wiring washer machine?

Thread Starter

Mathematics!

Joined Jul 21, 2008
1,036
Ok , I just got done installing a washer machine.
Connected the cold , hot , drain pipes and plugged the machine into a electrical outlet.

Works fine.
But my question is their some way I can manually turn on the washing machine without pushing the start button.
Like is their some 2 wires in the back of the washing machine I can directly connect together or short to start the washing machine without having to push the start button.

I have done alot of HVAC work and we could always turn on the heater by touching a wire to the R and C labels on the 24 volt transformer of the furnance. Which in reality it is just what the thermostat is doing behind the scene. This is an example of bypassing the start button on the theormostat (heat) and directly controlling it. I am wondering if I some how bridge to wires/components in the back of the washer machine will it turn on??? Their must be some way???

Although I don't know the inner circuitary of a washing machine
<-anybody?

I do know all the inner workings of a furnace and every little circuit and component. It is usually listed on the furnace itself. But washers and dryer seem not to give to much detail on their inner circuitary.

Curious, I have the back panel of the washer completely off their looks like some relay's , inductor/transformer stuff , alot of wires seems the hot splits off into many branches....etc

Thanks for any help
 
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Thread Starter

Mathematics!

Joined Jul 21, 2008
1,036
Radio shack meter books show some washer and dryer curcuit diagrams
in back of book.
Are these books in all radioshack stores or just specific ones.

I am sure maybe the internet has some circuit diagrams.

But I am curious on how hard this would be and what I would have to do.
Basically the start button on the washer machine must be just like a push button to connect two wires together to get the system going.
If I knew the two wires needed to connect to manual do the same thing as the start button does I would be all set. However I cann't get at the starter buttons wires so I don't know which of the wires on the back corospondes to them.

On another note once you push the start button the washer starts but once you remove your finger from the start button the connection is gone so why would it stay on? The connection is not closed any more when your finger goes off of the start button?

Maybe their is more circuitary behind this ??? like some mechanical timer or relay to connect until the time is done or something???

Confused uhmmm

Either way their is so much settings and circuitary with new washers/dryers that they could have many different models that start or are internally circuit rigged totally differently. If I got you guys the model could you tell me or get me the circuit digram or how to do it???

Thanks for any help
If anybody has an old washer that they don't mind ripping apart to see how the back of the start button / circuitary is rigged and how to bypass it. Please let me know so I can gain a more broad way on how to bypass my washer.


Thanks again

found this but haven't fully read thru it yet
http://www.electronicsforu.com/elec...rcuit/sep2003/cir-5-washing.pdf&title=Washing Machine Motor Controller

apparently I have to touch com with pin 2 of the IC555

sorry for updating this but from the link I read it seems if you tied the Load L to the N/O terminal of relay 1 RL1
then you should get the washer to at least spin in one direction indefinitely. and if you switch S1 to the N/O A terminal of relay 2 RL2 then you would get it to go indefinitely in the other direction as well.

So I am going to try it obviously unplugging it from the wall before rigging it up :) then plugging it in. Maybe even install a push switch for safety.

Tell me if you get my idea and think it will work?

Also I am curious this controls the washing machine motor but what controls the actual filling the washing machine with water their must be a circuit off of the start button for this??? I know I could manual fill the tank with cold or hot water but their must be something that regulates this and activates it before the motor begins???
AHHHHHHH almost their need to know how to get the water into the tank be twisting wires as well.

Worst comes to worse I could always use the hot/cold water supply lines by unscrewing them and physically buting them in the washing machine until full.

Minor after all I guess but still would be cool to know how to do it all in one
 
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MikeML

Joined Oct 2, 2009
5,444
I know nothing about your washing machine, but if I wanted to do this, here is how I would proceed:

Caution: you will be working on a live 120VAC circuit, so all necessary precautions are required...

Get access to the start button with the machine ready to operate. Use a high-impedance voltmeter; measure the voltage (both AC and DC) across the open switch. This will tell you what your remote switch has to stand off when open. If you see 120VAC across the switch, you MUST use a low-voltage relay (or SSR) mounted inside the machine to do the remote switching. If you see only low voltage DC, then you will use an opto-isolator mounted in the machine, the input of which will be fed from an isolated remote controller.

While you are at it, measure the AC and DC voltage from both existing switch wires to machine ground. If both wires read 0V to machine ground, this will tell you if the machine's control circuit is isolated from the AC line or not. If you see 120VAC on one of the two wires, you will need to use a relay with a low-voltage coil mounted inside the machine to do the remote switching. If you only get a low DC voltage to machine ground, then the machine's control circuit is not isolated from ground, which makes an opto-isolator desirable.

