GusWishing an enjoyable and relaxing weekend to everyone who doesn't design electronics enclosures for washing machine manufacturers...
Done cleaning off silicone and was just about to order some new relays when I spotted ol' cracky McCrackerson here, on one leg of the bad relay's coil.
Surprisingly the rest of this PCB has pretty good solder joints, there are videos of later model Samsung washers on Youtube where there are tons of visibly bad joints.
After two weeks we appreciate having a working washing machine again!
Was reflecting on how much time and effort this took to fix. Only possible at all because of skills and experience, but also an abundance of available time (half a dozen hours last week, and a couple more hours this morning). If I didn't have the privilege of not working full time, or if I had the extra responsibilities of kids, or a body that wasn't available for wrestling a washing machine onto its side and lying on the laundry floor to peer inside it multiple times... it'd be a non-starter.
The frustrating thing is it doesn't have to be that way: requiring more repairable designs, or available official diagnostic and repair info (AI has made this aspect way worse), or more affordable spare parts - any two of those could have reduced the time needed to just an hour or two. Reducing the time also makes paying someone to do it, or asking a friend for help with it, into a much more reasonable proposition.
But that's no way to sell a new washing machine.
Matthew "Smiffy" Smith@projectgus The body bit can be worked around, which I did, when I was using a walker. Flipping a washing machine to 30° off fully upside down when I could hardly stand - was an interesting challenge! But lack of service/parts manuals, UGH!
@grumpysmiffy that's a solid effort, I imagine a lot of planning and logistics (and persistence)!
@projectgus Back in my Previous Life (England, mid 90's) I had the challenge of fitting wheels to a 2m, 100+kg comms cabinet, at the weekend, on my own. And that's before I started lifting weights.
I had to round up just about every phone book in the office, but they did the job!
And, more recently, getting 20kg sacks of soil, from the ground, to a 0.8m raised bed - straight after hernia surgery, when I wasn't supposed to lift more than 3kg.
And I love these challenges. I always start them thinking: Egyptians, pyramids. At the end of the day, all these things boil down to inclined planes. (I count wedges as progressive IPs.) And occasional variations on the wheel.
As an AuDHD engineer, I absolutely thrive on this stuff.
Regarding washing machines - I wouldn't be in a hurry to change a drum, again. Awkward, and every internal edge, thirsting for blood.