When you switch on the suction pump, it should normally power up and start running. You should hear the pump humming, but what if the pump does not power up? When you press on the power button, this most likely means that the machine is not receiving power.

The fault could be anywhere in the electrical supply system. There are five areas you need to test.

The power comes from the main cable into the power entry module. It then goes into the switch and onto the pump motor.

So first of all, check that the mains is turned on and is functioning. Try plugging another device into the socket to make sure it works. Make sure the power cable is properly pushed into the back of the machine.

Now check the fuses. There are three of these. One is in the plug. The other two are at the back of the machine just below the power supply socket. You can open up the fuse housing and take out the fuses to inspect them. Sometimes it’s obvious that the fuse is blown. You’ll see that it’s blackened.

If in doubt, you can test it with a multimeter. To do this, set the meter to test resistance. Put the probe at either end of the fuse. If the fuse is blonde, it’ll show OL, which means there is no circuit. If the fuse is intact, you will get a reading.

Next, check the continuity of the power cable. To do this, plug it onto the wall and turn it on. Switch the multimeter to test voltage. That’s the first setting on this meter. Carefully place the probes inside the life in neutral terminals. You should see a voltage reading corresponding to your country’s mains voltage.

Next, open the machine up to check all the terminals. For safety reasons, the machine should not be connected to the power when opened. Always check if it’s not wet inside. If you see any signs of fluids, wipe and dry thoroughly.

Now check the terminals are not loose on the back at the power entry module on the switch and on the pump motor.

When you assured that the machine is dry and the terminals are well connected, plug it in and turn it on.

It needs to be on to test the voltage first. Test the two terminals on the power entry module using the multimeter. The red probe goes on the brown, which is live, and the black prob goes on the blue, which is neutral. You should once again see a reading corresponding to the mains voltage supply. If you don’t see this, then there’s a problem with the power supply unit, which will need to be replaced.

Next, test the switch. This can be done with the switch in place, or you can take the switch out. To test the continuity, put the meter in resistance. Check it’s working by creating a circuit.

Now with the switch in the off position, check the two neutral terminals and the two live terminals. The reading should remain as OL.

Now turn the switch on and again, check both the neutral terminals and then both the live terminals. If the switch is working, you should now get a reading, in which case you can put it back into the machine.

If the problem is not with the switch and all the terminals are well connected, then you probably have a fault within the motor, which is covered in another film.