Finally, configure your Multimeter as an Ammeter. Try 10A full-scale first (AC or DC, depending on what the initial open circuit voltage test showed). Connect it across the open internal switch. The machine should start. This will tell you how much current your relay or opto-isolator will have to switch.

In all cases, the interface to the machine should be "isolated", meaning that you will mount the relay, opto-isolator, or opto-isolated Solid-State-Relay (SSR) so as there is no Ohmic connection between the machine ground and your remote controller.
 

Thread Starter

Mathematics!

Joined Jul 21, 2008
1,036
Thanks for your input.
But I don't have access to the starter button circuitary only the back panel of the washer where the water hoses and electric wires are original connected.

Not to any circuitary under the front of the machine. Don't really know how to get at that?

Thanks I am going to try my relay trick. If the washer spins then I know how to control the motor.
Then I just want to know how to drain the water out of the washer after I am done ? I am going to manual fill the washing machine with hot/cold water by unscrewing the water supply and running the hose directly into the washing machine. But since the motor is going to spin indefinitely I will pull the plug to shut off the washing machine after a fix amount of time say 45 min. ( that should be enough time to fully wash all the laundry in their.)

However I still need to some how manual drain the water in the tank?
That is why I need to know what circuit or mechanical device controls opening the drain pipe to drain the water out of the washing machine.

I am not willing to use addtional devices like sump pump or something to drain the washer of water after done useing.

Thanks for any help
It stands to reason their should be an easy way to drain the washing machine manually. Since in a power failure when the tank is full how would you do it? Maybe the drain is always open in which case I am going to have a problem in filling the tank. i.e have to find some circuit that controls blocking the drain or some cap I can use to block the drain.

Don't really know about the water issues yet I will give it a try in a half an hour.
 

Thread Starter

Mathematics!

Joined Jul 21, 2008
1,036
OK, Think I can turn on the motor now.
But before I fill the tank with water what triggers the water to drain out of the washing machine? don't want to fill it then not beable to drain it?

Ok i think this is it
just got to get it to spin one way to keep the water in then the other way to drain the water

http://home.howstuffworks.com/washer4.htm
 
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SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
Is the washer broken?

If it isn't, and you keep fiddling around with it, it just might be broken pretty soon.

Washing machines built in the last 10 or so years use all electronic controls. They are pretty reliable, but they are easy to "zap" if you are not careful. Then you have an expensive repair bill.

Mom had a washer & dryer in the basement that finally just wore out after being used for over 30 years, so my folks got a new set. She burned out the controls on the new washer twice before the repairman told her that she had to pull the timer control knob out to shut the motor off before rotating it; otherwise the electronic controls got fried.
 

GetDeviceInfo

Joined Jun 7, 2009
2,192
washing machines, are sequencial machines. The older ones had a spring wound timer that drove a rotary sequencing switch. The modern ones are of course electronic.

Most, if not all machines have thier schematics inside a cover plate. At some point, after having selected all the options, there will be a device to initiate the cylce. This 'initiator', depending on the age of the appliance, may be multi contact, or single.

I would think that pushing the 'start' button would be a lot easier than trying to hot wire the thing.
 

loosewire

Joined Apr 25, 2008
1,686
(I would think) The new systems are protected,they don't even
mention it . Other Items are shown not new off-on devices.You
seem to be beating a dead horse. Do some searching you will find out.
How things work avoid the electronic curcuit because they protected by
patents,they don't tell you that they waltz around It.
 
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Thread Starter

Mathematics!

Joined Jul 21, 2008
1,036
This is an old washer that we don't really give a crap about.
So I wanted to see if their is away to hot wire the motor to move.
From the back panel ....

Here is a picture of what the wire look like to the motor
Just don't know if their is a color standard the hot and ground wires of the motor. If the motor is running on ac then the black or white are the hot/ground wires but I am curious what the yellow , blue etc wires are. They also have some red wires but I think the washer is plugged into a 120 receptical ia they other hot wire shouldn't be their unless red stands for something else? Anybody fix washing machines internals for a living? :)

First pic is the wires/connectors that are connected to the washing machine motor beside's it. I think here is where I can twist or short a few wire to get it running?

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af250/sam1111_photos/DSC_0003.jpg


Here is some more
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af250/sam1111_photos/DSC_0005.jpg


Don't know what this is is it a relay or something it looks like a big inductor?

http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af250/sam1111_photos/DSC_0006.jpg


http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af250/sam1111_photos/DSC_0004.jpg

Thanks for any help if I just knew the wire color codes and what wires are hot for motor and ground I should be able to directly twist them together while power is unplugged then when everything is connected plug it in and it should start rotating just like a fan ,...etc would?

Thanks for any help somebody on one of these forums should know something about this stuff.
 
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