Tumble dryer..

[apprentice87]

Hi All,

Not really what the forum is about, but anyone know how a tumble dryer is wired?? Mine is fairly new and now has a fault.. Switch it on on the cool setting and the rcd will trip in a few seconds. Switch it on in the hot setting and all is fine..... Eh???

Did occur to me that the hot setting might be one element, and the cool setting switches in a SECOND identical element in series [twice the resistance] and therefore half the power if you follow..... and...... the second element is faulty..

Sound plausible or plain daft???

john..

 

[Evans Electric]

Logic dictates that , as you already know,  there must be an earth fault on the cool circuit  which ,as you say , is likely to be a second element and as we know ,  elements are notorious for tripping RCDs.  

No idea how driers are wired or configured TBH. 

What make is the infernal device Apprentii? 

 

[kerching]

Logic dictates that , as you already know,  there must be an earth fault on the cool circuit  which ,as you say , is likely to be a second element and as we know ,  elements are notorious for tripping RCDs.  

No idea how driers are wired or configured TBH. 

What make is the infernal device Apprentii? 

Is it a VW?........( very wet)

they are known for dodgy products

 

[Doc Hudson]

I would have assumed two parallel elements, single element cool, both elements hot. Could there be less earth leakage in 'hot' setting due to lower resistance through bother elements in parallel. Easier path directly back through Live -> Neutral rather than through path to earth ?

Doc H. 

 

[Tony S]

What make is it? I’m under orders to buy a tumble drier.

 

[Tony S]

I would have assumed two parallel elements, single element cool, both elements hot. Could there be less earth leakage in 'hot' setting due to lower resistance through bother elements in parallel. Easier path directly back through Live -> Neutral rather than through path to earth ?

Doc H. 

Could be a series/parallel network.

Hot two elements in parallel, cool two elements in series (¼ power)

 

[Evans Electric]

Would that NOT matter  ?  Its the one thats leaking to  earth  you're looking for  . I'm thinking .  

I had a customer years ago who insisted I fit him an overall RCD  before the board  . Told him it was not the best idea .    " I want to protect my child"  He said. 

When Sunday came they cooked a roast and it tripped out ...and it was all MY fault  of course.   He brought a meter from work , said the cooker was fine  so I had to heat up the oven bit  and as soon as it got hot  out it went .    This was the old stand up cookers .    I took a reading at cold ...fine ....Hot  it was off the scale. 

He knew best so I left him writing to Thorn Industries I think it was .    

 

[Blue Duck]

sounds simple on the surface but I'd bet there is some electronic jiggery pokery in there making things a tad more complicated.

 

[ProDave]

Start by clearing all the fluff out from the elements (will make it less likely to catch fire as well)
 

 

[apprentice87]

Hi All,

It is a hotpoint one. Last two were creda ones that lasted until they had worn out mechanically, at least 10 if not 15 years each. This one is only about a year old i think.. I do not think there is much wrong with hotpoint ones, I would say it is fluff. Biggest difference is this is the only one that has been used by my other half with her fluffy jumpers and the like. I caught her trying to wash a horse blanket in my washing machine once, that was banned entirely.. [filthy minging creatures]

The last creda one nearly did catch fire, There was an internal switch that was intended to detect if the door was open. The thing conked out and i discovered the blackened charred remains of the switch and the fluff that surrounded it. Only a village idiot would have designed the thing so that this switch carried the entire load [motor and heating elements] instead of fitting a contactor type arrangement.. I took it all out and bypassed it and it went for another few years!! Oh, and i fitted a motor start capacitor once. Pretty sure that one went for about 15 years though...

I will get the thing to bits and clean out the fluff, i expect that will fix it.. hopefully....

john....

 

[Rob_the_rich]

This one is only about a year old i think

Still under guarantee?

 

[Rob_the_rich]

http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/2016/03/hotpoint,-indesit,-creda,-swan-and-proline-tumble-dryers/

Total recall?

 

[apprentice87]

Oooerrrr, just checked it it turns out mine is one of the faulty ones....

I will tell you what happens....

john..

 

[steptoe]

http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/2016/03/hotpoint,-indesit,-creda,-swan-and-proline-tumble-dryers/

Total recall?

Good shout, 

 

[Sharpend]

They will replace it for a new one, you will have an option of paying a small fee to upgrade to a better model. 

 

[steptoe]

They will replace it for a new one, you will have an option of paying a small fee to upgrade to a better model. 

What,?

Like a white knight or a Panasonic,? :slap

 

[apprentice87]

Ha!!! Fixed it!!! The heater elements are in a sheet metal emclosure at the rear of the contraption. The things are very close to the sheet metal... All you need is for a bit of damp fluff to blow into the 1/8 inch gap and obviously the RCD will trip.

Feel sorry for people without an rcd, lets hope they have good thick lino...

As to fire risk, you would have to have some amount of fluff in there. I can see where they mean the fluff could get to where it should not. but if they had an rcd the power would shut off long before the thing caught fire... Mind you, if it did catch fire teh internal fan would stoke it up nicely!!!

john...

 

[Rob_the_rich]

Trusting life and property on an RCD now John? ;-)

You're still going to get a replacement, yes?

iirc the manufacturer's advice before they were pressured into a recall was not to leave the appliance unattended, how cheeky was that.

 

[apprentice87]

I know!! They are having a laugh!!!

Yes i will still try to get a replacement, just takes the urgency out of it a bit

Cannot remember where i bought the thing, that is the problem..

john..

 

[Andy™]

but its in an LFB approved metal enclosure, surely that means its fire resistant