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Any technique that deals with the collection and discharge of water can fail, break down, and then there is a great risk of a “flood”. There can be many reasons for a leak in a dishwasher: a clogged sewer, drain hose or filter, a broken pump or water supply valve, and others. In most modern PMMs, there is a special system called Aquastop, which is designed to protect equipment from water leakage, regardless of the cause of the breakdown.
Waterstop - what is it?
The principle of operation of the dishwasher protection against leaks in all PMM is the same, the same design as in washing machines. The Waterstop system is simple yet effective. It consists of a pan with a control float, a microcontact, a hose and a safety valve, which is attached directly to the plumbing system.
When water enters the pan as a result of a malfunction (about 200 ml), the float rises and closes the microcontact. The access of electricity to the safety valve is instantly stopped, and it closes, thereby blocking the flow of water to the PMM. Thus, the protection against leaks worked. Along with this process, water is pumped out.
Leak Protection Types
There are two types of water protection:
- complete;
- partial.
Which one is better? Complete protection against leaks in the dishwasher provides for a pallet with a control float and a hose with special valve sensors at both ends. As soon as the float has worked, cutting off access to electricity, the valves close, cutting off the water supply to the faulty machine. This design works and avoids flooding both in the housing and in the event of a leak between the hose inlet and the water supply. The full type is more reliable.
Important: if the leakage is insignificant, then the system will not immediately work in dishwashers budget option or earlier models. In modern dishwashers, Aquastop works instantly.
Partial protection from leaks is presented only in the form of a pallet with a float. The float through the microsensor sends a signal to the control panel, and the emergency mode starts, the PMM is blocked. That is, the hose and the space outside the machine remain unprotected when partial type. Thus, the answer to the question of which system is better becomes obvious.
Benefits of dishwashers with Waterstop
Today, there are practically no dishwashing equipment on sale without the Waterstop system. When buying a PMM, ask the seller what type of protection is present in the proposed models.
The importance and benefits of such a system from leaks in dishwashers can hardly be overestimated:
- in case of breakage and water leakage, your kitchen and floor will remain intact;
- it will not be necessary to compensate damage to neighbors in case of flooding;
- saving water, which simply overlaps when triggered;
- the ability to safely leave the PMM turned on at night or before leaving home;
- the ability to avoid even greater damage to the machine in the event of flooding and short circuits.
Protect yourself and your neighbors from unexpected flooding and damage to furniture with the Aquastop anti-leak system.
Many people remember the old advertisement, where one housewife was horrified when she saw a huge puddle spreading from under the washing machine. A flood is one of the worst disasters that can happen in an apartment. Therefore, manufacturers of washing machines made sure that this did not happen through the fault of their equipment. Protection against water leaks in washing machines of popular brands is implemented in a completely simple way. This system is called AquaStop and is also used in dishwashers. The protection system is complete and partial.
Where protection is installed and how it works
Washers from Bosch, Samsung and other brands use the AquaStop full protection system, which consists of several components:
- Thickened water supply hose. Its reserve is 70 bar, that is, seven times more than what happens in an apartment water supply.
- At the end of the hose is a solenoid valve, similar to the main washer valve. It is also called a safety valve and controls the entire system. At rest, it is closed. Opens when the machine is turned on.
- Tray at the bottom of the machine with sensor float. When raised, the float closes the contacts and gives the command to close the emergency valve.
Washing machine leaking
Thanks to the solenoid valve, the problem area is blocked when a leak occurs. All conductors of this control loop are hidden in the outer tight braid of the hose. If the hose is depressurized, water enters the pan located at the bottom of the washer.
Also, the valve stops the water supply in such cases:
- the working tank is leaking;
- the drum is full;
- the pipeline of the washing machine is damaged;
- excess washing powder - foam comes out.
Some machines provide additional emergency pumping of water in case of failure of both valves.
This is how full protection works. Incomplete (partial) protection against leaks in the washing machine assumes that the sensor stops filling water only at the point where the hose is connected to the body. With incomplete protection, there is no sensor at the bottom of the machine.
Labeling of individual brands: what does it mean
The leak protection in the LG washing machine is called Aqua Lock. The system in products from LG provides:
- determining the presence of a leak;
- closing the inlet valve for water inlet;
- turning on the pump for pumping out water that has entered the housing (if necessary).
For Bosch washers, Aqua-stop is implemented using a double magnetic valve mounted on a two-layer flexible hose. There is a float described above at the bottom of the washing Bosch machines. These are washing machines with full protection against leaks. By the way, if the machine is connected according to the rules, then in the event of a leak, the manufacturer undertakes not only to repair the machine itself, but also to repair the premises affected by the flood.
Ariston developers have released cars with protection in the form of a float in the pan. When the float rises, the electronics close, which turns on the drain and stops the flow of water into the tank.
