What is actually happening
An RCD trips when current leaks to earth. When a machine trips it the moment it is switched on, the leak is usually in the mains filter or the wiring. When it only trips once the wash warms up, it is nearly always the heating element, which has cracked and is leaking to earth as soon as it energises — the timing is the diagnosis.
The Grundig fault codes that point at this
A Grundig washing machine will usually tell you what it thinks is wrong before anyone opens it up. These are the codes we hold for this make that relate to tripping the electrics:
- E02 — The machine can't heat the water he heating element, so it has stopped and flagged the heater as electrically broken.
- E03 — The machine has spotted that the heating element is staying on when it shouldn't, so it has stopped the wash to avoid boiling your laundry.
- E04 — The machine has spotted that the part of the control board which switches the water inlet valves on and off has failed shut, so water can keep pouring in whether the machine wants it or not.
- E06 — The control board's switching component for the drum motor has failed short, so the machine can no longer control the motor properly and stops the programme.
- E10 — The machine has spotted a fault in the circuit on its main control board that powers the door lock, so it won't run a cycle.
- E15 — The machine has lost a sensible signal from its flowmeter — the small sensor that counts how much water is going in.
- E16 — The sensor that checks how clean the rinse water is has stopped giving a sensible reading, so the control board has flagged a fault with it.
- E32 — The machine can't get a sensible temperature reading from the sensor in the drying air duct, so it won't run the drying part of the cycle properly.
If yours is showing one of those, that is a much shorter conversation than a general fault — tell us the code when you book and the engineer can often carry the part.
The usual causes on a Grundig washing machine
- A failed heating element leaking to earth — the classic "trips ten minutes in" fault
- A failed mains interference filter — trips the instant it is switched on
- Water ingress onto wiring from a leak elsewhere in the machine
- A failed motor or damaged cable
What you can safely check yourself
- Note exactly when it trips — at switch-on, at fill, or once the water heats. That timing tells an engineer most of what they need
- Try a cold wash: if a 30°C cycle completes and a 60°C one trips, it is the element
- Leave the machine unplugged if it trips the house repeatedly — this one is not worth living with
Still tripping the electrics?
Most of these need an engineer once the checks above are done. £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Our engineers work on Grundig machines week in, week out, so they arrive knowing the machine rather than reading the back of it. Local engineers across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need
Common questions
Why is my Grundig washing machine tripping the electrics?
Switching the machine on, or reaching a certain point in the cycle, takes out the power to the house. An RCD trips when current leaks to earth. When a machine trips it the moment it is switched on, the leak is usually in the mains filter or the wiring. When it only trips once the wash warms up, it is nearly always the heating element, which has cracked and is leaking to earth as soon as it energises — the timing is the diagnosis.
Can I fix a Grundig washing machine tripping the electrics myself?
Note exactly when it trips — at switch-on, at fill, or once the water heats. That timing tells an engineer most of what they need. Try a cold wash: if a 30°C cycle completes and a 60°C one trips, it is the element. Leave the machine unplugged if it trips the house repeatedly — this one is not worth living with. Beyond those checks this one normally needs an engineer.
What Grundig error codes mean tripping the electrics?
Grundig washing machines report this through their own fault codes. The ones that point at tripping the electrics are E02, E03, E04, E06, E10, E15. If your machine is showing one of those, that narrows it down considerably — each has its own guide on this site.
How much does a Grundig washing machine repair cost?
£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Other Grundig washing machine faults
- washing machine not draining
- washing machine not spinning
- washing machine leaking water
- washing machine making a loud noise
- washing machine not heating the water
- washing machine door will not open