Introduction: How to Solve the H2O Issue of a Tumble Dryer

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About: Maker, engineer and researcher at the National Research Council of Italy. Generally I'm interested in the topics of Indoor Environmental Quality and its interaction with energy efficiency, 3D printing, open ha…

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If your tumble dryer displays the error code "H20" but the water tank was empty, this post is for you.

Step 1: Starting Situation

My partner warned me of an anomaly signal of the tumble dryer: error H20 but the water tank was empty. I then started doing some tests. If I tried again to start the appliance, after a few minutes it would stop with the same error code. The use and maintenance manual on the "error resolution" page did not give any useful information as the web did not help me. As a result, I restarted the dryer while trying to figure out if I heard strange noises. Indeed, in the back part in a white plastic casing, there was a noise that was symptomatic of something that did not work properly. I then started to disassemble the back and, surprisingly, I saw that the impeller of the electric pump was broken with the two sheared fins of net

Step 2: Commercial Solution

I imagine that this break occurred due to fatigue. With the code of the electric pump I did a search to check the possibility of finding a useful spare part. Incredible but true I saw that on Amazon this piece was available.

Step 3: 3D Printed Solution

The size and shape of the object made me think that it could be useful to replicate it using a 3D printer. I then modeled the piece with Rhinoceros. I then sent the piece to 3Dprint using a specific filament. Among the different options available I opted for a flexible filament, the ninjaflex. This material has a high level of durability compared to other commercial options available.

Step 4: Reassembling

I then reassembled the impeller on the electropump and reassembled everything. The error no longer occurs! I share the .stl files for those who need it.