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How to find out which ten is not working. Step-by-step check of the heating element in the washing machine with a multimeter

The temperature regime in the washing machine is set by a special automatic device based on a Tubular Electric Heater - a heating element. If it deteriorates, the machine will lose a significant part of its advantages. Next, we will talk about how to prevent the mentioned, or to understand the breakdown, if it did occur.

If the heating element is no longer heating

Inexpensive cars are not supplied with control elements of the circuit elements. For this reason, the heater in such a model may deteriorate, but there will be no noticeable signs of a problem. However, according to the results of washing, especially in cases where a program with a temperature of 60–90 degrees Celsius is selected, the user will undoubtedly suspect something is wrong. Since the machine drains the waste water, it will remain cold in the event of a burnt-out heating element or in the event of a failure in its control system. This is a completely accurate signal that repairs are needed.

Repair of household appliances is the bread of many individuals and legal entities. Unfortunately, not all representatives of this group of figures are respectable. Some conscientiously fix the problem, others conscientiously fix the problem, but voice a more expensive option, and still others fix the problem, but make sure that after a while something breaks again, and the client is “addicted” to their service. Therefore, if the user has certain skills, we recommend that you independently check the heating element of the washing machine.

The very fact of the integrity of the heating element is fundamental. The fault can be either in it or in its temperature control circuit. TEN is very simple. To get a visual representation of its structure, you can take a burnt boiler with a power of 1.5–2 kW. This is the same heater, but its design does not provide for hermetic embedding in a container of water, as is done in a washing machine. Inside the metal tube is a refractory spiral in a ceramic insulator.

The easiest way to verify the performance of the heater on the meter.

In each of them there is an indication of power consumption. For example, in some models, the LED indicator flashes more frequently, the more power is consumed. Comparing its work in the position of the switch of the machine at the minimum and maximum temperatures, it immediately becomes clear whether everything is in order with the machine.

We check the heating element with a multimeter

The coil breaks inside the tube if worn or overheated. The heating element cannot be restored, and is only replaced with a new one. It must be found in the machine and checked with a multimeter. In any model of the washing machine, the back cover is easily removed. And the heating element is commensurate with the boiler and must be surrounded either by a considerable volume of water, or located near the laundry drum. Therefore, having removed the cover, it is difficult not to notice this container or the heating element itself. But it may also be that it is mounted from the front of the machine. In this case, it is necessary to consider its terminals using the reflection in the mirror, and correctly identify the wires connected to the heating element.

You can trace them back to the control circuit, and then decide where to disconnect one of them. To check the heating element, it is not necessary to disconnect both wires. Only one thing is important - this wire directly connects only the contact of one of the tester probes with the heating element terminal. You need to measure the resistance not only of the spiral, but also relative to the body. To assess the state of the spiral, it is quite enough to compare the readings of the device with the calculated resistance at a power of 2000 W. If

U*I = 2000 W,

replacing I with U/R, we get

220*220/2000=R= 24.2 ohm.

But this is the resistance value of the heated heating element. In a cold state, the resistance is somewhat less, but more than 10 ohms. If in doubt, take a working boiler and connect the probes of the appliance to its plug. The measurement results should be similar. At the same time, evaluate how safe your boiler is. Connect one terminal of the tester to the tube, and the other to one of the pins of the plug. For residual current devices and differential automata, the operating current is set to 30 mA, i.e. 0.03 A.

According to the formula

we get

R \u003d 220 / 0.03 \u003d 7333.33 ohms.

Therefore, the resistance must be significantly greater than 8 kOhm. If this is not the case, then the coil is poorly insulated, and over time, due to temperature changes, the insulation resistance will decrease even more. Similar resistance measurements for the heating element, if it is in good condition, are approximately the same. Therefore, the problem is in the control scheme of it, and this is a rather complex issue that only a trained user or service representative can deal with. But then it will become known what the essence of the problem is, and what are the costs of repairs.

If the malfunction of the heating element itself is obvious, it can be safely dismantled. If the owner of the machine understands how to do this and is able to dismantle it, he will thereby save money. It is better to buy a new product in the original packaging. An unscrupulous service representative may supply a used product. If the user is confident in the success of self-installation of a new heater, then it makes sense to perform it. But after replacement, it is necessary to check the tightness of the heating element gasket.

