Miele went bang!

[harrygee]

Hi

 

Just finished wash cycle with a 15 yo miele with no previous signs of a problem ; first there was a humming noise , then a loud bang , then a smell of smoke!

Could you please suggest what may have happened ? ; I have to decide whether to call in a Miele engineer at high cost or write off the machine

depending on if you think a repair is feasible based on what you think went bang!

Many thanks

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

Hi. Unfortunately my impression is that 15 year old Miele washing machines tend to be very expensive to repair. If there was a humming sound maybe the drum jammed up? 

Has it been noisy recently? Can you spin the drum by hand and is it noisy or quiet? 

[harrygee]

Hi Andy

thanks for the quick reply.

The humming I would say was better described as 50HZ AC low buzz if you know what I mean followed by the bang and then smoke . To be clear the bang happened after a wash cycle when the machine had been emptied and was just sitting there with the power on ready for another load

Up until yesterday the machine was working perfectly ; no noises or any other problems during wash cycles and the drum would spin balanced and noise free and still does now after the bang

The smoke was quite acrid which maybe indicates an electrical burn?  Someone else had a similar problem and was told it could be water in the heating element which blew up ; does this sound likely or can you think of another electrical breakdown which would cause a loud bang? Thd drum spins just fine by the way

Thanks

 

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

If the bang happened when the washing machine wasn't even running, and it sounded like something electrical,  I would suspect a mains suppressor or capacitor shorting out inside. 

They can pop like a firework. Everything else shouldn't do anything unless actively running. You would normally be able to see physical evidence after the event. 

[harrygee]

OK thanks again

If correct about the components you mention , would this mean it is more or less likely to be fixable?

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

If itbwas a mains suppressor it shouldn't be too expensive. The problem is that few if any independent repairers repair Miele and Miele probably charge a few hundred pounds to send an engineer these days. 

Maybe find out how much Miele charge. A lot of manufacturers have fixed repair prices these days. 

[harrygee]

Hi

Yes , £260 fixed all in including labour , parts...

Will ring tomorrow and see what they say

thanks once again for your suggestions

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

It's so sad that it's come to this, with the extremely expensive fixed prices. If a washing machine has a loose wire, it'll be £260. If it needs a £20 part which takes 10 minutes to fix, it's £260. How do these manufacturers justify these prices? 

Many of them also have get out clauses where if it turns out to be a very expensive time consuming job they just say it's not worth repairing. Please let us know how you get on. 

[harrygee]

Hi Andy

I have possible good news!

I took the top off the machine and found the mains suppressor at the back ; it had a pool of liquid gum sitting on the top with some liquid below it on the base of the machine. I attach photos. I guess it should not be in this state and looks like the culprit?

I have searched and found replacements are not too difficult to source so I may just buy and swap out which hopefully may solve the problem.

Do you think this looks like the source of the bang and smell?

Re.Miele I rang this morning to be told the earliest date to visit is 9th March ; ridiculous! So I declined.I quite agree the pricing structure is crazy and I do hope I have found the problem myself

Cheers

 

[Whitegoodshelp (Andy)]

That's the part that can go with a bang when not even running. The live and neutral run throughout and if the insulation between them breaks down inside they can short out. You should be able to smell if it's the part that blew though don't touch the contacts with your nose as they can hold a charge. 
 

Can't rule out the possibility that something else for damaged when it blew but hopefully not. 

[harrygee]

UPDATE : SUCCESS!!

I ordered a replacement suppressor from ebay and did a straight swap ; now done 5 loads with no problems!

This has to be my best ever repair ; £12 plus P/P for the part vs around £1K for a new machine!

By the way , the miele website states fixed prices includes parts ; however , when you ring them you are told bearings and drums ( the most expensive bits?) are not covered!

Thank goodness the part was available still. Although used , at least my machine will keep running for a while longer.When I took the top off the inside looked brand new so I am very pleased I was able to fix the problem with the assistance of Andy

Many thanks

I now need advice with a problem with my miele tumble dryer!