31-01-2016, 10:30 PM
This machine has always been a bit iffy. And my numerous web searches failed to bring any enlightenment, so I thought I'd record it all here, just in case it might help someone else.
The machine in question is a Whirlpool AWZ8578. An ugly brute - not my choice.
We inherited it from my wife's sister. She bought it because she needed a condensing unit, given that there's no easy way to vent it externally in her house. But it didn't work very well for her so, assuming that *all* condensing driers were the same, she replaced it with a conventional vented one. I dread to think what state her house must be in, but never mind...
At first, it seemed like they hadn't read the instructions properly, as it seemed fine to us. It has various sensors built in, and it's just a case of telling it you'd like it "cupboard dry", or whatever. They apparently were using the fixed time programs - who knows why? Either way, our existing tumble drier was 20 years old and had a failed heater, so I wasn't going to complain...
Over the years, I'd notice that sometimes it would take a lot longer than usual to dry. The clothes inside would be cold and damp, so the heater wasn't heating. Power-cycling it would usually get it going again, and I'd forget about it...
When it went "bang" last weekend, I had to take it apart for the first time and start reverse-engineering it. I secretly hoped that the heater issue would be solved by a new batch of PSU capacitors, but upon reassembly yesterday, the heating was even more shy than before. So, time to really get in there...
The machine in question is a Whirlpool AWZ8578. An ugly brute - not my choice.
We inherited it from my wife's sister. She bought it because she needed a condensing unit, given that there's no easy way to vent it externally in her house. But it didn't work very well for her so, assuming that *all* condensing driers were the same, she replaced it with a conventional vented one. I dread to think what state her house must be in, but never mind...
At first, it seemed like they hadn't read the instructions properly, as it seemed fine to us. It has various sensors built in, and it's just a case of telling it you'd like it "cupboard dry", or whatever. They apparently were using the fixed time programs - who knows why? Either way, our existing tumble drier was 20 years old and had a failed heater, so I wasn't going to complain...
Over the years, I'd notice that sometimes it would take a lot longer than usual to dry. The clothes inside would be cold and damp, so the heater wasn't heating. Power-cycling it would usually get it going again, and I'd forget about it...
When it went "bang" last weekend, I had to take it apart for the first time and start reverse-engineering it. I secretly hoped that the heater issue would be solved by a new batch of PSU capacitors, but upon reassembly yesterday, the heating was even more shy than before. So, time to really get in there...
