Checking the water level sensor in a Samsung washing machine
Automatic washing machines are stuffed with various sensors and valves that allow the equipment to operate. Any washing machine is equipped with a pressure switch - it controls the water level in the tank, transmits signals to the control unit, thereby controlling the washing process. How can you check the water level sensor in a Samsung washing machine if it suddenly starts acting up? Let's figure out where the element is located and how to get to it.
Let's find the part and take a quick look.
You should not start self-diagnosis if the machine is under warranty. It is better to contact service specialists and send the equipment for free repair. If you disassemble the machine yourself, the warranty will no longer apply.
If the washing machine was purchased a long time ago, you can try checking the pressure switch at home. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:
- Turn off the power to the automatic machine,
- Turn off the water intake tap,
- Disconnect the top cover from the body by unscrewing the two bolts securing it,
- Find the pressure switch. It is located near the control unit, closer to the right wall of the case,
- Unscrew the screw, disconnect the connector so that you can remove the level sensor from the machine,
- Loosen the clamp with pliers and pull the pressure switch out.
It is not necessary to immediately carry out diagnostics with a multimeter. You can check the pressure of the sensor using available means. It is necessary to take a short tube with a diameter corresponding to the pressure switch fitting, connect it to the device and blow into it. A click produced by the device from the inside will indicate that the water level sensor is working properly. When the relay does not respond to pressure, you will have to change the element.
How is the part constructed?
Getting to the level sensor is very easy. You just need to remove the top cover and find the part. It is difficult not to notice the pressure switch - it is a corrugated plastic element that vaguely resembles a washer. The color can be any, but it's not that important. There are wires from the walls of the washing machine to the pressure switch, and a thin tube from the end panel.
What is the operating principle of the pressure switch? In fact, the element reacts not to the liquid level in the tank, but to the pressure in the system. The more water is drawn into the machine, the greater the pressure, and, therefore, the greater the pressure of air flowing through the sensor tube. The air acts on the membrane, causing the contacts to close. This is how a signal is sent to the main control module about the need to finish drawing water. The same principle works in reverse.
When the pressure switch does not react in any way to the water entering the tank, the automatic machine does not start washing. Therefore, an urgent check of the level sensor is necessary, and, if necessary, its replacement. Perhaps the problem lies in the contacts of the element, the tube or directly in the relay.
Checking the sensor coil with a multimeter
If you have a multimeter at home, you can diagnose the pressure switch with a tester. The algorithm for checking the level sensor on Samsung washing machines (and on machines from other manufacturers, for example, Ariston, Bosch, Indesit, Beko) will be as follows:
- Study the electrical diagram of the pressure switch,
- Attach the tester probes to the contacts of the level sensor,
- Create pressure in the tube yourself to ensure the membrane operates,
- Study the readings on the multimeter.
The resistance value on the device screen should change when the sensor operates. If the pressure switch is triggered, but the value on the multimeter remains the same, then the part will have to be replaced. Even if the system worked like a clock, the cause of the malfunction may lie in the tube. Any, even the smallest hole in it will begin to release air, which means that the required pressure for the relay will not be achieved.
