Dishwashers Stop Socket Working For A While

[har_de_har]

I've got a problem which is confusing my limited grasp of home electrics!

Recently my dishwasher started cutting out (all its lights going off) a few minutes into the cycle, unless I did a cold water rinse. I assumed it was the dishwasher and replaced it (with a spare I handily had lying around...). However, this other dishwasher has the same problem! After it has been switched off, the dishwasher won't turn back on for between a few minutes and a few hours.

I have a plug socket behind my dishwasher, which seems to cause this problem. Plugging the dishwasher in to a different socket stops the problem. Trying a phone charger in the problematic socket after it has cut out shows a charging icon very briefly (~1 second) but then it stops charging.

The socket in question has a switch on it, but there is also a fused switch in an accessible location (ie not behind the dishwasher) which seems to provide power to the dishwasher socket. Is there such as a thing as an overload-detecting socket which could be incorrectly cutting power? Could this be a fuse problem? I assumed that fuses and RCDs just blew/tripped when something broke and then you had to manually reset them, rather than just waiting for a while.

Any help much appreciated!

 

[steptoe]

I would hazard a guess the contacts internal to the socket are 'worn'

a new socket should cure this,

but, as ever, without first testing the socket and associated wiring its merely a guess at this stage.

 

[Theorysparky]

Hi Mate

Welcome to the forum

my first thought is that you have a loose connection in either the socket or fused spur...

if you think about it ,, if the dishwasher vworks fine at another socket then it points to the original. the fact the phone changers dies after a few seconds confirms it

isolate the sockets at the fuseboard then check the internal connections in those sockets

you may need a new socket

there you go,, two sad gits,, same thoughts

 

[Doc Hudson]

Welcome to the forum, it certainly sounds like something is lose somewhere, either a cable termination, or the internal connections in the socket or the contacts on the switch of the socket or the fused isolator switch above the units.

Doc H

 

[har_de_har]

Hi guys - thanks for your advice! I changed the fused isolator switch and everything seems to be working ok now. The wires were all solidly connected to the old one and I can't see anything obviously wrong with it, but the new one has fixed the problem

 

[Theorysparky]

Nice one

you did all the right tests without any kit fair play

you saved yourself a callout fee aswell !!

 

[brycenesbitt]

The reason the hot wash cycles cut out, is they turn on an electric heater to boost the water.  You probably could have reproduced the switch failure with an electric heater (or anything with high draw).  In contrast your mobile charger probably would have run all day...

 

[ProDave]

Some switched Fused Spur units sold these days are rubbish and are incapable of handling high power loads without failing. We have discussed this before on the forum.

I wonder what make the failed one was? and what make did you put in as a replacement?