And it's not that easy. Water is supplied to the machine through valves that open only when connected to the mains. And at the stage of verification, this should not be done. It is recommended to tilt the machine towards the removed rear cover so that the heater gasket is visible and accessible to touch. The machine in this position is securely fixed (it must be shaken back and forth, and it must be stable). Then, from the side of the cover, more hot water is poured through the hose. By running a dry cloth over the gasket, the tightness of the installation is checked. Drops of moisture on a napkin will indicate that adjustments need to be made.

In this case, the water from the tank must be drained to the maximum through the siphon hose and try to correct the situation. If it didn’t work out the second time, most likely, it’s more correct to call the master. If everything is fine and the napkin remains dry, the water is drained, the machine is put on the floor, the wires are connected to the heating element, then the back cover is installed, put in place, connecting everything necessary, and checked in operation.

When the washing machine suddenly stops heating water, this becomes a real problem, as it significantly affects the quality of the wash. In cold water, it is impossible to remove stubborn stains, moreover, the washing powder does not dissolve well, and the laundry after such washing sometimes acquires an unpleasant, musty smell.

There may be several reasons why heating does not occur. Most often, the matter is in the breakdown of the program module or heating element - a tubular heating element. As practice shows, the most common reason is the latter. The heating element often becomes unusable due to plaque, which occurs under the influence of hard water or low-quality household chemicals.


We will tell you in detail about how to independently diagnose a heating element and about preventive measures in today's article.

How to evaluate performance?

We find the heating element

In order to check the health of the heating element, you must first gain access to it - and for this you will need to disassemble the washing machine. For most modern models, the heating element is located either in the front or in the back of the case. Finding it is pretty easy in three ways:

  • compare the front and rear walls of the unit - which one is larger, under that one the heating element is usually hidden;
  • turn the washer on its side and find the heating element by removing its lower part;
  • unscrew the top cover and, turning the machine to the side, find the heating element.

Having found the heating element, you can immediately dismantle it, but experts advise you not to rush into this until you are convinced of its malfunction. Therefore, to begin with, simply disconnect the wires going to the heating element.


We measure resistance

The most affordable way to diagnose heater problems is to measure its resistance. In order to determine it, we need to find the value of all elements of the formula:

R \u003d U² / P, where R is resistance, U is voltage, and P is power.

The voltage that is supplied to the heater is equal to the mains voltage: it is usually 220 volts. You can find out the power of the heating element in the corresponding section of the manual for the washing machine. If this information could not be found there, there is data on the Internet regarding all existing models. Most often it is 2000 watts.

Now we substitute the found values, calculate, and get the desired value. According to our values, R = 220² / 2000 = 24.2 ohms.

Check with a multimeter

The resistance obtained as a result of the calculation is an indicator at which the heating element can function normally. In the event of a malfunction of the heating element, the resistance may change, resulting in interruptions in water heating. You can check the resistance with a multimeter - a device that allows you to measure various indicators of electric current.


Before you start measuring, make sure that the washing machine is unplugged.

Then set up the multimeter: start the resistance measurement mode, and set the value to 200 ohms. Attach the probes to the terminals of the heating element. The measurement result should appear on the screen of the device.

If the resulting number is equal to or close to the one we found using the formula, then everything is in order with the heating element. The number "1" means that there was a break inside the heating element. The number "0" is displayed in case of a short circuit. In both cases, the heating element will have to be replaced.


Do not forget to check the heater body itself for integrity. How to do this, see the next video.

Is it possible to check the serviceability without a special tester?

If you do not have a multimeter at hand, you can test the heating element of the washing machine in other ways. The first of them does not require disassembly of the unit. To make sure that the heater is functioning properly, run the wash at the highest temperature setting. Then carefully monitor the rotation of the electric meter wheel - if it starts to gain momentum, then the heater is most likely working.

The second way to diagnose a heating element is a visual inspection. If cracks or black spots are found on the body of the device, the heating element must be replaced.


