24/7 Washing machine has a burning smell in San Jose, CA

Issue description:

Does the washing machine smell like burning?

You loaded the laundry into the washing machine, chose a suitable program and went to do some business. but suddenly you smelled burning smell in the apartment. First of all, usually, in this case, the kitchen and stove are checked, then all working electrical appliances. And now, the source of the smell has been found - it smells burnt from the washing machine! What to do?

First, you need to urgently de-energize the washing machine so that a fire does not start. Ideally, if the machine, as expected, has its own automatic device (RCD), turn it off. If not, it is better to turn off all electricity in the house and only then unplug the plug. Now take a close look at the outlet - if you find that it was melted and burned - contact an electrician. If everything is in order with the outlet, you can turn on the light. Now that the machine is de-energized, and you and your house are safe, let's figure out why the washing machine started to smell like burnt. Perhaps, in fact, there is no fire or even a breakdown!

A new washing machine smells like burning: there may be a smell during the first "runs" - plastic and other parts smell when heated. Generally, the smell is not strong. However, if this is not the first time you wash, and the machine continues to give off a burning smell, it may be a factory defect. In this case, contact the service center for warranty

An old washing machine smells burnt, but you changed the powder or washed it with soap shavings (this is sometimes done by mothers of babies, believing that soap is safer than powders for a child). In this case, the most likely source of the odor is the detergent. Soap shavings and low-quality powders stick to the heating element and during subsequent washings they begin to "burn" and give off a burnt smell. If a little bit of the product has stuck, the smell will pass by itself - just run the washing machine once or twice without clothes at the maximum temperature.

If the “run” at high temperatures does not help or you are not fond of exotic detergents, but it still smells burnt - alas, we are talking about the need to call the master.

Problem solution:

As you can imagine, the smell of burning means that something in the machine is either burning or melting. Most often we are talking about a short circuit or burning of contacts, but there may be other situations. In any case, it is not always possible to find a problem "on the fly" - diagnostics with the help of special equipment is required.

Almost all contacts in the washing machine are subject to oxidation due to high humidity and natural wear and tear. This often leads to "burning out" of the contacts, as a result of which the smell of burning is felt. Disassembly of the machine, "cleaning" and soldering of contacts is required. It is impossible to use a machine with such a malfunction: “burning out” contacts can “short-circuit”!

Also, a common cause of burning smell can be “burning out” contacts and connections on the control board of the washing machine. In this case, in addition to the burning smell, there may be malfunctions in the washing programs. Diagnostics of the control board is required: if it is normal, the master will clean and re-solder the contacts. If the board has been damaged, it may need to be replaced.

There are many different wires in the washing machine. Due to natural wear and tear or the influence of unfavorable factors on them - be it humidity or physical impact - the wiring can "short-circuit", and the wiring braid will begin to melt. This will give off a burning smell and may produce bluish smoke from the washing machine. A complete diagnosis of the washing machine and replacement of the faulty wiring section is required.

Often the cause of a strong burning smell is a frayed drive belt. Most often this happens at the initial stages of bearing destruction and pulley misalignment - the belt tension changes, it starts to fray or even "stick". When spinning, the smell will be very specific - similar to the smell of burnt tires, gray-black smoke can also be seen. It is necessary to replace the drive belt, as well as to replace the bearing.

In some cases - if the pipes are damaged or the integrity of the tank is broken - water can enter the engine and cause a short circuit. Disassembly of the washing machine, elimination of leaks, as well as motor diagnostics is required. If it burns out, the engine will need to be repaired or replaced.

If the drain pump fails, it can start to work non-stop, even if there is no water in the machine. As a result, it overheats, and you smell burnt plastic. It is necessary to replace the drain pump.

If you feel a strong burning smell when the machine is heating water, most likely the problem lies in the ingress of something on the heating element. It can be a large number of fluffs (something fluffy was washed before), animal hair, feathers from pillows or down jackets, etc. To clean the heating element from unwanted objects, it is recommended to "run" the washing machine without laundry at the maximum temperature with a cleaning agent (you can replace it with citric acid). If the burning smell is still felt after washing the car, you will need to disassemble the car and mechanically clean or replace the heating element. If you need help with emergency washing machine repair, call us right now!