Bosch WFL 245s Softner tray not emptying

[feynman]

Hi

Bosch WFL 245S. Sometimes it will not drain the softner compartment.

I have cleaned and reseated all the connections to the water solenoid valves and onto the control board.

Both cold water valves operate, (proved by selecting a 2 soap wash, then a 1 soap wash and pulling the soap tray out slightly each time to confirm that both compartments purge depending on the program selected). I believe that both water valves need to open simultaneously to fill the softner compartment to get it to siphon out?

Soap tray and siphon has been thoroughly cleaned, and I can make the siphon work by filling the compartment with a tap.

Does every wash program utilise the softner compartment, or only some?

Any thoughts?

Many thanks.

 

[kbdiy]

AFAIK all programmes will use the softener section but only on the final rinse, which uses cold water only. So your investigations would appear to have covered the obvious and more.

Are you absolutely sure the syphon tube is clear? Seems odd that it doesn't always happen

 

[JohnD]

are the pinholes blocked with scale or sludge?

 

[feynman]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies.

As far as I can see the water pinholes above the softner compartment are clear, but I will try cleaning them anyway. Any tips?

I will also clean out the soap tray and the siphon again.

Do you know if the softner compartment is emptied during the separate rinse cycle or only during the rinse of the wash cycles?

(I inherited this machine, so I don't have the user manual.)

 

[kbdiy]

I believe the softener is used on all rinse cycles. A rinse only programme goes through 2 or 3 rinse cycles and uses softener on the final rinse, exactly as it would with a wash & rinse programme.

 

[JohnD]

(I inherited this machine, so I don't have the user manual.)

http://www.bosch-home.co.uk/customer-service/download-instruction-manuals.html

 

[feynman]

Well, the softner tray was still not emptying and her indoors was getting more vocal about it, so I decided to take the whole housing out to have a look at it.

It turned out to be clipped together with moulded plastic clips, and with some careful prising, I got it apart.

The problem was immediately obvious as the first picture shows. This is the top section of the softner tray housing, looking from above, so this is the side that you can't see or access when it is in place. The pin holes are clear but the water channel over the softner tray is blocked further back - out of reach, with black sludge or slime.

I cleaned and scrubbed it all out with soap and then bleach. Put it all back together, and it works perfectly.

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