  • In the process of installing a new heating element or returning the old one to its place, carefully check the connections - they must be completely tight, otherwise the lifetime of the heater (and, possibly, the entire washing machine) will be very short.
  • You can extend the life of the heating element by arranging periodic maintenance for it. The most affordable remedy is citric acid. Just run the wash with an empty tank, adding a couple of tablespoons of citric acid instead of powder. But do this no more than once a year, otherwise you can damage the metal elements of the washing machine.

You can learn about other preventive measures by watching the Ukrainian program "Everything will be kind."

To date, the use of a boiler for heating water has become very popular. This process is carried out through the use of a tubular electric heater or other type of device. Sometimes it happens that the heating element becomes unusable, and the water in the boiler no longer heats up. In such cases, repairs are needed.

The most likely reason why the heater has lost its performance is a malfunction of the heating element. It arises from the following ranks:

  • burnout of the filament, which is inside the heating element;
  • short circuit of the incandescent wire, as a result of which the electric water heater suffered an electric shock;
  • the formation of a large amount of scale on the surface of the heating element, which does not allow the boiler to perform heat exchange. Therefore, this directly affects the operation of the device - the water heats up less and less every day.

To check the serviceability, you need to understand at least the basics of electrical engineering, stock up on the necessary devices and tools. It is extremely difficult to check the health of the heating element without a tester or digital multimeter. Of the tools you may need pliers, Phillips and flat screwdrivers.

To find out the reason why the device stopped heating during du, first of all, the heating element must be removed from the boiler. After that, the device must be freed from scale. Inspect the outer shell for various bulges, cracks, holes, and other visual damage. If you notice such breakdowns, then you should not have high hopes for repairs. In this case, the heating device must be replaced with a new one.

In the case when you do not observe any signs of breakdowns, you need to ring the heating element using the most common multimeter or tester.

The verification procedure takes place in two ways:

  1. It is necessary to check if the nichrome thread, which provides the incandescent process, has failed. To do this at home, the tester must be set to circuit test mode. Then the terminals of the tester must be connected to the contacts of the heating element. In the event that the arrow of the device tends to zero, you can be sure that everything is in order with the spiral. If not, then a break has occurred in the thread, so the heating element does not work.
  2. Checking for a short circuit. To perform it, you will need to connect one terminal of the tester and the heating element. And the other contact needs to be touched to the boiler shell. If the tester shows the target, this means that the coil resists the insulation of the heater, that is, it touches the body, which means that the heating element must be replaced.

To connect plumbing fixtures to the water supply network, a flexible water supply is used. It is in demand when connecting faucets, showers, toilets and other points of water intake, and greatly simplifies the installation process. Flexible piping is also used when installing gas equipment. It differs from similar devices for water in manufacturing technology and special safety requirements.

Characteristics and types

Flexible hose for plumbing is a hose of different lengths, made of non-toxic synthetic rubber. Due to the elasticity and softness of the material, it easily takes the desired position and allows installation in hard-to-reach places. To protect the flexible hose, the upper reinforcing layer is designed in the form of a braid, which is made of the following materials:

  • aluminum. Such models withstand no more than +80 ° C and retain functionality for 3 years. In high humidity, aluminum braid is prone to rust.
  • Of stainless steel. Thanks to this reinforcing layer, the service life of the flexible water supply is at least 10 years, and the maximum temperature of the transported medium is +95 °C.
  • Nylon. Such a braid is used for the manufacture of reinforced models that can withstand temperatures up to +110 ° C and are designed for intensive use for 15 years.

Nut-nut and nut-nipple pairs are used as fasteners, which are made of brass or stainless steel. Devices with different indicators of permissible temperature differ in the color of the braid. Blue ones are used to connect to a pipeline with cold water, and red ones - to hot water.

When choosing a water supply, you need to pay attention to its elasticity, reliability of fasteners and purpose. It is also mandatory to have a certificate that excludes the release of toxic components by rubber during operation.

Features of gas connections

When connecting gas stoves, columns and other types of equipment, flexible connections are also used. Unlike models for water, they are yellow and are not tested for environmental safety. For fixing, end steel or aluminum fittings are used. There are the following types of devices for connecting gas appliances:

  • PVC hoses reinforced with polyester thread;
  • synthetic rubber with stainless steel braid;
  • bellows, made in the form of a corrugated stainless steel tube.

