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Checking the resistance of the washing element for serviceability. Checking the serviceability of the water heater

A popular malfunction of household appliances and heaters is the failure of the heating element. If your washing machine does not heat water during washing or the iron spiral does not heat up at home, you must definitely ring this circuit element with a tester. In this article, we will tell you how to check the heating element with a multimeter at home, and also provide some useful video instructions on the topic.

Verification technology

First of all, we will consider how the dialing of the heating element is performed, after which we will delve more into the practical moments associated with the repair of household appliances. So, you can check the heating element according to the following scheme:

Calculate the resistance of the heater. To do this, use the formula: R \u003d U 2 / P, where U is the mains voltage (220 volts), and P is the rated power of the heating element, which can be found in the device passport.
Next, be sure to disconnect the device under test from the mains, get to the heating element and disconnect the wires from it.
Turn on the multimeter in resistance measurement mode (range 200 ohms) and touch the probes to the terminals, as shown in the photo below:

The value on the scoreboard is approximately the same as the calculated one, which indicates that the heating element is working.
"0" is displayed, which means short circuit, replacement is required.
"1" or infinity is displayed - an open circuit has occurred, the heater needs to be replaced.

You also need to check the heating element for breakdown () using a multimeter. To do this, we transfer the device to the buzzer mode, touch the output with one probe, and the heating element body with the other, as shown in the photo below:

The buzzer squeaked - there is a breakdown, which means that it is impossible to do without replacing the part.

It is also advisable to check the insulation resistance of the heating element with a megohmmeter. To do this, you need to include it in the measurement range "500 V". With one probe, touch the contact of the heater, with the second probe, touch the body of the electrical appliance. Insulation resistance greater than 0.5 MΩ is considered normal.

You can learn more about how to check the heating element with a megohmmeter and a multimeter by watching these videos:

Master's work

Dialing pattern

By the way, also, before dialing, you need to visually check the condition of the heating element. To do this, remove scale from the heating element and inspect the surface for swelling, cracks and other mechanical damage. If there are, the part must be replaced.

Another way to test the heater for an open circuit is to use an electrician's test light. To do this, zero is supplied to one contact of the heating element from the network, and to the second phase through this lamp. If the light is on, then there is no break. anyone can use improvised means, we wrote about this in detail in the article we referred to.

Here, in fact, are all the ways to check the integrity of the heater. As you can see, in some cases it is possible to check the heating element even without a multimeter. Below we will look at a video that clearly explains how to ring the heater of a washing machine, boiler, dishwasher, kettle and other electrical appliances used in everyday life.

Visual video tutorials

If the boiler does not heat water or when it is turned on, you can check the water heater heater as follows:

Similarly, you can check the health of the heating element in a dishwasher, a heater (for example, in a heat gun coil), or other household electrical appliance. We hope our instructions helped you and now it’s clear how to check the heater with a multimeter at home!

Any failure in the operation of the equipment entails a decrease in the quality of washing. Heating problems can affect operating conditions in different ways. Even if the machine does not stop and the cycle starts, the laundry at the exit remains stale. How to check the heating element in the washing machine? The following are the steps for doing the diagnostics yourself. It is important to verify that the heater is defective before repairing or replacing.

How to determine the health of the heating element? Typical malfunctions

The element is installed in the washing machine tank to heat water. The machine performs three main functions: fills, heats and drains water. In the process, pollution is affected by several factors:

Linen is treated with detergent.
Subjected to thermal and mechanical influences.

The resulting high temperature, powder and spinning drum help remove dirt and get clean items out of the tank. It is necessary to exclude one element, as washing will cease to be so effective.

You can make sure that the heating element is malfunctioning without a device - a tester, by external signs:

After 20 minutes of washing, the hatch glass is cold.
Traces of powder remain on things, granules do not dissolve well.
The laundry has an unpleasant musty smell.

What affects the performance of the heating element? This is the quality of tap water and the stability of the voltage in the network. If your water contains a lot of magnesium and potassium salts, it is recommended to install filters. Otherwise, when heated, salts are deposited on the spirals. Over time, the scale hardens, disrupts heat transfer and the part burns out.

