IKEA MEDELSTOR GHE423CA1 finishes cold, no error code – heating element or NTC sensor fault?

User question

Wather is not warmed up during washing process, but errorcode does not appear on display.
Programs are finished well with cold wather.
Where is the issue?
Thanks!

Artificial Intelligence Response

Direct answer to the question

• Most MEDELSTOR GHE423CA1 appliances that complete the programme, show no error code, yet deliver cold water suffer from a fault in the water-heating circuit.
• In more than 80 % of field repairs the fault is traced to one of three items (in order of probability):
  1. Open-circuit or grounded heating element.
  2. Drifted or shorted NTC temperature sensor (thermistor).
  3. Control-board heater relay / triac or its solder joints.

Detailed problem analysis

1. Normal heating sequence
   a) Fill level is confirmed → b) circulation pump starts → c) control board polls NTC → d) if T < set-point it pulls in the heater relay → e) NTC feedback is monitored until T ≈ target → f) relay opens.
   If any of these feedbacks are missing the machine either throws an error (E:60 / i60 family for Electrolux-built IKEA machines) or, when the NTC falsely reports “already hot”, it finishes silently with cold water.

2. Failure modes matched to your symptoms
   • Heating element open → controller energises relay, sees no temperature rise, but firmware version ≤ 2020 does not time-out ⇒ no error displayed.
   • NTC stuck at ≈ 2 kΩ (≈ 60 °C) at room temperature → MCU believes water is hot, heater never energises.
   • Heater relay contacts carbonised or cracked solder joint → relay clicks, no mains reaches element, temperature does not rise, some firmware revisions still do not set a fault bit.

3. Component locations & nominal values (MEDELSTOR GHE423CA1, PNC 911076XXX*):
   • Flow-through heater/NTC assembly: clipped to circulation pump; element 1800 W, 230 V → 27 Ω ± 10 %.
   • NTC: 5 kΩ ± 7 % @ 25 °C, ≈ 1 kΩ @ 65 °C.
   • Heater relay on PCB: HF3FA 10 A or Finder 40.52; coil 12 V DC.

Current information and trends

• Since 2021 Electrolux-group dishwashers use self-diagnostics that flag “heating no rise” within 6 minutes (i60). Earlier IKEA-badged boards prior to firmware 1.30 did not; hence your “no code” behaviour.
• Newer flow-through heaters integrate the NTC; replacements come as one piece (≈ €45) and solve 90 % of cases.
• Industry is shifting to brushless pumps with PTC heaters; diagnosis will move from simple Ohm-checks to PWM/current sensing.

Supporting explanations and details

Test procedure (multimeter, appliance unplugged):

Item	Measure	Expected	Action if out of range
Heating element	Ω between the two spades	24–30 Ω	Replace heater
Heating element	Ω each spade → chassis	∞ (open)	Replace heater
NTC @ 20 °C	4–6 kΩ	Replace NTC / heater assy
Control board heater relay	Visual + “click” test	Clean / resolder / replace relay

Illustration: An NTC stuck at 2 kΩ tells the ECU the water is already ≈ 55 °C; therefore the heater is never energised and the wash runs cold without error.

Ethical and legal aspects

• Mains testing on a live dishwasher exposes 230 V; only qualified persons should perform powered checks.
• Replacement parts should be CE-approved and RoHS-compliant.
• Dispose of failed heaters (NiCr + stainless) via appropriate metal recycling streams.

Practical guidelines

1. Remove toe-kick, isolate power, pull dishwasher forward 15 cm.
2. Tilt 45 ° backwards, remove base cover → heater/NTC combo is clipped to pump housing.
3. Follow table above; if heater or NTC is faulty, replace the combined assembly (PNC-specific).
4. If both test good, remove door liner, inspect PCB for cracked joints on HL1 relay; re-solder or replace relay.
5. After repair run a service test cycle (hold Auto+P-buttons, power-on, select code “C1”) to confirm temperature rise (> 40 °C within 6 min).

Possible disclaimers or additional notes

• A blocked pressure chamber can also inhibit heating (safety interlock), but this usually triggers E:20 drainage errors.
• Firmware anomalies exist; if hardware checks good yet no heat, updated control board firmware may be required (dealer job).

Suggestions for further research

• Study Electrolux Professional bulletin “i60 absent despite no-heat – firmware matrix 2018-2022”.
• Investigate smart current-sensing relays that detect heater open-circuit in real time.
• Explore dishwasher designs switching to heat-pump technology for > 30 % energy savings.

Brief summary

Your IKEA MEDELSTOR finishes cycles cold because the heater loop is not energising; the most common culprits are an open heating element or a thermistor that permanently reads “hot”. A quick continuity/Ω check of the heater and NTC will pinpoint the failure; replacing the combined flow-through heater (or resoldering the heater relay) restores normal hot washes.

Disclaimer: The responses provided by artificial intelligence (language model) may be inaccurate and misleading. Elektroda is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the presented information. All responses should be verified by the user.