Washing machine Door Lock repair

Without a door locking device, washing in a front-loading machine is impossible: there is a risk of accidentally opening the door, which will lead to flooding of everything around. But sometimes the UBL leaves the door locked even after the washing cycle is complete, which makes it impossible to empty the drum and continue using the machine. Let's figure out whether it is possible to repair the UBL of a washing machine on your own in order to open the door.

Let's figure out the reasons for the lock's breakdown

There are three main reasons why the locking mechanism fails. The first is depreciation. Over time, the mechanism wears out, as the bimetallic plate is constantly exposed to high temperatures and becomes thinner. The weaker the plate, the less reliable the fixation, which leads sooner or later to a breakdown. In this case, the problem can only be solved by replacing the UBL.

The second reason is a problem with the electronic component of the model. Here we can distinguish two main options:

• The voltage in the network jumps, because of which the thermoelement "breaks down" and stops heating. As a result, the chain reaction on the plate and the retainer does not start,
• Closes the triac on the control board, which is responsible for supplying current to the blocking mechanism. As a result, the current supply is not suspended, and the blocking is not eliminated.

The third type of reasons is mechanics. The tongue on the UBL lock sometimes breaks, preventing the device from working. The hatch may also not open at all for reasons not related to the UBL. For example, the door hinges are deformed, or something is sagging somewhere.

Diagnostics with a tester

Each washing machine should be supplied with an electronic circuit diagram. Before diagnosing the UBL, it is necessary to study the device. Find out the location of the phase, neutral contact, common contact and only then proceed to remove the locking device.

• Disconnect the washing machine from all communications,
• Open the hatch door,
• Unscrew the two UBL holder bolts on the right side of the hatch,
• Unscrew the bolts holding the top cover of the cm,
• Push the cover towards the back wall and remove it,
• Run your hand down to the right of the hatch door and feel for the UBL,
• Disconnect the wiring and remove the device.

Now take a multimeter and set it to measure resistance. Attach one probe to the phase, the other to the neutral. If the multimeter screen shows a number less than three digits, you can stop checking and change the UBL. If not, move on. Connect the empty wire to the common wire and to the phase. Use a screwdriver to move the locking device to the working position and connect to the network. The working device will click, but the faulty one will not.

We fix the lock ourselves

So, the hatch locking device itself is quite simple. In fact, there is almost nothing to break there. Therefore, you can easily repair it yourself if you are careful and follow the instructions. So, what do you need?

• Disassemble the locking device. It consists of 3-4 metal parts and 2-3 plastic elements. It is not necessary to disassemble everything thoroughly, but the metal parts will be needed. In order to disassemble the UBL, you will need a small screwdriver. On one side of the device (plastic) there is a small screw or several screws that need to be removed. Once you do this, you will be able to easily disassemble the device. If the metal parts do not give in, carefully pry them with a screwdriver so as not to bend or deform anything.
• Clean the metal parts so that they are free of oxidation, rust and dirt (upper and lower bimetallic plates, metal cylinder and the copper breaker itself with two contact points and a connector). The breaker can be identified by a small spring inside it .
• Take the breaker in your hands and remove the spring from it. This is done without special devices, just by pressing with your fingers.
• Select a spring of the same size, only tighter, so that it holds the lock better.
• Put the breaker back in place and secure it.

Now you can use a multimeter to “punch” the UBL contacts again. If the problem was really in the device, cleaning the metal parts should help restore the required resistance level. As for the spring, a more elastic new part will work better, preventing the locking device from “dangling”. The above actions can hardly be called a full-fledged repair, but sometimes they really help. If the problem is more serious, it is easier to buy a new lock.