Relay in washing machine circuit

[electricguy61]

I received a service call last night where the customer had another electrician out to troubleshoot a power problem to the washing machine. Customer states other electrician found a relay in a box above the wm, and that he stated he didn't know how to troubleshoot relays.

In mentally reviewing the call before I make it, I'm trying to figure out why there would be a relay in the circuit: flooding control? It's in a condominium, 1st floor.

Any suggestions?

 

[cadpoint]

Maybe it's an exhaust or room A/C isolation application.

 

[GoldDigger]

Maybe it's an exhaust or room A/C isolation application.

First question to answer is whether it controls the WM or notifies something else that the WM is running (drawing current).

 

[electricguy61]

It killed the circuit, so though it may also notify, it's controlling. Again, I haven't made the call yet, just wondering if anyone else had run accross this issue.

Me thinks it must be something related to it being a condominium, such as if there's a backup on the drain, to keep from flooding the neighbors. Customer stated she ran the washing machine empty before she bought the place and it was OK. Then it ran through a half cycle of sheets, then stopped. Which is when the drain would begin to discharge.

 

[mgookin]

Have her contact the association or knock on some doors. Somebody around there knows what's going on.

 

[electricguy61]

Have her contact the association or knock on some doors. Somebody around there knows what's going on.

That's exactly what I asked her to do: Call the property manager and ask if they know anything about it.

I'll let the forum know what I find.

 

[kwired]

Not trying to be a smarty pants but, where do the control leads for the relay coil go to?

 

[electricguy61]

Not trying to be a smarty pants but, where do the control leads for the relay coil go to?

Don't know; haven't been there yet.

 

[K8MHZ]

Just a guess, but could it be to maintain load diversity?

 

[GoldDigger]

Just a guess, but could it be to maintain load diversity?

I thought about that. It would have to both sense when the washer was trying to run and turn it on or off at the same time. Then I thought about a central time clock to enforce quiet hours.
But more likely would be a local water or pressure sensor in the drain standpipe.

 

[electricguy61]

Here's what I found: there was a timer on the wall of the laundry closet (stack washer/dryer, 230v) that controlled the dryer outlet and a dryer vent booster fan. Customer just didn't know the timer was there. I'm guessing the booster fan is used for more then one unit, and management doesn't want it running unless it's needed, hence the timer/relay interlock.

See or learn something new all the time.

 

[JDBrown]

So the relay wasn't controlling the washing machine after all? What caused it to shut off halfway through a load?

 

[K8MHZ]

So the relay wasn't controlling the washing machine after all? What caused it to shut off halfway through a load?

It could be a failure of the switch on the machine's lid or door. Or just a loose connection at the switch.

 

[electricguy61]

This stack system, as most I've worked on, use only a 220v system. So yes, it was controlling the washing machine

 

[JDBrown]

This stack system, as most I've worked on, use only a 220v system. So yes, it was controlling the washing machine

There it is. I'd missed the part about it being stacked.

 

[GoldDigger]

Here's what I found: there was a timer on the wall of the laundry closet (stack washer/dryer, 230v) that controlled the dryer outlet and a dryer vent booster fan. Customer just didn't know the timer was there. I'm guessing the booster fan is used for more then one unit, and management doesn't want it running unless it's needed, hence the timer/relay interlock.

See or learn something new all the time.

There was a recent thread here about using two mechanical time switches to control a vent fan shared between two bathrooms. The general feeling was that the best way to do that would be to have the switches drive a relay.
Small world. This way you do not have to worry about closing one timer energizing the wiring at another timer. Only the relay contacts which are powered from the fan source are in parallel. With a mechanical time switch that might not be a problem, but if timer is electronic it would have to have a local always-live power source.

 

[Jraef]

First thing I thought of when I read this.

I once lived in a rent controlled apartment complex. Because they could not raise the rent on existing tenants, they did everything else they could to squeeze money from them. One way was to charge them to use the washers and dryers in the laundry area. They legally could not restrict access to common areas, but the laws did not make it clear that they couldn't deny power to the machines, so they did. Tenants had to ask the manager for power, who had a timer and contactor in the office for each individual machine, then you still had to put coins in the machine. Because I was a new tenant paying the current going rates, I only had to ask and they turned it on. Older tenants were charged different amounts based on how long they had lived there. For some of them it was ridiculous. Consequently some older tenants then would come to me and ask me to tell the manager that I was doing laundry, but I had to be careful about getting caught by doing too much. Total pain in the rear, I got out of that looney bin as fast as I could.

 

[ActionDave]

I received a service call last night where the customer had another electrician out to troubleshoot a power problem to the washing machine. Customer states other electrician found a relay in a box above the wm, and that he stated he didn't know how to troubleshoot relays.

In mentally reviewing the call before I make it, I'm trying to figure out why there would be a relay in the circuit: flooding control? It's in a condominium, 1st floor.

Any suggestions?

I suggest sending your post to one of the mods for editing; have him substitute "guy" for "electrician" from the first two sentences.

It would help me maintain an optimistic outlook on the future of the electrical trade. sigh....

 

[jumper]

I suggest sending your post to one of the mods for editing; have him substitute "guy" for "electrician" from the first two sentences.

It would help me maintain an optimistic outlook on the future of the electrical trade. sigh....

While I agree, I/we can't (will not) edit the post.

 

[electricguy61]

I suggest sending your post to one of the mods for editing; have him substitute "guy" for "electrician" from the first two sentences.

It would help me maintain an optimistic outlook on the future of the electrical trade. sigh....

Sad, isn't it.