Here are some problems that are typical for the element:

Breakdown on the hull . Dangerous malfunction which may result in electric shock. The casing insulation is broken and the heater breaks through. Modern CMA models have a built-in security system that displays an error code on the display.
cliff . Happens when there is a sudden power surge. The machine may freeze during the heating phase or not start the cycle at all.
Closure. At the same time, it can knock out the machine in the room. The equipment can no longer be used. Repair required.

If you suspect a breakdown of the heating coil, proceed to the diagnosis with a multimeter.

How to remove and ring the heating element?

It is necessary to find out which side the heater is located on. Examine the body of the washer. The large rear hatch probably hides the TEN. In the publication " How to replace the heating element in SM» we gave an example of placing an element in different models.

Once you get to the part, disconnect the power wires from the contacts. For diagnostics, it is not necessary to dismantle the product.

How to check the heating element in the washing machine with a tester:

Calculate the part resistance. It may differ for each manufacturer. To do this, take the operating voltage (220 V) and power (indicated in the manual). For example, the power is 1800 watts. Make a calculation according to the formula: R \u003d 220² / 1800 \u003d 26.8. It turns out that the normal resistance of the heating element should be 26.8 ohms.

Checking the operation of the heating element of the washing machine with a multimeter is carried out as follows:

Set the toggle switch to detect resistance.
If normal values \u200b\u200bare shown on the screen (about 26.8), then the part is working.
The number 1 on the screen indicates a broken spiral. The product cannot be repaired, only a replacement is needed.
The value 0 means close.

Now you need to check for a breakdown on the body.

Important! Violation of the dielectric can lead to sparking and ignition of the machine.

Switch the tester toggle switch to buzzer mode. Attach one probe to the contact, and the other to ground. The squeak of the buzzer means breakdown. The heater must be replaced.

When replacing a part, remember the heating element connection diagram. In the process of disassembly, you can photograph the stages of work. Here is a detailed test video:

In many household appliances familiar to us, the main function of which is related to heating water or air, tubular electric heaters (heaters) of various capacities are used as heating elements. For example, we can name common types of household appliances, without which rarely anyone can do: electric kettle, washing machine, iron, electric convector, boiler, oven. The most powerful heating elements of all units used at home are equipped with boilers for heating water for domestic needs.

In all household appliances, the heating element is the weakest link.- the equipment most often stops working precisely because of damage to this electric heating element. The health of the heating element is checked with a device called a "multimeter", and how measurements are taken is described in our article.

What is the purpose of the check?

An electric iron or boiler is equipment that includes other devices that in one way or another affect the operation of the entire system. These devices are also not eternal, therefore, in the event of a malfunction of the equipment as a whole, the owner should not reduce the cause only to the failure of the heating element. Electric kettles are often thrown into the trash because they began to heat water slowly or turn off too often without bringing the water to a boil. This implies, of course, the burnout of the coil in the heating element, although in reality it turns out that the reason is not in the electrical circuit of the unit, but in a thick layer of scale that covers the entire heater tube. All that was needed was to clean the heating element from the outside.

Before proceeding with the repair or removal of household appliances to the trash, you should check the heater to make sure it is malfunctioning.

The check will allow you to find the exact reason why the heating element does not heat up, and only then you can decide what to do about it.

To understand the verification process, you should know how the heating element is arranged and works. Inside the tube, which is also the body of the device, made of metal, ceramic or glass, one or more spirals of a material with high resistance are laid. When the heating element is turned on, an electric current moves in a spiral, the spiral heats up to a high temperature and heats up the electrical insulating material laid between the walls of the metal tube and the spiral. Electrical insulating material is selected taking into account its thermal conductivity. It must be maximum.

In turn, the electrical insulation heats the tube, and the tube heats water or air, depending on the purpose of the household unit. In all types of modern household appliances, a protective device is included in the power circuit of the heating element, which protects the heater from overheating. This protective device can also fail, which confirms the recommendation not to rush to diagnose the system until all its devices have been tested.

What do you need to know before taking measurements?

If you have a multimeter available, you can test the heater of broken household appliances yourself.

But first you will need to find the technical data sheet of the faulty product and find out the nominal value of the power of its heater.

