Changing the heating element in the washing machine

The heating element of the washing machine, which is responsible for heating water during the washing process, is called the TEN. It is located at the bottom of the tank and quite often fails. Even a quality Bosch machine may need to replace the heating element, let alone budget brands such as LG, Samsung or Atlant. In this case, to replace the heater you can call a master or decide to remove the old heater with your own hands. To do this, you must first determine where the heater is located, and then remove it.

The first difficulty awaiting the owners of the washing machine can become access to the heater. The thing is that in some machines you can get to it through the back of the case, while in others you can get to it through the front panel. To easily find out exactly where the part we're looking for is located, examine the machine carefully.

Take a look at the back of its housing first - if the part that can be removed is quite large, then it's probably the back of the machine where the heating element can be reached. If you find that only a small section can be removed from the back, the heater is most likely at the front. If in doubt, first unscrew the back cover, because it is much easier to do than to dismantle the front panel.

It should be noted that the location of the heater at the back is typical for machines of such brands as Zanussi, Candy, Hotpoint Ariston, Indesit, Ardo and Electrolux. But manufacturers Bosch and Samsung more often place the heating element in the front. To get to the heater in models with vertical loading, you should remove one of the side walls.

Before removing the heating element, it is important to drain the water from the machine into a pre-prepared container, as well as to make sure that the machine was disconnected from the mains.

Next, your actions will be as follows:

1. Unscrew the right cover of the machine and find the heater.
2. Disconnect the wires that go to the heating element.
3. Unscrew the nut that is in the middle, then drive the stud that was connected to the nut inside. To do this, push it with force or lightly tap it with a hammer.
4. Hook the heater (use a knife or screwdriver) and carefully remove the heating element from the tank.
5. Check if the part is working properly.

You can watch the whole process visually in the video below.

Insert the repaired or new heater into the hole and make sure that the part is in the same position as it was before it was removed. You need to achieve a snug fit. Next, holding the heater in place with your hand, carefully tighten the nut. Finally, you need to put the wires back in their place. Now it remains to turn on the test wash, selecting a program that provides for heating water to +600C. If the water heats up, you can fix the removed wall and return the washing machine in its place.