Could this be why my Bosch washer is playing up?

[ibaisaic]

I have been having problems with my Bosch Exxcel 8 recently, mainly the machine going into pause mode and flashing NO, even when nobody is near the controls.

Today I was doing a load and noticed a horrible electrical burning smell in the kitchen which seemed
to be coming from the washer. After closer inspection I traced the smell to the cupboard next to the machine that houses the socket that the washer is plugged in to. I was horrified to see scorch marks on the plug top and after isolating the socket and removing the plug, the source of the smell was obvious.

This must have been happening for a while as I remembered noticing a smell when I opened the cupboard, but thought it was a pan that my partner put away without being properly cleaned. I meant to clean the cupboard out, but forgot until the smell this morning reminded me. When we moved into the (new build) house, I had to drill a hole in the cupboard to pass the cable through and as I didn't want cut off the original plug, I used an extension lead with a 3kw rating. Also the socket had been positioned too close to the base of the cupboard, which meant that the cable was bent where it enters the plug.

I will be replacing the complete socket in a higher position and making a hole large enough for the original plug to pass through, eliminating the need for an extension lead. I hope these changes will prevent anything like this happening again, but do you think it is possible that the scorching on the plug and socket would cause the electronics in the washer to malfunction?

The socket for the washer has a seperate switch that isolates it and we always turn it off after we have used the machine which is a good thing because it could have started a fire. I don't care about the kitchen or house being damaged by fire, but it's the dogs that I am concerned about. I am so glad that I was downstairs while the washer was going or things could have turned out far worse.

 

[vacbear58]

Plugs heating up

Roger

It certainly is alarming when this happens - my parents had the same problem a long time ago with a Creda dryer although in that case the socket would have been 10 or more years old and the plug was properly seated.

I presume that the plug we are seeing is on the extension cord so if you check the other end of the extension you can ascertain if there is actually a problem with the Bosch plug and extension socket - there might not be although it is always good to keep an eye on it.

Your problem is almost certainly because the plug was not properly seated in the socket causing arcing and eventually heating up both the plug and socket. I must say that the holes for the pins seem to be set remarkably low so when replacing the socket look for one where they are set higher or, as you already have an isolating switch above the counter, replace the socket with an un-switched unit instead.

If all seems well at the other end of the extension used a fused spur unit (and again it does not need to be switched) or a 20amp unfused connector (often used for immersion heaters or storage heaters) and connect the extension into that instead, doing away with plug and socket altogether. That will also save the trouble of cutting a larger hole in your cabinets. I presume that the isolator switch above the counter is fused already and there will be a fuse in the Bosch plug so there is no necessity to have a fused unit in the cupboard which may make connecting a new unit up much easier in the confined space of the cupboard.

I presume the Belkin cable we see is nothing to do with the socket and just happens to be in the vicinity.

Al

 

[ibaisaic]

Hello Al,

The Belkin cable was from the extension lead that the washer was plugged into.

I have checked the socket end of the extension lead and the fitted plug on the Bosch and they
are both fine. The problem is just in the socket and plug. I removed the socket to check the cable that
supplies it and that is fine also.

I have a new socket front in my garage because when we moved in we replaced all the sockets and switches with screwless chrome ones so there are lots of spares. As I don't want to use the extension lead again, I have decided to use a hole cutter to cut a hole in the base of the cupboard large enough for the fitted plug to go through. I will then reposition the socket higher up or make sure the hole is positioned close enough to the socket to enable the lead from the plug to go through the hole vertically without having to bend it.

Hopefully once the new socket is fitted and the Bosch is plugged directly into it, the problem of the washer going into pause will stop, but then again it may have nothing to do with it. Anyway, at least I'll be happier to know that the washer is plugged in directly to the socket as I was never happy about using an extension. If the kitchen fitters had positioned the socket higher up in the first place, this problem would not have occurred. I always had an uneasy feeling about the sharp bend in the cable and should have corrected it at the time, but no real damage was done and I'll know not to do anything like that again.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[vacbear58]

Sockets

Roger

If all the plug faces are like that one I would not use one of those again, but get a new one - ideally un-switched like I mentioned before. You are talking around £1.50. You will have to do something with it anyway that's for sure.

Whilst you are waiting for that to be done is there a socket above the countertop that you could temporarily plug the Bosch directly into? You can then satisfy yourself if there is a further problem with the washing machine or not. Hopefully not.

Al

 

[ibaisaic]

Yes, there is a double socket above the washer over the worktop which is where I will plug the machine in using an extension lead as a temporary measure.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Plug

Check the terminals and wire connections INSIDE the plug, could be that the LIVE wasnt tight enough in the connection hence the arcing and melting , had that happen on a few of mine like that, cut the wiring on the machine lead afresh and strip new wires bare so you can see they are CLEAN...