This is important, because in order to test the electric heater, we need to know the nominal value of its resistance, which is calculated from the formula of Ohm's basic law:

where R is the desired electrical resistance (Ohm);

P is the power of the heating element (W);

U is the operating voltage of the network (V).

The operating voltage of the home electrical network is mainly 220 V. The power of the heater can be found from the passport data of the household appliance (W). The resistance value is obtained in Ohms. Now you can start testing the electric heater.

Checking the heating element with a multimeter

To start the testing process, you must first secure your work by disconnecting the household unit from the network. You just need to unplug the electrical power cord from the outlet, and for an electric cooker with a separate line, perhaps turn off the machines in the apartment electrical panel. In any case, you need to de-energize the equipment.

Provide access to the electrical heater leads. Perhaps, in some cases, the heating element will have to be completely removed from the unit for the convenience of testing.

Disconnect wires from heater.

If there is scale on the device, then it is necessary to clean the heater from it.

Then carefully inspect the heater for cracks, blisters, or other signs of damage.

Prepare the tester (multimeter) by switching it to the electrical resistance measurement mode. The measurement range must be selected depending on the result obtained, which we calculated using the nominal resistance formula for the heater of our equipment.

First, you should ring the contacts of the heater, for which we touch them with the probes of the device and look at the result. The spiral is working if the tester readings are within the calculated resistance. If the device shows an infinity sign (∞) or a unit (1), then this means that the heating element has a break and must be replaced. In the event of an internal short circuit, the tester will show the number 0 (the heating element also needs to be replaced). In models of heaters, where there are several spirals, it is necessary to ring each pair of leads separately.

Next, the absence of a breakdown of the insulating layer of the spiral on the body is checked. Tester mode switches to "Buzzer". One of the probes of the device closes on the body of the water heater, and the others in turn need to touch the terminals of the spiral. In the event of a breakdown, a signal will pass, with a working heater, no sounds should be heard. If there is a breakdown, the heater must be replaced with a new one.

In the absence of any damage to the tubular heater, other causes should be sought. For example, check the cord or power line of household appliances if it does not have any signs of “life” at all; thermostat in cases where water is underheated or the heating element is turned off early. The thermostat can be tested with the same multimeter, for which it must be removed from the mounting location and disconnected from all wires. Then the tester is set to the dialing mode and the probes touch both terminals. If there is a contact, then check the operation by lowering the regulator rod into water with a maximum temperature (in this case, the multimeter must be connected to the terminals). Having reached the maximum heating, the temperature sensor of the regulator should open the contacts of the circuit, which will be indicated by a characteristic click. When the water cools, the temperature sensor will restore the electrical circuit - another click will sound when the relay contacts are closed. All this will indicate the health of the thermostat.

With a multimeter, you can check the health of electric heaters of almost all types of household water heating equipment. And the algorithm of actions is no different from the above.

There are only some nuances for its extraction. But you need to remember that it is not necessary to remove the heating element for verification if access to its contacts is free. Washing machines have difficulty locating both the tubular heater and its thermostat. But in cases where the accompanying documentation does not contain information about the location of these elements, by the brand of the machine you can find its detailed device via the Internet.

Checking the heating element on a high-power water heater (boiler) also does not differ from that check, which we have already described, but here, together with the heating element, you should definitely check the thermostat with a sensor.

How to check the heating element with a multimeter, see below.

The heating element in the washing machine is one of the main parts. Outwardly, it resembles a metal pipe of small diameter, inside of which there is a kind of spiral. It is she who heats up as a result of the influence of current. This happens because of the resistance that the spiral has. The free space inside the heating element is filled with a dielectric, which has a high thermal conductivity.

The heating element during the washing process often heats up and then cools down. As a result of this, the spiral located inside the metal tube gradually wears out and begins to lose its qualities. All this leads to the fact that the heating element simply stops working. The part either closes on the body or burns out. The water does not heat up during the washing process. If the heating element has become unusable, then the element should be replaced. It is simply impossible to restore the performance of the part. However, everyone will be able to check the heating element of the washing machine with a multimeter.

Where is the detail

In various models of washing machines, the heating element is located either at the front or at the back. How to determine the location of the heating element? If the back cover is large, then this is where the heating element will be located. Extremely rarely, the heating element is located in front.

