57 GE Dryer has decided to start smoking for the New Year...

[turquoisedude]

Not having a good 2018 with dryers it would seem...   

I popped a small load into the 57 GE this afternoon, set the automatic dry to Delicate, and in about 10 minutes, the dryer was smoking.  The smoke seemed to be coming from the rear of the appliance. I did not immediately notice if it was still running when I dashed to the breaker panel, but I did notice the fluorescent control panel light was off.

My gut instinct (usually wrong...lol) is saying that perhaps the transformer burnt.  It was noisier than a hive full of killer bees...   I really hope none of the resistors for the drying system have gone 'pow' on me!

So guess what the first thing I'll be playing with in 2019 will be??  I'd be investigating it tomorrow if we hadn't planned to be in St-Lib for New Year's!

 

[pulltostart]

Paul,

It doesn't look like the '57 is sitting next to it's rightful mate.  Perhaps there's some bad vibes between the two machines?

 

lawrence

 

[turquoisedude]

Fear not!

Lawrence, the photo may not show it, but this cross-border couple is still together. In fact, they are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a suds-return pump and valve but that's a whole other story... LOL

 

[rp2813]

That dryer needs a warning from the Surgeon General pasted on it somewhere.

 

[Ultramatic]

Nasty habit.

 

 

Get it a nicotine patch.

 

[Unimatic1140]

I do hope that's just the ballast from the florescent light Paul!

 

[supersurgilator]

Was the smoking coming from the back of the machine of the back of the drum?

 

[turquoisedude]

It looked like it was coming from the back of the machine, but I didn't spend a lot of time looking before I sprinted to the breaker panel... LOL

 

[turquoisedude]

Turquoisedude investigates....

I got back down to Ogden yesterday with the intention of doing more testing on the GE Clothes Conditioner dryer.  I pulled it out of its 'slot' and disconnected the transformer which I suspected was the problem.  It didn't look good...

 

[turquoisedude]

I figured I had nothing to lose by testing the dryer again.  I set the timer to the air fluff section of the dial and...

Fire in the hole!

 

[turquoisedude]

I observed that the dryer started up immediately without having to press the start button. It ran for about a minute before I observed the smoke and the machine promptly shut off.  I pulled the plug at this point. 

So now my thinking is a motor winding or starting switch is burning.  Not inconceivable for a 61-year-old motor.  Bonus: I acquired a replacement motor (NOS) a couple of years ago. 

Let's just hope I haven't made yet another mis-diagnosis here...

 

[combo52]

Smoking Dryer

The ballast for the florescent light looks normal, it should be easy to find out what is smoking, just let your nose guide you to the offending part.

 

John L.

 

[jetcone]

Sounds like

A sticking start switch in the motor or a sticking relay? Did GE dryers have motor relays??

 

[turquoisedude]

Jon, a GE of this era didn't have a relay so I'd concur on the sticking start switch.  

I did some sniffing around and the burnt smell is strongest around the motor.

I also cracked open the new motor box for the first time.  Then I noticed this... I an now not so sure I got me the right motor!  If not, it'll be easier for me to haul out the GE dryer before taking it apart and swap the Inglis in.

Did I potentially goof on the motor??

 

[combo52]

Motor For A 57 GE Dryer

Hi Paul, you have the wrong motor, even if it fits and you rewire the dryer so you can use a 240 volt motor               [ should be 120 volts ]          in this dryer, you will still have to find a larger motor pulley to get a 50 cycle motor to turn the drum fast enough to properly tumble the clothing load.

 

Good news is it will be quieter with the fan turning 15% slower, LOL.

 

[ Do hang onto that motor, it would be very helpful to retrofit into a GE dryer for our friends on the other side of the pond ]

 

John L.

 

[turquoisedude]

Dammit... I should have realized when a NOS dryer motor materialized there had to be a catch!

Looks like the GE will be back in the garage for the winter. It can keep the 59 Frigidaire company...LOL 

Curious though, would GE have even marketed a machine like this for the UK market??

 

[turquoisedude]

GE dryer motor repairs made.... not exactly easy....

Now that the 59 Frigidaire is fully functional again, I wanted to attack the 57 GE dryer.  It was banished to the garage due to its nasty smoking habit; my 'prime suspect' was the motor.

'Course to get to a GE dryer motor, you have to take out the drum, which means taking off the cabinet top and the front

 

[turquoisedude]

Even without a lot of diassembly, I had a good idea of where the problem was...

 

[turquoisedude]

So, cause of smoke: bad high-wattage connection to heaters. Cause of bad connection: a bad starting switch.  I am getting quite well-versed in this issue it would seem...