Gas Dryer Flame Adjustment

[DigAPony]

Finally got the GE gas dryer installed and running in my friends new home. However, the flame looks slightly large to me and perhaps more orange/yellow tips than I expected. The flame even licks past the tube and curls up the diffusor inch or so. Seemed to be running very hot as well when I tested it without a load.

I adjusted the air shutter from almost fully open to half closed with no discernable change in the flame.

What exactly should the flame look like? I was expecting a sharp blue flame with minimal yellow tips.

Orifice is a #42 on N.G.

 

[rp2813]

My experience is (and I presume the laws of physics dictate) that the more open the air shutter is, the more blue and sharp the flame will be, up to the point where it will start to roar and jump off the orifice.  Closing the shutter will cause the flame to yellow and lack definition.

 

The problem might lie with something other than the air shutter setting.

 

[combo52]

Proper Gas Dryer Flame

The air shutter should be open completely unless the flame is blowing away from the mouth of the burner tube opening.

 

There is a big difference between orange flashes and yellow at the far ends of the flame, the periodic orange flashes are bits of dust, lint and other dirt being burned [ nothing wrong there ] the yellow-whitish flames are a sign of too little air, however almost all gas dryers have quite a bit of this type of coloration in the flame so I would consider it normal.

 

Dryer getting too hot? Be sure you have tested the safety and regular operating thermostats. Test the safety thermostat by running the dryer with the door completely open, the gas burner should shut off within a minute or less. Test the operating thermostats by running the dryer empty and use a probe type thermometer inserted into the exhaust duct while running the dryer empty, the burner should shut off between 140 and 180 degrees depending on the temperature setting and your particular dryer.

 

[stevet]

Gas Pressure...

Must be adjusted in order for the proper amount of gas to flow thru your nozzle.
Most appliances will be set at 3.5 inches of w.c.(water column) and must be tested and adjusted using a manometer.
Check the service manual or data plate to see what the exact rating should be.
There should be a test plug on the gas valve or the manifold leading to the burner for you to remove and install the adapter for the manometer tubing. Adjust it to the proper pressure and then you can adjust your air shutter to the proper opening.

Too high a pressure will overfire the burner and perhaps give you the results you are seeing. And even if it is over fired, the thermostats should control the burner cycling as John clearly pointed out. If your tstats are located inside the lint filter housing in the front of the dryer, then you may want to take the housing apart and check for excessive linting around the tstats. Years ago, my Mom's dryer was cooking the clothes and once I cleaned those tstats out, the dryer worked fine again.

 

[DigAPony]

I guess the flame is as John described it, mostly blue with orange and yellow flashes at the end. I will fully open the shutter tomorrow and test the pressure.

As for the heat, the exhaust felt okay, it was the drum and lint filter area that was very hot, however I had throughly cleaned it with compressed air so lint is not the problem.

Thanks

 

[combo52]

Proper Gas Dryer Flame

If you start a dryer like this empty and let it heat for a few minutes parts like the like filter will quickly get way too hot to touch, these parts heat faster than the operating thermostats that will shut down the burner in a few minutes. At this point I would dry a few big loads of clothing and see how the dyer is operating.

 

I would not even attempt to test the gas pressure at the dryers gas valve, you may cause some other problem or get into a dangerous situation.

 

[DigAPony]

I would not even attempt to test the gas pressure at the dry

Okay, I wasn't planning on testing the pressure except as last resort anyway.

The dryer behaved just as described, lint filter area quickly became very hot without a load, with a damp load it functioned normally; back of the drum was hot, clothes and elsewhere not as much.

Thanks again.

 

[jill815]

similar problem

So we installed a propane gas dryer yesterday in our vacation home. It ran fine yesterday, but today my daughter-in-law contacted me to say that we're out of propane. Well, I'm doubtful because there's hot water in the house and what's happening with the dryer is she's seeing an orange flame and then it sputters out. Is this the air shutter as well?

 

[combo52]

similar problem ???

To what? I would need lots more details to answer your problem. What kind of dryer for one, you can not see the flame in any modern dryer when it is operating.

 

Was the dryer properly converted for use on LP gas ?