You can also turn the washing machine on its side and look from below where the heating element is located. If necessary, you can remove the back panel of the washing machine. This will not cause any particular difficulties. It is enough to unscrew the hardware.

How is the resistance of a heating element calculated?

To check the heating element in the washing machine, you need to know not only how to correctly ring the heating element with a multimeter, but also its resistance indicator. First of all, this value should be calculated. You will need certain data:

The voltage supplied to the water heater. In this case, the U indicator is - 220 V. This is the voltage that is present in the household network.
The power of the heating element is R. It will not be difficult to determine this indicator. Just take a look at the instructions. Knowing the model of the washing machine, the power of the heating element can be viewed on the Internet.

Having learned all the necessary indicators, you can calculate the resistance - R. For this, there is a formula:

This resistance arises in the heating element during its use. R is measured in ohms. If the heating element of the washing machine is working, then the multimeter should show the received figure.

How to check the heating element

After the location of the heating element has been determined, it is necessary to ring the heating element for integrity. Before checking the heating element, many experts recommend removing it. However, this is not necessary. It is enough to disconnect the wires from the heating element and ring it. To do this, unscrew all the nuts with a screwdriver or wrench. To ring the heating element with a multimeter, it must be de-energized and disconnected from the mains. The device designed to determine the resistance should be transferred to the mark of 200 ohms. The ends of the multimeter must be attached to the terminals of the heating element.

If the heating element is working, the device will show a value that will be close to the calculated one.
If the number 1 is shown on the screen, then this indicates a break that occurred inside the heating element. In this case, it is required.
If the display shows 0, then a short circuit has occurred inside the heating element. The only way to fix this damage is to replace the part.

Checking the heating element for breakdown on the body

If the multimeter shows the correct value, but the water does not heat up, then it is worth checking the breakdown of the part on the case. With this phenomenon, sparks can be observed under the appliance during the washing process. It is very dangerous. To check the multimeter should be switched to the continuity mode. The device should beep. After that, the indicators on the multimeter will light up. With one end of the device, touch the terminal of the heating element, and with the other end - to the body or to the ground terminal. If the multimeter starts beeping, then the heating element is faulty and needs to be replaced.

The device for heating water in the SMA is one of the main elements. During the working cycles of the machine, the heating element first heats up, then cools down. This results in a gradual wear of the spiral, which begins to lose its qualities. After a while, the heater stops working. Let's figure out how to check the heating element of the washing machine.

Signs and causes of failure

As a rule, the machine continues to wash even with cold water. To make sure that the heating device is malfunctioning, it is necessary to understand the signs that report a breakdown of the element. There are not so many of them:

after the washing process, the laundry does not smell very pleasant;
during the operation of the machine, the glass on the door of the loading hatch does not heat up;
things are not washed off.

Reasons for this problem include the following:

Break or short of an element. In such cases, the machine either does not work at all, or works for a short time, because the remaining elements of the unit can easily be damaged and even burn out.
Failure of the heater circuit. In such situations, the heating element does not give out a loss of performance, and it will be difficult to identify a breakdown. But if the unit erases for a long time or freezes periodically, then the problem must be sought precisely in the cliff.
Failure of the heating element relay. The device has a sensor responsible for the level of water intake. With a working device, the water reaches the desired level, then a command is sent to the electronics to turn on the heater. It happens that the elements that control the amount of water become contaminated during the period of operation. Therefore, you should clean the pressure switch and check the heating element sensor.

Often, users do not look at the fact that the washing machine finishes the washing process out of time, does not complete part of the program, and attribute such troubles to electronics. And these are the first signs of help.

Where is the hot water element

If we consider different brands of machines (Indesit, Bosch, LG), then the heater in each type of model can be located in different places, and it is most convenient to get to it either through the rear panel or through the front.

But if you are not aware of this, then you can still find it yourself:

looking at the back of the machine. If the lid is large, then the heater is located behind it;
the machine must be put on its side, inspect the bottom. Perhaps this is how you find the heater;
The easiest way is to remove the back panel. If there is no heater there, then it will be easy to install it in its place.

There is another option - with the help of a flashlight, the drum of the machine is visible from the inside. If you have good vision, you can determine the exact location of the heater.

Having found the heating element, you need to make sure that it is working. Note that for such a procedure, there is no need to dismantle the element.