AEG washing machines have a valve with an adsorbent installed on a two-layer hose. This protection against leakage of the hose of the washing machine and blocks the water supply in the event of a leak.
Washing machine
AEG
Miele machines are available with two types of protection: Waterproof-System and Waterproof-Metal. The first case is similar standard set Aquastop, the second is supplemented with a high-strength hose with reinforcement. Waterproof-Metal is considered more reliable protection.
Asko washing machines are equipped with Aqua Detect System (repeated draining of water into the sewer in case of leakage) and Aqua Safe (sensors are located at 16 points where leaks are possible).
Is it possible to do it yourself
If your machine does not have such a convenient system, you can install it yourself. For buyers from Russia, the Italian company OMB Saleri produces the Aqua-Stop device. The price is small - about one and a half thousand rubles. This is a fitting that is installed on the inlet hose. Inside the fitting there is the same protective mechanism powered by the washer.
However, this solution only works in case of a severe leak. If the water comes in little by little, then Aqua-Stop, installed independently, will not regard this as an accident and will not close the contacts.
At correct installation and connection washing machine of any brand, you can be sure that you won’t have to save yourself from the flood. Manufacturers have taken care of the safety of using equipment by installing protection against water leaks.
Inlet hose washing machine that supplies tap water, during operation of the machine may leak, so it must have special protection against water leakage. Modern washing machines are equipped with such protection - the AquaStop system. Its action is aimed at preventing the unexpected appearance of water in the body of the device. In washing machines and dishwashers various brands The leak protection system has other names, such as AquaSafe, Aqua Alarm and Waterproof, however, the Aquastop principle of operation in machines of different models and brands is almost the same.
To prevent leakage, which can cause flooding of your own premises and neighbors, the faucet that supplies cold water into the drum of washing or dishwashing equipment, it is equipped with an Aquastop protective valve. It can automatically turn off the water supply when an emergency occurs in the washing equipment connection system due to a leak. The protection system is triggered and gives an alarm signal to the owner of the equipment.
- Mechanical valves "Aquastop".
- Water blockers Water Block.
- Powder type Aquastop hose if absorbent is present.
- Embedded system partially protected by a float switch equipped with a switch.
- A built-in full blockade system when the Aquastop hose is connected, which has a solenoid valve to work with the partial blockage system.
- Complete anti-leakage system with external sensors.
Working with a mechanical valve
The Aquastop mechanical protection valve works on the principle that it reacts with a sharp change in pressure at those moments when the hose breaks or mechanical damage occurs. In such situations, the blocker valve, which is located inside the flexible pipe, mechanically the flow of fluid to the area where a leak is detected is blocked. The valve passes a certain amount of liquid, creating an operating state, because the spring inside the hose has the parameters of the calculated stiffness factor when a larger volume is not allowed.
In situations where pressure builds up, the outlet can be completely blocked by the guard. In situations of minor leaks in threaded connections or small leaks in the inlet hose, the pressure will change little, so the protection may not see the liquid and not give an alarm.
Water stop valve (blocker) Water Block
This protection system differs from others in the principle of operation and consists in the fact that it takes into account the volume of the passed fluid that passes through the pipe with the valve. The blocking is installed immediately at the very beginning on the inlet hose for the water supply to the washing equipment. It has marks that regulate the desired volume of liquid, indicated by strokes with a measure of 5 liters.
The lock kit includes a special key with which you can set the volume that is required for one full wash. If the washing machine consumption of one full cycle is 50 liters, you should set the regulator to the number 10. The protection unit will not let an excess volume of liquid through, because the program accurately determines the amount of water, and in this case the system will block its excess when it is supplied. It will react even to minor leaks, because it takes into account the volume of fluid flow passed through it, and this is its advantage.
Powder absorbent in Aquastop hose
This type of protection is a two-layer sleeve. The protection is located inside the outer sleeve made of corrugated plastic. The purpose of the device is to retain fluid when the inner sleeve is damaged. Running water is supplied through the inner hose while the device itself is inside the outer hose. If the inner tube is damaged, water collects in the middle of the outer flexible hose, its sudden filling occurs, the liquid rushes to the automation unit. It is located in the area where the hose is connected to the water supply.
Two types of similar hoses work in this system. The first is equipped with an automatic lock, which is connected to the installed plunger. It, in turn, is connected to the emergency shut-off valve and the absorbent located there, from which a special spring is connected to the plunger. When liquid hits the absorbent, it expands, and at this moment the plunger with a fixed spring follows the absorbent, while the plunger reliably closes the inlet of the hole from which the liquid is supplied.
Magnets are built into the second type of hoses. The stable position of the plunger, according to the principle of operation, does not depend on the action of the spring, but on the magnetic field created by two permanent plates, when the magnet poles of the same name are facing each other. If the absorbent in the fuse is in a dry state, then the size of the distance between the plates is small, it does not increase, and therefore their mutual repulsive force is large, which keeps the equilibrium system.
