Frequent malfunctions of washing machines Indesit

Repair of washing machines Indesit differs from the repair of other brands of machines due to the design features. Manufacturers in the race for customer appreciation equip CMA with more and more new systems, sensors, functions. All this, of course, is useful for the user, but sometimes it significantly complicates the repair.

Fortunately, the device of the Indesit washing machine does not involve any special technical frills, and there are even a number of typical breakdowns for machines of this brand.

In this article, we will look at how to repair an Indesit washing machine with our own hands.

Frequent failures of Indesit brand washers

Repair of Indesit washing machines is a common thing for employees of workshops and service centers. Experts say that Indesit washing machines are not the most reliable, they have many vulnerable nodes that you need to pay attention to first of all if the CMA does not work.

We used the statistics of the world’s leading service centers to come to a simple conclusion: Indesit washing machines are among the most broken brands. For the first 5 years of use, every third Indesit machine requires repair, unlike German or Korean-made equipment.

What is it connected with? In 8 out of 10 cases, the owners of CM Indesit contact service centers with such breakdowns:

• A tubular electric heating element (TEH) is one of the typical breakdowns for machines of this brand. Why is this such a problem area for Indesit washing machines? The manufacturers decided not to cover the part with any protective compounds, they provided only stainless steel (whereas, for example, Samsung took care of the coating). In this regard, scale accumulates on the heating element 2 times faster.
• Network filter. The failure of this element is a common cause of a malfunction of the Indesit washing machine. There are entire batches of machines in which a defective filter is installed. Usually they burn out after 3-4 years of operation. The only plus is that in this case, repairing the Indesit washing machine with your own hands is a completely doable task.
• Bearings. The breakdown of the Indesit automatic washing machine, caused by bearing wear, is a real scourge. The difficulty is not in replacing the bearings, but in disassembling the housing and getting to them. Therefore, problems with the Indesit washing machine associated with broken bearings are among the most difficult.
• Indesit washing machine control unit (electronic module, controller, board). Masters believe that this is the most “sore spot” of SMA, especially the lineup that rolled off the assembly line before 2012. Cars made from 2014 onwards have more reliable processors, but they often need to be repaired. Repairing the control unit of the Indesit washing machine is almost impossible at home – you can only check the wiring and cables connecting the controller to other washing machine elements. But it is too difficult to repair or replace the block on your own, such work should be entrusted to a professional.
• Дelectric motor sensor. If the engine itself can be attributed to more or less reliable parts, then problems often occur with the electrician connected to it. Vulnerable place – capacitors. The problem is that they are not repaired, capacitors need to be changed in the event of a breakdown.

Important! We specifically did not draw your attention to such factors as blockages in the drain and fill systems (hoses, filters and nozzles). The fact is that these problems are not only a problem for SM Indesit, but also for any other brands.

How to find a breakdown of SMA Indesit

In search of answers to the question: how to fix an Indesit washing machine, you can refer to the instruction manual. If you have lost the manual, we will present you with a detailed algorithm for finding a breakdown and its cause.

Proceed as follows:

1. If your model has an electronic scoreboard, great! On it, the self-diagnosis system displays fault codes when it detects a breakdown. Indesit washers are characterized by the following error codes: H20, F02, F05, F10, F18 and others.
2. If the display is missing, the machine will still notify you of a breakdown – the indicators will light up on it in a certain combination or sequence. Also, some breakdowns can be detected by simply listening to the operation of the drum and the electric motor – in the event of a malfunction, you will hear noise, hum, whistle, clang and other uncharacteristic sounds.
3. If there are no signs of breakdown, but the CM still does not work, you will need to disassemble the washing machine. The easiest way is with the parts located under the top cover – a surge protector, a water level sensor, and so on. But access to the motor, heater, bearings or pump is a little more difficult. Learn more about disassembly in this video:

4. Also take a tester with which you can ring all the sensors, contacts and wires. If there is no power in any of them, then we can judge a breakdown.

Attention! Before disassembling the CMA case, you need to study the washer device. The electrical circuit of the Indesit washing machine will help you with this.

If you can’t find it, draw, write down, photograph or videotape all the disassembly steps in order to put everything back together correctly.

