An AW.org public service announcement - lint, lint, lint!

[swestoyz]

For those Frigidaire Filtrator owners out there, fall brings upon us weather that is desirable for effective Filtrator use. Before putting your Frigidaire into daily service, make sure to clean the inside of your dryer by removing all excessive lint. This is easily done by taking the front roller panel off, allowing easy access to the lint build-up using a long brush.

And, make sure you check the rollers for smooth, easy rolling. If they bind at all, take them apart and clean and lubricate as needed.

Now, back to our regular scheduled programming. [this post was last edited: 10/5/2014-17:06]

 

[washman]

Yikes

Please tell me that was NOT from just one dryer!

 

[swestoyz]

Oh yes, the Filtrator loves to horde lint. Lots of places for it to store the lint, too!

Ben

 

[washman]

Egads!

 

[christfr]

yea I hear ya with the lint. I remember mom had a 59 ge condenser dryer when I was little she was always cleaning that thing out she had a really long brush thing that she would use. so when I got my Frigidaire that was the first thing I did. your right e gads you would think those machines would burst into flames.

 

[appnut]

Ahh--nirvana in applianceville.  Time for condenser/Filtrator dryers to commence  wafting their sweet perfumed fragrance and soften laundry goods. 

 

[ovrphil]

First of all, what a beautiful machine! wow.

2) And is that a yearly buildup that you typically find throughout the machine, not just from the lint filter?

In my LDE482, the filter is in front and there's an area below it that I'll need to clean, but now I'm wondering if I should remove the front panel and brush/vacuum the interior, too. Is that essentially what you did here?

Thanks for posting this and any feedback (or anyone, thanks)

 

[swestoyz]

Frigidaire Filtrators, of the first generation, are unique in that they do not externally vent. Another issue is that Frigidaire didn't have a secondary cooling source (water) to flush away lint, unlike the Maytag, Bendix, Hotpoint condensing dryers.

It was advised to clean them out from time to time. I'll be honest in that I haven't done a full cleaning in a few years, but every month or so I'll run my finger along the cartridge opening to gather loose lint.

Vented dryers, like your Maytag, don't have near the lint issue that these Frigidaires have.

Ben

 

[philr]

The 1961 and later Filtrators (like the ones that would match your 1963 washer in the picture!) don't need this kind of cleaning! You just need to clean the lint filter like on a regular vented dryer and even the condenser stays clean for a long time! 

 

[swestoyz]

Ah, I can only dream what it would be like to have a later Filtrator. Until then, I'll need to live with the lowly pre-61 dryers.

 

[arbilab]

Westinghouses did the same thing with their positive-pressure drum. The lowest air velocity was at the exit so that's where the lint went. At its worst lint could lift the drum off the drive puck and rotation would stop.

 

[ovrphil]

And I thought lint filters were the standard forever and always, no matter what dryer you owned. ha.

Thanks for the reply, Ben - and the rest who make these threads interesting.

 

[turquoisedude]

For once I'm ahead of the game!  I did a big lint patrol on the '51 Filtrator when I got it - thanks for the advice and techniques about the need for regular maintenance Ben!  I intend to use the Frigidaire dryer quite a bit this winter. 

 

[tomturbomatic]

The thing about a Filtrator in operation is that the inside of the drying chamber runs with condensate, which is good because the condensing is a much slower part of the operation than the evaporation. All of that moisture traps lint. I generally found that the first load or two after the big cleaning dried much faster. One other problem is that the old machines had the chamber sealed with perma-gum which dries out so these machines would leak. They really need to be resealed with silicone rubber. One place for leaks is the foam against which the top back of the Filtrator cartridge "seals." In old machines this gets compacted by the heat and the pressure so that water leaks past it and will run out on the floor. Closed cell foam is the repair material of choice. Also there is one side of the porcelain platform on which the Filtrator cartridge sits that has holes in it, the side near the motor and fan. The dryer has to be leveled so that this side is slightly lower so that water dripping out of the Filtrator cartridge and out of the drying chamber onto the cartridge will drain down through the holes and fall into the pan instead of leaking all over and making puddles.

When using the new style Filtrator, you have to make sure the seals on the forced air system are clean and tight because leaks will let moist lint escape all over the inside of the dryer cabinet and elsewhere.