When in contact with liquid, the absorbent expands and the magnets weaken, in this case the magnetic field weakens and becomes insignificant, the plunger will be able to block the flow of pressurized liquid from the faucet plumbing system. The Aquastop lock is considered reliable only on the hose itself. In a situation where a leak appears on the threaded connections or water begins to flow in the equipment case, the protection will not respond.
Partial protection system with float switch and switch
If water has flowed in the area where the pipe with the machine is connected using a threaded connection, or a leak has appeared in the equipment case, then liquid begins to appear in the lower pan. "Aquastop" is a spring with a valve in a thick hose for water supply. A float sensor is installed on the completely sealed bottom of the electric machine, which, when a small amount of water suddenly enters, if there is a rise above a certain mark, pops up. At this moment, the sensor switch located in the base is instantly activated, an alarm is given that a breakdown has occurred. The movement of water stops instantly.
The blocker stops the water while turning on the pump, which will pump the liquid out of the body and tank. After the reasons for the appearance of liquid in the housing are eliminated (for example, the inlet hose is replaced), it is recommended to dry the float sensor and microswitch well, and then the protection will work again. If, due to pipe breaks or a leak in a threaded connection, liquid does not appear in the sump, then the blocking protection will not respond to damage to the machine.
Full electromagnetic type protection with combined partial protection
This system consists of two blocking systems at the same time: partial protection and a two-layer Aquastop hose with electromagnetic valves on a special block, which are switched on in series, can be electric or pneumatic.
The system works according to the following principle: if a damaged pipe leaks through the drain into the lower pan, when the set level is reached, the liquid will raise the sensor in the form of a float, as described earlier. This protection system is considered the most reliable, but it does not control the occurrence of leakage at the threaded connection.
Full protection with external sensors
This system works on the principle smart home” and is a special control unit with connected external sensors that will quickly respond to a leak. Sensors should be placed in all places where breakthrough is allowed.
Many modifications have light and sound alerts, can send SMS messages to the owner. The system may not work if the floor in the house is uneven, because the water flows to the side and does not touch the float.
AT technical description washing machine or dishwasher you can find such a term as protection against water leaks.What is it? The leak protection system is a complex technical devices designed to protect against flooding of the premises with water in the event of an emergency water leak in household appliance or if the inlet hose is damaged.
From various manufacturers household appliances, such a system is called differently: Aqua-Stop (Aquastop), Waterproof (Waterproof), Aqua-Safe (Aquasafe), Aqua-Alarm (Aquaelam), but structurally they are almost the same. Therefore, it will be enough to consider the principle of operation of this system using the example of a washing machine familiar to us.
Leak protection really useful system, it will help you avoid unpleasant consequences flooding the premises.
2. Types of leakage protection
According to the degree of protection against leaks, washing machines and dishwashers can be conditionally classified into several types:- No leak protection
- With partial leakage protection
- With full leak protection
2.1 Without leakage protection
Most inexpensive washing machines do not have a leak protection system, that is, a standard flexible reinforced hose (hose high pressure) with plastic or metal nuts at the ends. One side of the hose is screwed to the faucet, and the other to the solenoid valve for the water supply of the washing machine.If you look under the machine from below, you will notice that the bottom is not covered by anything or, as in many models of Candy and Samsung washing machines, it is covered with decorative dustproof plastic. Therefore, when there is any water leakage in the washing machine or the inlet hose breaks, all the water flows out onto the floor.
If the washing machine does not have leakage protection, it is recommended to regularly inspect the condition of the inlet hose, make sure that the washing machine does not have any signs of water leakage during operation, and every time after washing it is necessary to turn off the water tap, which is installed when connecting the machine.
2.2 Partial leakage protection
It is worth paying attention to what exactly the manufacturer or seller means by the term "partial leakage protection". In washing machines with partial or full protection against leaks, one of the mandatory specifications is the presence of a solid plastic or metal pallet. on a pallet, with inside fixed foam float with electric microswitch (Fig.1).When water leaks within inner space washing machine, the tray fills with water, the float rises and activates the microswitch. Upon a signal from the microswitch, the electronic control unit of the washing machine goes into emergency mode and the washing program stops. At the same time, the drain pump turns on and the water is pumped out of the washing machine tank.
The notification of the operation of the leakage protection system is displayed on the display of the control panel of the washing machine in the form of a corresponding inscription or a fault code. In this case, in order to bring the washing machine into working condition, it is necessary to remove water from the pan, identify and eliminate the cause of the leak.
Rice. one Partial leakage protection (only inside the CM case)
It is worth mentioning that some manufacturers have standardized the body of the washing machine, so the presence of a pallet does not always indicate the presence of leakage protection.