How can I fix the Indesit machine myself

Next, we will talk about repairing the Indesit washing machine with our own hands. We will give advice with photos and videos, step by step we will consider all the work that you can carry out without the help of a master.

Checking and replacing the heating element

It does not take much effort to detect breakdowns associated with a burnt out heater. Heater problems can be identified by a number of signs:

• In the vast majority of cases, the Indesit machine itself informs the owner about the failure of the heating element. Error F07 is displayed on the screen, or the 1st, 2nd and 3rd indicators flash.
• Indirect signs will also indicate its breakdown. So, the powder may not dissolve during washing, because the water is not heated. 20 minutes after starting the program, touch the hatch: if it is cold, then the heating element is not working.

To find, check and extract the heating element, proceed as follows:

1. Take a suitable screwdriver and unscrew the back panel, which is usually held on with four bolts.
2. From the bottom of the tank you will see 2 contacts sticking out of its wall. This is the heater shank – the heating element itself is located under the drum. Remove wiring from heater and sensor (located inside heater).
3. Take the tester and take measurements – lean the probes against the contacts. If the device shows a value in the region of 20-40 ohms, then the heater is in order. If the value is 0, then the heating element is closed, and 1 or ∞ indicates a break in the heater.
4. At the same time, check if the heating element does not penetrate the body. To do this, turn on the buzzer mode on the tester. Attach the probes like this: one to the contact, the second to the body. If everything is in order, then the tester works quietly, if there is a breakdown, it will beep.
5. Next, remove the old heating element, even if the tester indicators are normal. To do this, unscrew the central fastener by unscrewing the nut. Take out the sealant.
6. Examine the TEN. If it has a thick layer of scale or dark spots, then 100% need to replace the element.

Important! Buy a new heater together with a rubber seal to tightly install and secure the heater.

7. Before installing the heater, clean the place where it is attached from scale and debris. If this is difficult to do by hand, use a wire hook or a bottle brush.
8. Install a new heating element, connect the wires and assemble the machine.

Replacing the network filter

Malfunctions of Indesit washing machines and their elimination is a problem for many users, especially due to factory defects. But if the filter is not defective, then it was “finished off” by adverse operating conditions – high humidity in the room or constant power surges in the network.

While the Indesit company is thinking about how to protect the filter from unstable voltage in our homes, we will tell you how to repair it yourself. Proceed as follows:

1. Remove the top cover by unscrewing the screws that secure it.
2. The filter is located on the back of the power cord, like a plug – only inside the machine.
3. Having found the filter, unscrew the screw on which it rests.
4. The part cannot be repaired. You need to replace the element by purchasing the original part.

From user experience:

The owner of SM Indesit came to the workshop, already desperate to change anything: in his words, he had already changed the filter 3 times. His working capacity was enough for 5 months at the most. The master examined the machine, and said that the filter burns out due to high humidity. He installed a new part, and treated the contacts going to it with silicone sealant. The happy owner has been using the machine for the second year.

Important! If you decide to follow this experience, before pouring sealant on the contacts, dry, strip and wipe them.

Bearing replacement, board repair

There are jobs that require effort, time, tools, and most importantly – experience and knowledge. But we can’t help but talk about them: a failure in the controller and bearing wear are also possible malfunctions of the Indesit washing machine.

The hardest part is the bearings. The difficulty lies not so much in disassembling the hull as in the tank. Manufacturers have made the tank as reliable as possible, so it is designed in such a way that it cannot be disassembled.

Therefore, the masters of service centers got the hang of this issue, and simply cut the tank into 2 parts along the weld. The decision is sensible – it helps and saves finances, since it is cheaper to cut a tank than to change half a car.

Of course, not all home craftsmen will be able to do such work, but you can try. Arm yourself with tips from the video:

As for the control unit, in 9 out of 10 cases it is enough just to solder the contacts.

The scheme of the Indesit washing machine is such that the contacts are located in unfavorable places and are exposed to moisture. Due to condensate, they oxidize, close, and the control unit refuses to work.

Theoretically, repairing the control unit is easy, but in practice it takes a long and tedious time, armed with a tester, to check all the elements of the board and contacts in turn. Only there you can find and localize the breakdown.

It is better to entrust the repair of this part to a good master, and you can handle the rest yourself.