There are several ways:

multimeter;

quick and easy way to check for the body part;
determination of performance without a device.

When you do not have a tester at hand, try to perform a test without opening the case. By observing the behavior of the washing machine, you can easily establish that it was the heating device that failed:

The water is not heated, but the washing process is running. On typewriters with screens, signals will flash indicating this error. If there is no display, look for blinking lights.
The working process does not stop, the water heats up, but this takes much more time.
The machine works, the water warms up, but from touching the body part, electric shocks are felt, automatic protection is periodically triggered.

When at least one indicated malfunction is detected, then there can be no doubt that the heating element does not work well. If you cannot check your unit with a tester, we recommend that you seek help from a specialist. He will confidently determine whether there is a need to replace the element.

There are several other ways in which you can organize element validation without the appropriate tools:

as soon as dark dots appear on the body part of the heater, a breakdown can be confidently diagnosed. Sometimes such points are hidden by scale, it must be cleaned in order to finally be convinced of one's thoughts. With scale, “lemon” will perfectly help to cope;
Do you want to disassemble your machine? In this case, just observe the operation of the electric meter. Run the machine to the maximum. When the meter turns faster, this means that the heating element is still working;
check for bulges on the case, scratches and other damage. Their presence will confidently confirm that the heater needs to be replaced;
experts in electricity can look for a break using a test light made by themselves.

We call the device

Before checking the health of the heating element, the washing machine must be disconnected from the mains. After that, the wiring is disconnected, the tester switch is set to 200 ohms, its probes are applied to the water heater terminals.

As a result of your actions, you will get:

a workable element will display a value on the device screen that is close to the calculated indicator;
if “one” is displayed on the tester, then there is a break inside, and the heater will have to be changed;
at a value of "zero" or close to it, a short circuit has occurred. Tan is not suitable for further work.

Checking for a test

Even if the spiral of the heating element is in perfect order, this does not mean that everything is fine. Perhaps the dielectric inside has gone to the body of the washer, and this is already fraught with danger to your body.

To organize the test of the heating element for breakdown, we set the tester to the “buzzer” mode. After connecting the wires on the device, the lamp should light up and a squeak should be heard.

Now we take the tester's terminal with a tester, we apply the second probe to the body. If there is no squeak, then everything is in perfect order. Otherwise, the heating device will have to be definitely replaced.

How is the resistance index of a heating element determined?

To check the element, it is not enough to know how and with what devices this is done. It is necessary to have information about the value of its resistance. To begin with, it is recommended to calculate this value. This will require the following information:

Voltage applied to the water heater. As a rule, this indicator (U) is equal to 220 V. This voltage is present in the household electrical network of our apartments.
The heater power indicator is P. It is easy to determine, you just need to look at the operating instructions. The second option - the power of the heating element can be clarified on the Internet according to the model of the machine.

Having all the necessary information, we determine the resistance R, using the special formula R \u003d U² / P. The resulting resistance value is formed in the heater during operation. If the heating element is working, then the figure obtained by the formula will appear on the screen of the multimeter.

How to change the heating device?

We found the heating element and made sure that it should be changed. First, disconnect all wires. In order not to confuse anything in the future, it is recommended to first fix the order of their connection with a camera.

To remove the heating element, it is necessary to unscrew the nut located in the middle part of the device. Now you need to pry off the heater with a screwdriver and carefully pull it out, shaking it in different directions. Now it is recommended to immediately remove scale from other elements surrounding the water heater. The new heating element is carefully installed on special mounts. If you make a mistake, then during operation it will touch the tank. It remains only to connect the wires and assemble the machine to run it for testing.

In order for the heating device to work as long as possible, proper care should be taken after the washing machine.

When carrying out repair work, be sure to disconnect the washer from the mains.

Many recommend that you first remove the heater from the machine, then to check its performance with instruments. But this, perhaps, is not necessary - the check can be easily carried out at the installation site. This will save time and avoid unnecessary work.

Conclusion

With proper experience in such work and the necessary equipment, you can always check the heater for operability on your own. Yes, and repair work will not be difficult, because the heating element will have to be replaced with a new analogue. But if you doubt your own abilities - contact the service center for help.