50's Westinghouse Dryer

[dalangdon]

This dryer is in my neck of the woods, and is now listed on Craigslist. Is this the washer that played a tune or something when the load was done?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...y.com:80/7536321840_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8QQfviZ1

 

[scott55405]

Dan, were you at one time using a vintage Westinghouse set like this in your home, or did I dream that?

 

[dalangdon]

I had a set similar in looks to this one in my "sphere of influence" at one time, but the dryer on that one was 110v.

 

[dalangdon]

Oh my gosh!

I just realized that this dryer has a window! That makes it worth it right there. I think I am going to buy it. Who needs a TV when you can watch your dryer?

 

[appnut]

That's exactyly right Dan. Washer & dryer watching is better than TV.

 

[dalangdon]

well, I did it....

I went ahead and got it. It's a model D-6-M and while it doesn't play "how dry I am" - opting instead for a "singing signal" that seems to be just a bicycle bell - it's still pretty cool, and I decided to give it a whirl in the laundry room. It replaces my Frigidaire gas dryer.

It came with a manual for the LB-6M and LS-7 Laundromats in case anyone is interested in information from it, let me know.

 

[gansky1]

Very cool - you'll enjoy the vintage sights, sounds and smells of your new dryer! How does it work?

Is that a Util-a-tub in your laundry room? Very cool also!

 

[dalangdon]

Sears sink

I saw this in a house in West Seattle that was about to be McMansioned. They were going to throw it out, so I nabbed it. Judging from the logo on it, it dates to the 1960's - I've seen it in my 1964 catalog as well.

It originally had a mechanism to hook your washer's drain hose up to it, but I don't know much about that.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Good for you Dan, enjoy your new dryer!!! Careful with those Westinghouse dryers, they work great and are just adorable, but they operate at about 170F on high, so you can make a roast in them as well

I'm glad you saved it! Its goes perfectly with all your cool retro stuff.

 

[dalangdon]

Speaking of heat....

The little blurb about this dryer in the Laundromat users manual says:

"It features the exclusive 3-Way Dry Dial which will dry clothes completely, damp-dry them, and safely dry the new synthetic fabrics. When Dryer turns off, it even lets you know it with it's Singing Signal!"

We already know that the "singing signal" is no "how dry I am", but it doesn't seem to me that there's much "3-way Dry Dial" action going on either. It just has the standard timer dial, unless I'm missing something (always a distinct possibility)

 

[chestermikeuk]

Signals

Glad to see you saved another vintage dryer, looks a cutie.

Pity about the signal as opposed to the How Dry Am I chime, (which I still havnt heard yet)can anyone post one??

What make of front loader is next to the dryer??

Cheers, MIke

 

[appnut]

Dan isn't there a temp dial of high, low, and air? That's 3-way.

 

[dalangdon]

missing 3-way mystery

The knob on the left is the timer dial (it goes up to four hours!) and the knob on the right is the "pull to start" knob.

I thought at first that maybe this was a gussied up version of the DS-7, but that only has one knob.

Of course, the book is talking about a "D-6", and this is a "D-6-M", whatever that disctinction means

 

[dalangdon]

Front loading washer

Mike, that's a Frigidaire "gallery" front loader. It's about four years old.

 

[appnut]

That "pull to start" knob is for auto dry cycle. Geez, 4 hrs.

 

[dalangdon]

Actually, the start knob seems to work with the timer - it won't start until you set the time and pull the knob. The little bicycle bell rings, and off you go!

And there's no lint trap on this that I can find, which is odd. The other slant front Westinghouse dryer I had had a lint trap on the back.

 

[gansky1]

Dan, is there a diamond shaped indicator mark on the timer dial anywhere? If so, that is the auto-dry setting - temp controlled and very hot!

 

[dalangdon]

There is a "Dry" indicator on the timer that I've been told is the auto-dry. It's at the very end of the 4 hour timer, and it moves as if the timer were running, but apparently shuts off when stuff is dry, and doesn't just run for four hours.

So that's two out of three.... but what of the promise to "safely dry the new synthetic fabrics" which seems to be the third leg of the three-legged stool that is the "3-Way dry cycle" Not that I have any synthetic fabrics, but you never know what the future holds.

Perhaps I'll get out the Ouiji Board and see if I can channel Betty Furness. She would know for SURE. ;-)

 

[Unimatic1140]

Actually Dan the way this dryer works is when a certain high temperature is reach it shuts the dryer off. You can set the dial anywhere and if that high temperature is reached the dryer goes into cool down no matter where the dial is. They put the "Dry" for Auto-Dry at the end of the dial to make sure it had plent of time to do its job. But very rarely would anything take more than 1.5 hours to dry.