hank_raster
Member
Hello Imperial Forum.
Imperial and automaticwasher.org helped me better understand and appreciate grandmas Maytag wringer washer which I use several times a year. Gulmite indeed.
Purpose of this posting is to facilitate more harmonious operation of one Maytag Automatic Dryer, model number DE606, aka Halo of Heat. There are many wonderful if not helpful (certainly are!) threads on this vintage appliance. I'm not doing a restoration or even a rustoration, I'm using this workhorse in the field. Believe what I'm saying.
DE606 with 'bar baffles' and also with 'SCR'. The dryer has always run hot so to speak and bakes my clothes if I don't catch it before they're overdone. I've never once heard the chime ring in operation. Had it apart several times this week, inspired by Imperial, and have yet to see what the service manual calls 'shut-off solenoid' do anything. It just sits there. In an automotive application I've seen power applied to similar solenoids and they react/fire/pop-off.
I may have misunderstood but I was under the impression that during operation the electronic control was sending a low voltage to the capacitor and that as long as wet or damp clothes were int he drum, they would complete the circuit across sets of baffle bars, dissipating or sending to ground the low voltage flow. Once the clothes were dry and no longer conducting electricity the low voltage would flow more to the capacitor where it builds up somewhere north of 70 volts and via the fluorescent switch? fire off a hit of electricity to the lifeless shut-off solenoid.
I've watched this capacitor on the digital meter and it consistently builds up to 86/87 volts I think before the little light flashes, voltage drops, but repeats the cycle. This was during operation, damp dry, yellow #12 disconnected from switch. Not shutting off in 7-17 seconds. I never waited very long as it gets too hot exhausting into the wash house with me. I would turn it to air fluff and press in and soon the air would be blowing cooler. No shut off tho.
The orange and red wires at shut-off solenoid "120V-60CY 860 321-3 1-74 Maytag 3-03350-1, where I'm assuming 1-74 is date code, the wires connected here are yielding 120-ish volts during operation and when the appliance is turned off by opening the door. Kinda thought maybe the solenoid only received power when called on to act although service manual may make some reference to being under power always?
The 3 prong 240 type plug is on its own circuit, one of two in the wash house/garage, and outside looks to be a heavy duty ground cable from power line connection terminating somewhere underground. I attached a wire to the back of the cabinet and ran that to plumbing in an attempt to eliminate that potential cause.
I've checked connections everywhere I think. Ran the tests for the control switch. Capacitor seems good since it builds and holds voltage. I've cleaned things - thermostats, contacts, pulleys, belts, copper band the brush rides on, the electronic control module contacts, peeked inside, etc. Admittedly I may have half-assed some of the checks but again the lifeless solenoid.
I put everything back together except the solenoid which is sitting here mocking me as I cannot find jack on the internets. I've seen a couple images of what looks like an older solenoid, and one the service manual mentions, Maytag 4-15, seems to sit at a different orientation to the chime hammer. Whirlpool OEM 400015 cross referenced but not finding anything on that either.
Don't have good info on shut off. Somehow I think it does shut off eventually but I've been setting a timer and checking on it every 20-30 minutes to keep clothes and house from burning. If I had my druthers I'd tune it to get bulky stuff nearly 100% dry and then either hang stuff or give it more time while I'm nearby to monitor it.
Seems like my next step is replacing this solenoid. The solenoid's two spade contacts ohm out 54-ish which as I understand it is proper, like right where it should be. Is this part, or another that will work or can be made to work available anywhere?
Happy to post photos if/as desired. Thanks
Be well
Imperial and automaticwasher.org helped me better understand and appreciate grandmas Maytag wringer washer which I use several times a year. Gulmite indeed.
Purpose of this posting is to facilitate more harmonious operation of one Maytag Automatic Dryer, model number DE606, aka Halo of Heat. There are many wonderful if not helpful (certainly are!) threads on this vintage appliance. I'm not doing a restoration or even a rustoration, I'm using this workhorse in the field. Believe what I'm saying.
DE606 with 'bar baffles' and also with 'SCR'. The dryer has always run hot so to speak and bakes my clothes if I don't catch it before they're overdone. I've never once heard the chime ring in operation. Had it apart several times this week, inspired by Imperial, and have yet to see what the service manual calls 'shut-off solenoid' do anything. It just sits there. In an automotive application I've seen power applied to similar solenoids and they react/fire/pop-off.
I may have misunderstood but I was under the impression that during operation the electronic control was sending a low voltage to the capacitor and that as long as wet or damp clothes were int he drum, they would complete the circuit across sets of baffle bars, dissipating or sending to ground the low voltage flow. Once the clothes were dry and no longer conducting electricity the low voltage would flow more to the capacitor where it builds up somewhere north of 70 volts and via the fluorescent switch? fire off a hit of electricity to the lifeless shut-off solenoid.
I've watched this capacitor on the digital meter and it consistently builds up to 86/87 volts I think before the little light flashes, voltage drops, but repeats the cycle. This was during operation, damp dry, yellow #12 disconnected from switch. Not shutting off in 7-17 seconds. I never waited very long as it gets too hot exhausting into the wash house with me. I would turn it to air fluff and press in and soon the air would be blowing cooler. No shut off tho.
The orange and red wires at shut-off solenoid "120V-60CY 860 321-3 1-74 Maytag 3-03350-1, where I'm assuming 1-74 is date code, the wires connected here are yielding 120-ish volts during operation and when the appliance is turned off by opening the door. Kinda thought maybe the solenoid only received power when called on to act although service manual may make some reference to being under power always?
The 3 prong 240 type plug is on its own circuit, one of two in the wash house/garage, and outside looks to be a heavy duty ground cable from power line connection terminating somewhere underground. I attached a wire to the back of the cabinet and ran that to plumbing in an attempt to eliminate that potential cause.
I've checked connections everywhere I think. Ran the tests for the control switch. Capacitor seems good since it builds and holds voltage. I've cleaned things - thermostats, contacts, pulleys, belts, copper band the brush rides on, the electronic control module contacts, peeked inside, etc. Admittedly I may have half-assed some of the checks but again the lifeless solenoid.
I put everything back together except the solenoid which is sitting here mocking me as I cannot find jack on the internets. I've seen a couple images of what looks like an older solenoid, and one the service manual mentions, Maytag 4-15, seems to sit at a different orientation to the chime hammer. Whirlpool OEM 400015 cross referenced but not finding anything on that either.
Don't have good info on shut off. Somehow I think it does shut off eventually but I've been setting a timer and checking on it every 20-30 minutes to keep clothes and house from burning. If I had my druthers I'd tune it to get bulky stuff nearly 100% dry and then either hang stuff or give it more time while I'm nearby to monitor it.
Seems like my next step is replacing this solenoid. The solenoid's two spade contacts ohm out 54-ish which as I understand it is proper, like right where it should be. Is this part, or another that will work or can be made to work available anywhere?
Happy to post photos if/as desired. Thanks
Be well