Avoid using it until you have checked above and again if using an extension dont use the high heat programmes much until its sorted!!

Great washers though, are you pleased with it Roger?

 

[superelectronic]

Shocking!

Burnt out sockets always conjure up images from old DIY manuals showing some kind of terrible christmas tree arrangement of adaptors; it's quite a surprise when it happens in this day and age with factory-fitted plugs and to those with a sound grasp of basic home electrics.

I tried to avoid cutting the moulded plug off my old Hotpoint washer by using an extension lead. It was only when I had to disconnect it due to a bearing repair that I found the plug melted into the extension socket. Fortunately, nothing ever caught light, nor did it affect the operation of the machine.

You can just about see the melt and burn on the neutral side of plug and socket in the photos below.

 

[ibaisaic]

Mike,

I think the arcing was probably due to the plug not being correctly located in the socket as Al suggested as all the wires were firmly screwed in to the plug terminals. We will only be doing 40 degree washes until the washer is plugged directly back into the new socket, though I have a load of filthy microfibre cloths that are itching for a 90 degree wash.

We've had the Bosch for just over two years so the novelty has worn off long ago. It's OK as far as washing machines go, but it's not exciting to watch like my Mum's old Hoover New Wave with the spin wash. I used to love watching the machine spin when it was full of sudsy water. Unfortunately the New Wave didn't last as long as the Computer Control 1100 that she had before.

 

[iej]

This is one of the reasons why I think the notion that the BS1363 plug is the safest in the world doesn't stack up.

The usual cause of that is one of a few things -

1. Loose or misaligned fuse holder in the plug that overheats at full load.
2. Loose socket contact springs.
3. Loose wiring or poor contact in rewirable plugs.

Fit an MK Safety plug. These have post terminals. You need to wrap the wires around the posts and clamp down firmly ensuring maximum contact area.

These plugs also gave a fixed in place fuse holder that is just a massively better design.

Also use a good quality socket - again MK is still excellent.[this post was last edited: 5/29/2015-16:33]

 

[ibaisaic]

I like MK stuff and always bought Mk plugs for my vacuum cleaners before they came with fitted plugs.

I will be plugging the washer back in with its existing moulded on plug and not using an extension lead, so hopefully I won't have a repeat of this problem, in fact this is the first time I have experienced a plug and socket scorching like this.

 

[glenfieldmathk1]

Dont use an extension lead. At my old job (as a chef), the stupid ,manager, who quickly left, rigged up the Bosch washer, dryer and fridge all on one extension lead, and it melteds the extension lead plug unto the socket, and went up in flames. Luckily we were in the kitchen at the time, and hadn't left the washer on at night.
Plug it directly into the wall, the cable provided by Bosch, should long enough to be installed under counter (in the cupboard next to or behind).

The plug looks very low, I must add. when you reinstall it, get a socket where the plugs higher?

 

[rolls_rapide]

Socket wiring!

Make sure that the power to the socket is off, then check the cables feeding the socket.

My parents had a dodgy washing-machine 13amp socket years ago, and it gave off a distinctly fishy odour as it decomposed with heat. It turned out that the cabling had poor contact due to a loose screw.

Go for "MK Electric" switchgear. Volex and Crabtree are quite flimsy in comparison.

 

[robliverpool]

I'm an electrician by trade and my advice is never to run a washer or a dryer using an extension lead. The reason being is most extension cables are rated 10- 13 amp use and that's for temporary use not something that will generally draw 2kw power every time it's used as the flex will not be able to take the current and start to get warm which will also usually heat up the live pin on the plug and can melt the plug or worse still cause a fire. If you do need to have a socket nearer to the machine consider getting a length of 2.5mm twin and earth as this will be far better if you you wanted to fit a plug on. Just make sure to fit some earth sleeve on

 

[ibaisaic]

Just a quick update about my Bosch.

I fitted a new socket and now the machine is plugged into it directly with no extension lead.
Since then, the machine has not repeated any of the problems it was having, so I think it must have had something to do with the arcing in the plug affecting the electronics.

On a side note, I have made a couple of home laundry videos for my Youtube channel ibaisaic that will be uploaded in a few weeks. One is of my Mum's Hoover Computer Logic tumble dryer and the other is of her Bosch Maxx washer. I plan to make a video of my Bosch soon.

 

[aquacycle]

Looking forward to seeing the computer control, Roger. Did you Mum own the matching washer at one time, by any chance?

 

[ibaisaic]

No, she had a Computer Controll 1100, followed by a New Wave Plus 5.