Brand:Miele Model Number: G-2272 Main Symptom: trips RCD What happens & when:
Hi everyone,
I have a Miele dishwasher that keeps tripping the RCD/FI switch during a cycle.
The sequence was originally:
Machine starts normally
Pumps out water
Takes in fresh water
RCD trips when the detergent dispenser activates
No error code
I disconnected the heating element as a test, and the dishwasher ran normally for a while. I replaced the heating element with a new Miele part, but the problem returned.
I have also replaced the detergent dispenser and repaired a damaged wire in the door wiring area (the insulation had worn/melted and the wire could touch the metal frame). After the repair it worked for three cycles, then the fault returned.
The dishwasher has also shown F14 once, but not consistently.
The strange thing is that if it sits unused for several days, it starts for a couple of minutes and then triggers RCD again right after powder dispenser opens up.
Has anyone seen this type of intermittent fault on a Miele dishwasher? Would you suspect the circulation pump, wiring harness, or another component?
Since replacing the heating element didn’t solve the problem, the new heater is probably not the cause. The fact that the RCD (ground fault device) trips instead of a circuit breaker means there is current leaking to ground somewhere in the dishwasher.
A few questions first:
Does it still trip at the exact same point (when the detergent dispenser opens), or does it now trip at a different time?
If you reconnect the original heater, does the behavior change at all?
Most Likely Causes (in order)
1. Wiring harness damaged by heat or moisture (Most Likely)
The detergent dispenser opening and the heater being energized happen very close together in the wash cycle, so it can appear the dispenser is causing the problem when the heater circuit is actually being powered.
Inspect:
Heater wiring
Temperature sensor wiring
Circulation pump wiring
Any connectors underneath the sump
Look for:
Burned insulation
Rubbed-through wires
Green corrosion
Moisture inside connectors
2. Circulation pump leakage
On many Miele dishwashers the circulation pump, heater, and electronics all become active around the same point in the cycle.
If water has leaked into the motor windings, the RCD will trip.
Check for:
Water stains around the circulation pump
Rust
White mineral deposits
Moisture around the motor
3. Heating relay or control module
If the relay on the electronic control board has carbon tracking or moisture contamination, energizing the heater can create a leakage path to ground.
Inspect the control module for:
Burn marks
Carbon tracking
Corrosion
Signs of moisture
4. Detergent dispenser coil
Although less common, the wax motor or solenoid in the detergent dispenser can develop an insulation fault.
A quick test is to unplug the dispenser electrical connector and run a cycle (you’ll need to add detergent manually). If the dishwasher no longer trips the RCD at the point where the dispenser would normally open, the dispenser assembly is likely faulty.
Tests I’d Perform
Measure insulation resistance to ground with a megohmmeter (500 V) on:
Heating element
Circulation pump
Drain pump
Detergent dispenser
Wiring harness
Ideally each should measure greater than 20 MΩ to ground. Anything below a few megaohms can trip an RCD, especially when the component warms up.
Inspect the entire wiring harness underneath the dishwasher for signs of rubbing or water intrusion.
Disconnect the detergent dispenser and run a test cycle to see if the trip disappears.
If available, enter the service diagnostics and activate the heater, circulation pump, drain pump, and dispenser individually to identify which load causes the RCD to trip.
My suspicion
Because a brand-new genuine Miele heater behaved exactly like the original, I would shift my focus away from the heater itself and toward:
the circulation pump/motor,
heater wiring or connectors, or
the electronic control module switching the heater circuit.
If you can provide the full model number (for example, G2272 SC, G2272 SCVi, etc.) and let me know exactly when it trips now (immediately after filling, several minutes into washing, or still when the dispenser opens), I can narrow down which component is most likely responsible.
Thank you for your detailed reply. I really appreciate it!
Model - Miele G2272 SCVI
I just tried to run it again, here is the timeline of events on Fast Program ( 42 minutes total):
00:00 - 01:00 - pumping the water out (for 1 minute)
01:00- 02:27 - filling up with water ( total for 1 minute 27 seconds)
02:27 - 02:35 - water starts to spin, and at 02:37 RCD trips. ( less than 10 seconds into the washing/ water spin cycle)
The detergent compartment did not even open up. Before I changed the detergent compartment the machine tripped RCD a couple of seconds after compartment used to open. Now after changing the detergent compartment with the new Miele one, it trips earlier.
Please let me know if i can provide any other info. Thank you !!!
Thank you for the detailed timeline—that’s actually very helpful.
The fact that the RCD now trips only a few seconds after the circulation pump starts changes the diagnosis quite a bit.
Since it now trips before the detergent dispenser opens, we can probably rule out the new dispenser as the cause. The timing shift is more likely because the machine’s sequence changed slightly after the repair, not because the dispenser fixed anything.
Based on your timeline, here’s how I’d rank the likely causes:
Circulation pump (wash motor) - Most Likely
The RCD trips almost immediately after the wash motor is energized.
Water fills normally.
Drain pump works normally.
The trip occurs right when the machine transitions from filling to washing.
A failing wash motor can leak current to ground only when it’s powered and under load, which is exactly what an RCD detects.
Wiring to the circulation pump
Inspect the harness where it passes under the tub for insulation damage or rubbing.
Look for signs of water dripping onto connectors.
Heater or heater wiring
Some G2272 models have the heater integrated into the circulation pump.
Even though you replaced the heating element previously, the wiring or integrated heater assembly could still have an insulation fault.
A couple of tests I’d recommend
Test 1 - Disconnect the circulation pump
If you’re comfortable working on the dishwasher:
Disconnect power.
Unplug the electrical connector from the circulation pump.
Restore power and start a cycle.
If the dishwasher fills and does not trip the RCD, you’ve isolated the fault to either:
the circulation pump,
its integrated heater (if equipped),
or the wiring directly to it.
Test 2 - Insulation check
If you have a megohmmeter (500 V insulation tester):
Measure from each circulation pump terminal to the metal pump housing/ground.
A good motor should measure well over 20 MΩ, typically much higher (often >100 MΩ).
If you’re only using a standard multimeter, it may still show “OL” even though the insulation is leaking enough to trip the RCD, so a normal resistance reading doesn’t rule the pump out.
One question
When you replaced the heating element, did you replace just the heater itself, or the entire circulation pump/heater assembly?
That answer will help narrow down whether we’re dealing with a remaining heater issue or a failing wash motor.