As you understand, a special float and drip tray prevent water leakage only in the washing machine itself. Therefore, such leakage protection can be called partial, since the standard inlet hose for connecting the washing machine does not have any safety system against rupture or damage.
To increase the reliability and emergency protection of the inlet hose itself, its special design has been developed, which we will describe.
Inlet hose with mechanical safety valve (Fig. 2). In the hardware store, it is offered as an additional option. You can purchase and install this hose yourself.
There are two types of such hoses, their purpose and principle of operation are the same, but they differ externally and structurally. We will only briefly describe the device and the principle of operation of such a hose, without delving into technical details.
View 1
Rice. 2 Inlet hose with mechanical safety valve
The standard inlet hose is enclosed in a corrugated sealed plastic sheath resembling drain hose washing machine. On one side there is a nut for connecting to the water supply valve of the washing machine, and on the other side there is a nut and a protective block for connecting to a water tap.
What is the defense system and how does it work?
The main link is a plunger with a spring and an absorbent. In working condition, water flows freely through the plunger into the inlet hose. The spring stiffness of the plunger is selected in such a way that it does not spontaneously overlap due to the flow of water passing through it, but is in a state of balance.
Let's say that there was a rupture of the inlet hose. Since it is in a closed and sealed protective shell, water will inevitably penetrate the protective block. A special absorbent (located in a protective block), when wetted with water, increases sharply in volume, dragging the spring with it, thereby weakening its effect on the plunger. The state of balance is disturbed and the plunger blocks the access of water under the pressure of the plumbing system.
After the protective system has worked, the control eye turns red. This is due to the fact that the absorbent is in a special container made of red plastic. The disadvantage of such a hose is that after operation protective system it can only be replaced.
View 2
Rice. 3 Inlet hose with mechanical safety valve (on 2 permanent magnets)
How this hose works (Fig.3) the same as in the first type.
The only difference is that the stable position of the plunger is provided not by a spring, but magnetic field two permanent magnets, facing each other with the same poles. As long as the absorbent of the fuse is dry, the distance between the magnets is small and the force of their mutual repulsion is large. As soon as the absorbent gets wet and expands, the fuse magnet moves away and the resistance to magnetic fields decreases, thereby blocking the access of water to the plunger, under the pressure of the plumbing system.
Another difference. The nut of such a hose has a ratchet mechanism (ratchet), which allows you to freely screw it (the nut) to the thread of the water tap, and to unscrew it, you must hold the pawl pressed.
Like in a hose type 1, after the protection has been triggered, it is only subject to replacement.
3. Complete leak protection
Today it is one of the most reliable leak protection systems.It is implemented due to the synchronous operation of a special inlet hose with a normally closed solenoid valve and the already familiar leak protection system of a washing machine with a float on a pallet.
A special hose is structurally provided and installed in the washing machine or dishwasher already by the manufacturer.
Such hoses have a special block in which one or two solenoid valves connected in series are installed, or they combine the operation of an electric and pneumatic valve (this scheme is used in some outdated models of Bosch and Siemens dishwashers). The device of such a hose is shown in (Fig.4) This is the same high pressure hose placed in a flexible protective sheath.
The valve block (hose inlet) is connected with a nut to the water tap. The solenoid valve is hermetically sealed with a compound from which the power cable stretches along the entire hose and ends with a terminal block for connecting it to the electrical circuit of the washing machine.
Rice. four Inlet hose with solenoid valve (used in full leak proof design)
Now let's look at the diagram (Fig. 5), where the structural elements of complete protection against leaks are presented and we will figure out how it all works.
Once selected and activated required program washing, the solenoid valves of the washing machine and the inlet hose valve are energized, they open and water rushes into the washing machine. When the required water level in the washing machine tank is reached (the water level is controlled by the pressure switch and the electronic unit), the solenoid valves are turned off by the electronic control unit and water access is stopped. Valves always turn on and off only at the right time. This is how water is collected in the normal operation of the washing machine.
Rice. 5 Structural elements of complete protection against leaks
And if a water leak occurs directly in the washing machine itself, then the float pops up in the same way, the switch contacts are activated, electronic circuit gives an alarm, the valves block the flow of water. It turns out that in all cases there is a multi-level cut-off of water from the water supply network. And as you probably noticed, the activating link in this chain is again the float on the washing machine tray.
In order to resume the operation of the machine, it is necessary to remove water from the pan, identify and eliminate the cause of the leak.
The disadvantages of a hose with a solenoid valve include burnout of the solenoid or damage to the diaphragm, in which it is necessary to change the entire hose or a separate unit, the cost of which can be quite high.
In conclusion, it should be said that all types of protection against water leaks in washing machines or dishwashers are local in nature, but they still help out a lot and fully justify their goals. No one is safe from damage to fittings and threaded connections of the water supply system. Therefore, in order to avoid flooding the entire room, there are more global systems of protection against leaks.
