Zanussi ZKG7125 - Door stuck and premature ending of drying cycles

[Harry_1]

Hi, 

I have a Zanussi ZKG7125. I have 2 issues, one which is bearable but the second happened this morning which needs immediate attention.

Firstly on a drying cycle the machine works for about 30-45 minutes before skipping the remaining any remaining time on the cycle and then shows 0 on the countdown. No obvious error codes are shown on the display, I have read elsewhere something about holding down the start button and turning the program dial counting the red and green flashes for further information? I think logically this could be either an overheating problem or a thermostat issue? It would make sense if it was some form of safety override. I have pulled the machine out from under the worktop to allow for increased airflow to check if it was overheating caused by its proximity to the kitchen units - but this didn't seem to help. The reason why I think it is to do with heat is that after running one drying cycle, the second or third always reduce in duration before it prematurely ends.

This morning however the door will not open, and the handle itself feels loose with no resistance. I hope it is just the handle mechanism which I am confident I could replace myself. I need to have a look this evening and find some wire or similar to try and free the door latch. I ran a few spin cycles and gave it a bang to check it was not the locking mechanism sticking...when initiating the spin cycle I can here the lock click in so I don't think the issue is with the lock itself. I will also try the turning it off at the wall and seeing if the lock releases.

I would appreciate any feedback from experience with these two issues.

Thanks

Harry 

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

According the the user manual I found online that machine should display error codes if it detects an error rather than conveying them with flashing lights. Make sure you aren't overfilling the drum or turning off the cold tap during the drying cycle. It can only dry 3 - 4 Kg of laundry depending on the fabric. Other than that is does sound like something is cutting out when hot. Overloading could cause that but so could blockages or fan faults, or even faulty sensors.

Regarding the door opening make sure the child lock hasn't been accidentally activated. If it hasn't drained the water out properly that can cause the door to not open according to the manual. Check the pump filter.

[Harry_1]

Hi Andy, thanks for the response. 

I successfully fitted a new handle today, upon dismantling it was clear the old one had fatigued and consequently broken.

The loads tend to be mixed in size for the dryer, but we have tried less and the problem still persisted. It's more of an annoyance than a fault but I think rather than spend money for a call out, we can live with it...