Why did the washing machine stop turning on and there was a smell of insulation?

  • Mar 15, 2021
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This question, already 66 in a row, with just such a title, was asked by the reader Oleg. If you have your own answer to the question, then write it in the comments below. I and other readers will be happy to read it.

The text of the question itself read literally as follows:

No electrical knowledge, need help. There is a washing machine (SM), dishwasher (PM), socket 1 (P1), socket 2 (P2), extension cord 1 (U1), extension cords 2, 3 (U2 / 3). For five years already, SM and PM have been connected through U1 to P1. Today the SM refused to turn on, the smell of insulation appeared. Connected CM - U2 / 3 - P1 - works. Connected CM - U1 - P2 - works. I looked to see if the PM works as before (U1-P1) - it works. Only U1 - P1 does not work, a smell appears. What to do, what it is fraught with, how to fix it. Thank.
The photo is illustrative.
The photo is illustrative.

I considered the issue and advised Oleg within the framework of my knowledge and qualifications as follows:

The smell of insulation indicates that the plastic or PVC has begun to melt. This is most likely due to the loose contact between the plug and the outlet. Quite often, the lamellas of the socket block in the extension cord loosen and are in a free position, so the contacts of the plug only touch them slightly.

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The contact between the metals is of poor quality, the transition resistance is large, which causes excessive heating of the plastic case, as a result, the insulation begins to melt, and you hear characteristic smell.

I dare to assume that the contact is loosened precisely between the plug of the washing machine and the socket of the extension cord, although this must be checked in practice, there are also less common problems. This situation can lead to deformation of the plastic and even fire the extension cord if nothing is done in the future.

To eliminate this malfunction, you need to sort out the first U1 extension cord, when working with which the smell of insulation appears. For this:

  • disconnect it from the electrical circuit to avoid electric shock;
  • disassemble the housing of the socket block;
  • take a close look at the outlet into which you connected the washing machine;
  • if the lamellas are blackened and do not stick to the fixing points, fix them or replace the socket block with a new one.

If the contacts inside the socket block turn out to be normal, without burning and deforming the plastic around, then you need to inspect the rest of the contact connections: between the unit and the supply cable, between the cable and the plug, inside forks.