the damaged part can only be replaced. If you have the skills, you can do it yourself, having previously bought a similar spare part.