Washing machine blowing electrics

[Ashley123]

Hello
Useless female here....
I'm not sure if I'm in the right place but I have a quick question I'm hoping an expert can help me with!
My washing machine keeps blowing the electrics, I've managed to empty it of the clothes but drum is full of water.
Does this mean I have a faulty washing machine or could it be the socket/plug or something else?!?
Hoping some kind electrician can help me!
Thank you

 

[Tes369]

Do not use your washing machine !! when you say blowing the electrics do you mean trips the RCD ?

Do you have anything else plugged in or running when this happens how long has it been happening ?

Can you take a pic of your consumer unit and describe what is tripping (Don't use your washing machine)

Cheers

 

[Ashley123]

Hi
Yes I mean the rcd box.
I can't get a picture on just yet as I'm using my phone and it doesn't look like I can upload pic from my phone.
It's the switch for all of downstairs that goes. Every time I flicked it back up it fused again until I turned washing machine off at the fused spur socket then it stayed on. Only other things on...boiler and 2 Xbox upstairs.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[Ashley123]

Figured how to put photo on!

 

[Spoon]

Can you pull your washing machine out?
Take a pic of where it plugs in and surrounding area.
Has the washing machine or anything else leaked onto where it plugs in? Turn off the RCD (that you have circled) and see if the washing machine plug or socket it wet.
It sounds like your washing machine could be buggered.

 

[Tes369]

How old is the washing machine ?

How long has this been happening ?

What size of the load in the washing machine ?

 

[Ashley123]

Nothing has leaked, area dry and socket dry.

 

[Ashley123]

Washing machine 2 maybe 3 yrs old.
First time it happened today.
Washing kingsize bedding but this has never caused a problem before!

 

[Spoon]

Test: Put nothing in the washing machine and turn it on.

If it still trips then it looks like you may need a new washing machine. or get it fixed.

 

[Ashley123]

So....switched socket on, all ok until I closed washing machine door!

 

[Darkwood]

If its only a few yrs old and regardless of the warranty expiration date you should still be covered by your consumers rights act.
If you get it looked at and it is proven to be a failure of the washing machine through no fault of your own then get it repaired if just a cheap repair or if expensive then submit the engineers report to where ever you bought it stating your consumer rights in that it has failed before the expected life of said failed part, they will either have it repaired and reimburse you with any costs or they will pass it on to the manufacturers to deal with.
I assume it was brand new when bought and not reconditioned or 2nd hand?

Does it trip when just powered or at a certain part of the cycle IE when it should be draining the water, it is common for the pumps to fail and should be cost effective to repair.

 

[Ashley123]

Hi. Thank you for your advice.
I wasn't in the room when it tripped so don't know what part of the cycle it was on.

 

[Darkwood]

Does resetting the program to off trip the rcd when powered if not then try putting it on to a drain cycle to see if that trips the rcd... if it trips regardless of the program been selected or not it could be the mains smoothing capacitor which are not that expensive to replace.. if the plug and flex look ok then you may need a engineer in but before you do that just try run it off an extension from another socket, this will rule out a fault with the socket like a trapped wire that only shows under load.

 

[Adam W]

Just throwing some ideas around - is it plumbed into the kitchen sink, and if so does the sink drain OK or could the waste pipe be frozen?

 

[Darkwood]

@Adam W - that would explain the washer not draining but been a pump it would just fill the sink then gravitate back into the washer or back up over the vertical washer waste pipe flooding the floor, also doesn't explain the rcd tripping which is the primary issue.