Patent ID: 8869426

Claim:
A washing and/or drying appliance, comprising a heating circuit for heating a washing liquid and/or a drying air flow, the heating circuit being connected to voltage distribution lines distributing power inside the appliance and comprising at least one heating resistor and switch means controlled by an appliance control unit for selectively energizing the heating resistor when required, wherein: the switch means of the heating circuit comprise a first switch and a second switch, the heating resistor being interposed between the first and second switches with a first node on a high side of said heating resistor in electrical contact with a low side terminal of said first switch, and a second node on a low side of said heating resistor being in electrical contact with a high side terminal of said second switch; and a monitoring circuit arrangement is provided, said monitoring circuit arrangement comprising a first resistor in shunt to the heating resistor and having a resistance substantially higher than that of the heating resistor, and a pull-up network connected between a first terminal of the heating resistor and one of the voltage distribution lines, the control unit being configured for receiving a voltage corresponding to an electric potential at a second terminal of the heating resistor.