Holding "Santekhkomplekt" offers engineering equipment, fittings, plumbing and fixtures for its connection to communications. The assortment is represented by products and materials of well-known foreign and domestic manufacturers. Discounts apply for bulk purchases, and product quality is confirmed by standard certificates. For information support and assistance, a personal manager is assigned to each client. The ability to arrange delivery within Moscow and to other regions of the Russian Federation allows you to quickly receive the purchased goods without any hassle.

Drainage is a hydro-reclamation measure to remove excess groundwater.

If water does not leave the territory of the site for a long time, soil gleying occurs, if shrubs and trees quickly disappear (wet), it is urgent to take measures and drain the site.

Reasons for waterlogging the soil

There are several reasons for waterlogged soils:

  • clay heavy soil structure with poor water permeability;
  • an aquiclude in the form of gray-green and red-brown clays is located close to the surface;
  • high occurrence of groundwater;
  • technogenic factors (construction of roads, pipelines, various facilities) that impede natural drainage;
  • violation of the water balance by the construction of irrigation systems;
  • the landscape area is located in a lowland, a beam, a hollow. In this case, precipitation and water inflow from higher places play an important role.

What causes excess moisture in the soil

You can see the results of this phenomenon yourself - trees and shrubs are dying. Why is this happening?

  • the oxygen content in the soil decreases and the content of carbon dioxide increases, which leads to a violation of the processes of air exchange, water regime and nutrition in the soil;
  • oxygen starvation of the root-forming layer occurs, which leads to the death of plant roots;
  • the intake of macro and microelements by plants (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc.) is disrupted, because excess water washes out mobile forms of elements from the soil, and they become inaccessible for assimilation;
  • there is an intensive breakdown of proteins and, accordingly, the processes of decay are activated.

Plants can tell at what level groundwater occurs

Take a close look at the flora in your area. The species inhabiting it will tell you at what depth the groundwater layers are located:

  • top water - in this place it is best to dig a reservoir;
  • at a depth of up to 0.5 m - grow marigold, horsetail, varieties of sedge - blister, holly, fox, Langsdorf reed grass;
  • at a depth of 0.5 m to 1 m - meadowsweet, canary grass,;
  • from 1 m to 1.5 m - favorable conditions for meadow fescue, bluegrass, mouse pea, rank;
  • from 1.5 m - wheatgrass, clover, wormwood, plantain.

What is important to know when planning site drainage

Each group of plants has its own moisture needs:

  • with a groundwater depth of 0.5 to 1 m, vegetables and annual flowers can grow on high beds;
  • the depth of the water reservoir up to 1.5 m is well tolerated by vegetable crops, cereals, annuals and perennials (flowers), ornamental and fruit and berry shrubs, trees on a dwarf rootstock;
  • if groundwater at a depth of more than 2 m, you can grow fruit trees;
  • the optimal depth of groundwater for agriculture is from 3.5 m.

Do you need site drainage?

Record your observations at least for a while. You yourself will be able to understand how much drainage is needed.

Maybe it makes sense to simply redirect melt and sediment water along the bypass channel, and not let it flow through your site?

Perhaps it is necessary to design and equip a storm drain and improve the composition of the soil, and will this be enough?

Or is it worth making a drainage system only for fruit and ornamental trees?

The exact answer will be given to you by a specialist, whom we strongly recommend calling. But after reading this article, you will gain some awareness in this matter.

At the end of the technological and production tasks associated with the arrangement of the sewer system in an apartment building, an industrial building, as well as in a private household, it is required to test the system involved using the forced spill method. This task was applied to identify possible defects or improper installation of the entire sewer part involved and the act of testing the internal sewerage systems and drains will be material evidence of work on the acceptance of the facility.

A visual check should be accompanied by entering into the test report of internal sewage and drain systems according to SNIP, which is currently represented by the current regulations of the appendix of the D series, which corresponds to SP 73.13330.2012 "Internal sanitary systems of the building", recently a new one has been applied updated working version according to SNiP 3.05.01-85.

