Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
shoponl_gw

Fisher Paykel GWL11 short circuit

shoponl
9 years ago

We just solved a problem with our Fisher Paykel washer. I didn't find anything matching our problem when I googled it, so thought I'd post our experience here. I hope this post may save someone else a little time.

Our laundry circuit's ground-fault interrupt (GFCI) would not stay on; it kept tripping off. By unplugging one thing at a time, we determined that the short-circuit was in our washing machine, a Fisher Paykel GWL11.

When we unplugged the washer, the GFCI circuit worked normally. When we plugged the washer in, the GWL11's LED lights would flash for a split-second, and the GFCI would trip off. The GFCI tripped even though the washer itself was turned off; I think the washer must run through a quick self-check when power is restored, and this activity tripped the GFCI.

We looked the washer over, and noticed that the drain pump motor (Selni 00236NR) was slightly wet and a little rusty. I researched the pump and discovered that other Fisher Paykel owners had complained that their leaking pump made a distinctive squealing noise-- the same noise my machine occasionally made.

We dried the motor with a hair dryer, and then tried plugging the washer in again. Voila! The short circuit was gone, the GFCI stayed on, and the washer booted up normally.

Other owners have said that their leaking drain pump motor shorted out their main control board, so maybe we were lucky that nothing worse happened.

We ordered a replacement pump (#479595) from countrywideappliance on ebay for $98 with free shipping. The pump just twists into place-- Fisher Paykel washers are so easy to service!

I'll repost if this fix doesn't work, but I'm hopeful that we've solved the problem.

Comments (2)