Strange fault on Bush washer dryer

[bulla]

Hello! I’ve started getting a fault on a 2.5 year old Bush wdnsx86w. When the motor starts to turn from stationary or changing direction there is a momentary screech coming from the appliance which almost sounds like something hitting the glass door. The appliance then gets stuck in a loop and the timer won’t go down. Cue the door lock engaging and disengaging and kitchen lights flickering. Eventually the appliance turns itself off.

Can any washing machine engineers / repairers point me in the right direction please?

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Hello. I'm assuming you are referring to the knocking noise? Something is loose, by the sound of it. With a noise like this, someone needs to disconnect it from the mains and take off the lid and back panel. Then physically move and shake the drum about to identify exactly where the noise is coming from.

[andyr12345]

that knocking sound would'nt be the drain pump kicking in would it be?

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

It sounds like a drum machine playing a nice beat. 

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

It's a very strange noise. It doesn't sound like any pump I've heard but then listening more closely it doesn't sound like a mechanical sound either. It's like a sucking almost electronic sound. 

[bulla]

53 minutes ago, andyr12345 said:

that knocking sound would'nt be the drain pump kicking in would it be?

No, it’s not the drain pump. Drain pump is running as it should.

[bulla]

Update on this:

I took the back panel off to see what was going on with the motor. There was a build up of fluff around the commutator and the fluff had carbon deposits on it. It seems like when the motor received high current to start a spin there was a brief short along the fibres to earth. Motor cleaned up and refitted and all good.

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

On 11/07/2022 at 09:30, bulla said:

There was a build up of fluff around the commutator and the fluff had carbon deposits on it. It seems like when the motor received high current to start a spin there was a brief short along the fibres to earth.

Wow. I've never seen that. It certainly was a sound I could not recognise. Presumably it wasn't doing a brief short to earth though? Otherwise it should have checked the electrics or blown the fuse. Unless the washing machine was an earthed of course!

[bulla]

10 minutes ago, Whitegoodshelp (Andy) said:

Wow. I've never seen that. It certainly was a sound I could not recognise. Presumably it wasn't doing a brief short to earth though? Otherwise it should have checked the electrics or blown the fuse. Unless the washing machine was an earthed of course!

I don’t really understand it myself. The kitchen sockets are RCD protected at the consumer unit and it never tripped. The kitchen lights did flicker a little when it got worse. Since cleaning the fluff and carbon out of the motor I’ve run 4 loads in the washing machine since and they’ve all been fine. Strange.

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Yes it probably was like a combustion flash, that didn't actually reach the metallic casing and therefore did not trip the electrics. All in all, it is strange thing indeed.