A tubular electric heater (TEH) is an electric heating element in the form of a metal tube of arbitrary shape, in which a spiral of nichrome or fechrome wire with leads at the ends is placed. To isolate the coil and transfer heat from it, the tube is filled with quartz sand. The heating element does not have polarity, therefore it does not matter which output to connect the phase and zero to.

Practically in any modern electric heaters, such as, for example, an electric kettle, an iron, an automatic washing machine, a heater, heating elements are used as a heat source.

If there is no heating in the electrical appliance, this does not mean that the heating element has failed. It is possible that the cause of the malfunction may be a switch, thermostat or other controls. But usually, first of all, they check the heating element, since its verification is not difficult. Any home master, having read this article, even without experience in dialing and replacing the heater, can easily cope with this task by choosing the most affordable way to check.

The device of a tubular electric heater (TEN)

As can be seen from the drawing below, the heating element is a metal tube made of copper, stainless steel or iron, in the center of which a nichrome spiral is laid, twisted in the form of a spring.


The tube inside is completely and densely filled with sand, which makes it possible to efficiently remove heat energy from the coil and exclude its contact with the tube. The ends of the spiral are welded to contact rods, which are fixed inside the tube with ceramic insulators. To supply voltage at the ends of the contact rods, threads are cut or contact plates are welded.

Tubes for the manufacture of heating elements are used in different diameters and, depending on the purpose, give them various shapes up to a spiral. A good example is an electric heater.

What are the malfunctions of heating elements

Most often, heating elements fail due to a break in the thread of the nichrome spiral, which occurs due to the melting of the nichrome thread due to its overheating. Overheating occurs if a thick layer of scale has formed on the heater or the heater, designed to work in a liquid medium, is turned on without it. The spiral may burn out due to the initial low quality of the heating element.


The spiral in the center of the heating element tube is held due to its dense filling with sand. If, when filling sand, it was poorly compacted or the spiral shifted from the center to the wall of the tube, then over time, due to vibration, the spiral can move and touch the inner surface of the tube.

If the spiral touches only at one point, then if the RCD ground wire is not connected in the apartment wiring, the heater will not lose its operability and the electric kettle or any other heating device will continue to work. But at the same time, there is a possibility that the phase will get on the body of the product, and if it is metal, then the probability of electric shock to a person when touching the body.


If the electrical appliance is grounded, then as a result of shortening the spiral, the generated power will increase significantly, and if the circuit breaker does not work, the spiral will melt and the heating element will fail completely.

If the spiral touches the tube at the same time in two or more places, as in the photograph, then in the absence of grounding and RCD, if the circuit breaker does not have time to operate, the spiral will immediately burn out.

Thus, heating elements can have one of two malfunctions - a break in the nichrome spiral or a short circuit to a metal tubular sheath. Any of these failures cannot be eliminated and the heating element must be replaced.

In modern electric kettles, multicookers and irons, the heating element is welded to the body of the product and when the heating element fails, you have to buy a new electrical appliance.

How to check-call the heating element

Depending on the availability of measuring instruments, the heating element can be checked in one of the following ways. Measure the resistance of the coil and the resistance between the coil and the tube using a pointer tester or multimeter, ring with a phase indicator or an electrician's control.

Checking the heating element
using a dial gauge or multimeter

To check, you need to turn on the device in the minimum resistance measurement mode and touch the leads of the heating element with the ends of the probes of the device.

If the spiral is broken, then the dial gauge will show resistance equal to infinity, and the multimeter will show “1” instead of real resistance, which is equivalent to infinite resistance.

It is enough to enter in the calculator windows the voltage for which the heating element is designed and its power. Usually these values ​​are stamped on the tube. You can use information about the power consumption of the appliance. For example, the resistance of a heating element of an electric kettle with a power of 2000 W will be 24.2 ohms.


If the spiral is intact, then you need to touch one end of the multimeter probe to any of the leads of the heating element, and the other to the metal tube. If there is no short circuit between the spiral and the tube, then the dial tester will show infinite resistance, and the multimeter will show "1". If the device shows a value different from the specified value, then there is a short circuit and such a heating element is not subject to further operation.

