Dishwasher Suppressor Blowing Fuses

[HughJampton]

Hello,

My Hotpoint FDM550 dishwasher kept blowing its plug fuse at random intervals. I traced it to blackening on the mains suppressor which I replaced.

All was ok for two weeks but now the fuse is blowing again. The suppressor is now blackened like the old one. When I change the fuse and plug it in with the machine lying down so I can see inside, there is sparking in the suppressor as if it's shorting out although I can't see any obvious leaks where moisture is getting in. Could I have got two faulty suppressors on the trot?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated before I scrap it for a new machine.

Cheers,
Mike.

 

[zipper]

As a temporary measure bypass the suppressor, if it still pops fuses then you have another underlying issue.
I guess you could be unlucky enough to get two bad suppressors back to back, stranger things have happened.

 

[HughJampton]

Thanks Zipper, I'll give it a try! Cheers.

 

[HughJampton]

Well I jerry-rigged some spade connectors to bypass the suppressor and so far all is well. Now waiting for a replacement so time will tell if I was just unlucky.

 

[zipper]

The machine will function perfectly well without a mains suppressor but your TV picture could suffer a little.

 

[HughJampton]

Yes, I looked for any interference on our televisions and computers once I'd bypassed the suppressor, but I didn't see any.

 

[JohnD]

when I had this I traced it to a water leak. Wrap it in tissue which will make any drips obvious.

 

[HughJampton]

when I had this I traced it to a water leak. Wrap it in tissue which will make any drips obvious.

Hi John,

Yes, my first thought was a leak but it's awkward to diagnose because you have to pull the machine out and turn it on its side to see the internal wiring through the base. I tried screening the suppressor area off with tape but the problem returned.

I may try the tissue trick as the leak must be a tiny if there is one.

Can I ask where you found the leak in your machine?

Cheers,
Mike.

 

[JohnD]

It was actually in a fridge that had become over-iced. When I was pulling it about, the evaporation dish over the motor, which was full of water, splashed over the suppressor. So the cause will be different from yours. Luckily the suppressor was quite cheap, so I bought two and taped the spare to the back of the machine for next time.

A dishwasher might even have a squirting or spraying leak if the water is under pressure.