9 replies to this topic

[roryrhodes]

Great Ones on this Forum. I come seeking help, advice, and mentorship. This dish drawer that I so heavily depend on once again disappoints.

Within 6 months of new install, problems. The unit's top drawer would run and run and run and run. A call to the company and two - yes two supposedly qualified repair companies and four visits finally isolated the issue to a controller in the top drawer. The first company told me to run hot water in a faucet first, before operation the unit. Of course to no avail. The second first atatcked the heater plate, I did not pay attention, but this failed to beat the issue, hence a new controller.

Now, a mere 2 years later the same issue with the bottom drawer. No error codes, just sticks and runs (28 minute point in the fast mode) and runs. I swapped controllers, this did not resolve the issue - I assume must have two good controllers. Without error codes, I feel gravitationally pulled in the heater plate replacement direction but would like the assurance of any great ones on this site first.

So I ask, is there anything that should do first, before investing in a part that may or may not fix?

Somewhere in North Georgia, another New Castle consumed.

[RegUS_PatOff]

here's the service manual
http://appliantology...ervice-599447a/

[roryrhodes]

Thank you for the service manual. It appears that the diagnostics will call a heater plate relay error when in diagnostics mode, will this indicate a true heater plate failure? (page 25 Er code) The quick cycle diagnostics that I just ran didn't error out.

Also, does the unit to continue to run once it "sticks at a point" to return an error code. It looks like if the unit will return an F4 code if the heater plate does not achieve temp after 4 hours. I have never let it run on and on. I guess that means it has to run for 4 hours...

Finally, can resistance be checked with the front panel off - instead of pulling the drawer. From the schematics, it looks like I could figure out which wires once disconnected from the controller..

From a quick look at the schematics, if the controller works - I swapped from the working top drawer, more than likely, one of he componets in the heater plate failed.

Am I headed in the right direction?

[NCARepair]

Remove the rack,wash arm and filter screen. Use the manual and turn on the heater plate. Lists as er in diagnostics. Put one hand on the plate and turn on with the other. Should feel heat pretty quick. No heat then new heater plate and/or control is required.

[DADoESTX]

Don't leave the heater plate energized more than a few seconds without water in the tub or it'll blow the thermal fuse.

[roryrhodes]

Thanks. Looks like the Heater Plate. A new heater plate now ordered. Bottom controller worked in the upper drawer, I'll see if the heater plate corrects the issue. There is possibly a burn mark on the top of the heater plate, noticed once I removed the filter screen. Ran the heater plate check (above), no heat, ohms are off. I'll assume this (the burn mark) indicates the reason why the plate failed, and should be more evident once I pull the drawer and heater plate. Hopefully the heater plate is the only issue, and the controller proves to be good. Couldn't of troubleshot (troubleshooted) this without you guys - Ale for Everyone!!!

[RegUS_PatOff]

.. no heat, ohms are off.

? ? ?
should be between 10 OHMs and less than 40 OHMs
"infinity" is bad

[roryrhodes]

I guess - infinity - or completely open is the case. The temp senser and the dropper checked out within specs. The plate element was "open". Attached are a couple of pictures of the plate. On the element side, a slight break, almost looks like a chip. On the tub side, totally pitted. Not sure what could have caused this on the element side, and have the water side react as it apparantly did on the tub side  FP1.JPG   107.96KB   12 downloads  FP3 (Medium).JPG   89.67KB   11 downloads  SP4 (Medium).JPG   119.49KB   8 downloads. Go figure.

[J5]

I have never ever seen a plate rust like that

i can only guess there was something metal under the filter plate

you have found your answer that its the heater plate at fault

[roryrhodes]

And the repair is complete! Thanks again to the great group at Appliantology.com. The advice was dead on. The service manual allowed me to pull numbers and walk through the diagnostics ultimately pointing to the heater plate. I still don't get what happened. There was also several videos online that made it fairly simple.

The heater plate PCB definately had a break in the element, maybe 3/32 of an inch. Obviously circuit was open and not heating. The diagnostic video made this simple to check from the front panel. On the other side, the water side, the metal was pitted and rusting as seen in the pictures. This was exactly opposite the break in the elemnt.

So...

Was the element still passing electricity? The unit had been run no more than 3-4 times since it started "hanging" at the water heating phase. If the Element side of the PCB failed - the dry side, and lost a piece of the element, what would have caused damage, maybe small chip or pit exactly opposite on the water side? Could current continue to energize the entire plate at this point while the unit was running? If so, what a possible shock hazard! Also, the fuse on the heater plate was still good. You would think with this fault, it would have opened too. I guess that I am lucky the controller wasn't damaged.

Regardless, fixed with your help.

RegUS_PatOff, NCARepair, J5, DADoESTX - You guys made this Saturday a heckuva lot better. Thanks. R Rhodes, Mountains of North Georgia

Edited by roryrhodes, 22 September 2012 - 09:59 AM.