Checking the heating element
with LED and battery or power supply

If there is no tester or multimeter available, or a Krona-type battery has run out in the multimeter, then in the presence of any LED, and they are in almost all household electrical appliances and any battery, even a dead one, with a voltage of 3 V to 12 V, you can successfully check any heating element, including an electric kettle.


In the photo you can see how it is possible to check the integrity of the heating element coil using a dead Krona battery taken out of the multimeter (the voltage at its terminals was only 5 V instead of 9 V), a 51 Ohm resistor and an LED. Just keep in mind that the LED is not a light bulb and it must be connected, observing the polarity. Since the heating element itself has resistance, when checking the spiral when using an old battery, you can do without a resistor.

If the LED is on, then the spiral is intact. To check the insulation resistance, you need to disconnect the circuit from any of the contact rods of the heating element and touch the tube of the heating element. The LED should not light up.


If there is no battery at hand, then it can be successfully replaced with any AC or DC power supply, any charger, for example, from a cell phone or laptop, will also work. In this photo, using alligator clips, the supply voltage is supplied from a constant voltage source. The LED confidently shone when the voltage changed from 2.5 to 12 V.

Checking the heating element with a phase indicator

Attention! When checking the heating element with a phase indicator and an electrician's control, care should be taken. Touching exposed parts of a circuit connected to an electrical outlet may result in electric shock. In other words, it is unacceptable to touch the body of the heating element and its terminals after connecting to the outlet.

If you have an electrician's phase indicator at hand, then with it you can also check the health of the heating element. In this case, the insulation resistance (between the nichrome spiral and the tube) will be checked with greater reliability, since when checking with a multimeter, a voltage of no more than 9 V is applied, and when checking with an indicator, more than 220 V.


To check, you must first determine where the phase is in the outlet (according to the rules it should be on the right) and then connect one of the contact rods of the heating element with a piece of wire to the phase terminal, as shown in the photo.

If, when you touch the opposite terminal of the heating element, the indicator light does not glow, then the spiral is broken, and if it glows when you touch the tube, then there is an insulation breakdown (the spiral touches the tube).

Checking the heating element using an electrician's control

Almost everyone can check the heating element with the help of an electrician's control, since no measuring instruments are required. The essence of the test is to sequentially turn on any light bulb with a heating element spiral, followed by connecting the circuit to a 220 V household electrical wiring.

To prepare for the test, you need to take a plug with a cord and connect one end of it to any contact terminal of the heating element, and the other end to an electric cartridge. Further, an additional piece of wire is connected to the second terminal of the cartridge. Any light bulb rated for 220 V is screwed into the cartridge.


First, the free wire from the cartridge is connected to the free end of the heating element, as shown in the diagram above. The plug is then inserted into the socket. With a good spiral, the light bulb should shine brightly. If it does not shine, then the spiral in the cliff can not be checked further, since the heating element is not subject to further operation.


Next, the plug is removed from the socket and the output from the cartridge, right according to the diagram, is connected to the heating element tube, as shown in the photo. The plug is inserted into the socket, if the light does not shine, then the insulation resistance between the spiral and the tube is large and the heating element is working. If the lamp starts to glow, then there is a breakdown of the insulation and it is unacceptable to operate such a heating element.

Non-standard methods for checking heating elements

If it is not possible to check the heating element in one of the above ways, then you can connect the wires from the cord with the plug directly to the terminals of the heating element and insert the plug into the socket for a few seconds. If the heating element starts to heat up, then the spiral is intact. Carefully, when checking the heating temperature of the heating element, do not burn yourself with your hand.

To check the insulation resistance, one of the ends of the cord, with the plug removed from the socket, must be disconnected from the output of the heating element and connected through a fuse rated for a protection current of not more than 5 A to the tube of the heating element. Then insert the plug into a household electrical outlet. There is no time limit here. If the fuse does not blow immediately, then there is no short circuit between the coil and the body and the heating element is working.

It is simply unrealistic to give all possible ways to check the heating element. The heating element can even be checked using a stationary telephone by including it in the gap of one of the wires with which the phone is connected to the network. If, after connecting, there is a signal in the removed tube, then the heating element is working. You can even not pick up the phone, but call from a mobile phone to him. The presence of a bell sound will confirm the integrity of the heating element coil.