Abstract: In washing machine control circuits of the type in which a semiconductor controlled rectifier SCR is arranged in series with the motor M in order to control the speed of the motor, a short circuit fault of the SCR can result in damage to the machine.A bistable device BD is reset at each zero crossing of the applied mains voltage and is set in each half cycle only if the voltage across the SCR reaches a level which cannot be reached if the SCR is short-circuited. A logic circuit LOG detects any non-setting of the bistable device for three or more consecutive half cycles of the same or alternating polarity and responds thereto by disconnecting the supply to the motor (contact R1).