GE 7 cu ft electric dryer

[the7]

New GE GTMP400EMWS dryer.

I bought a new GE 7 cu ft electric dryer to replace an 16 year old Kenmore dryer (with top lint filter) because the old dryer occasionally causes brownish marks on the collar tips of shirts.

Apparently the tips of the shirts were caught in the gap between the rotating drum and the stationary back plate. The gap of the old dryer will get wider due to the wearing-out of the felts/supports at the rear and at the front of the drum. So I decided to replace the old dryer.

The construction of the rear end of the GE drum is completely different from that of the old Kenmore. There will be no gap at the rear to catch the tips of the shirts.

The new GE 7 cu ft dryer seems to hold a bit more clothing than (say about 5% to 10% more than) the old Kenmore. It takes about 48 min to dry a load of cotton clothing using the normal cotton sensor cycle.

I think that the design of the drum of GE is better but the overall construction of the Kenmore/Whirlpool is better.

 

[combo52]

DRYER CONSTRUCTION QUALITY

I am glad you like your new dryer but the construction and durability of your old dryer was much better than the GE dryers of the last 15 years or so. There is a gap all the way around the front of your new GE that gets bigger at the bottom half and starts staining clothes that get caught there, I just fixed one last week that was 9 years old and it is much more expensive and less satisfactory a repair than replacing the rear drum seal on a WP built dryer.

 

[logixx]

Euro vs. US

I find it rather interesting that the back and front parts of US dryer drums typically remain stationary, while most Euro dryers rotate the entire drum. Wonder why that is?

 

[yogitunes]

Don't kid yourself!!!.....you may not have the GAP that was seen in the rear of the Whirlpool.....but you'll have even more fun and damaged clothes from the gap at the front of your GE, just wait......mine started doing this in the first year, always grabbed a washcloth, sock, or button on jeans, and twisted the heck out of them until they ripped, you wouldn't notice it until the load was done and you opened the door......

NOT to mention, the rear is where the heat comes in, this back panel gets scorching HOT, a full load of towels or a blanket will melt from constant contact, best to stay with medium or low heat for almost all loads, and will take a little longer to dry....at least with your Whirlpool, the clothes slid along the stationary back panel, while a small built in ramp tossed the clothes away from the heat source.....

ALSO, most Whirlpool/Kenmores had a soft heat feature dropping down the temp for minimizing wrinkles...an exclusive other manufacturers don't have

 

[combo52]

DRYER DRUMS

Many American dryer drums are one piece, the GE that we are talking about the only thing that doesn't revolve is the front of the machine and the door. The most successful and safest dryer designs have stationary fronts and or back areas. All MTs after 1976, all WP built after 1966, all Nogre built after 1980, all Speed Queen home and commercial after 1980. Having stationary areas where the heat enters the drum, this allows better clothing protection from excessive heat of having the whole rear of the drum  become super heated. It is also a less expensive way to build a dryer which is one of many reasons that 80+% of US homes have and use dryers. US dryers are by far and away the best in the world.

 

[the7]

Dear yogitunes

Could you tell me the model no of your 1 year old GE dryer?

Dear combo52

Could you remember the model no of the 9 year old dryer?

 

[the7]

Please note my GE is of the new style (not of old style from Frigidaire).

See diagram attached.

 

[DADoES]

 

That is not a "new" design.  I have a 1999 GE/Camco-sourced F&P DE04 dryer that looks exactly the same, and a GE DS4500EB0WW manuf'd 2002 per the S/N.  The GE I got for free, and refurbished it with $210 in parts -- front drum support & bearings, rear bearing sleeve, inner door panel, heating element, front air duct/filter housing, idler pulley.

 

[toploader55]

Just bought yesterday,

New Kenmore Dryer.

7.0 cu ft. Capacity, around $400.00. Love it. Runs Great, on every Cycle. Great Daily Driver which I needed going into the summer. Model # 110.61202010.

Just does it all without spending $800.00 +. I just can't see spending that kind of money on a dryer. It's Perfect for my needs.

What's up with these $1000.00 plus dryers ? Just need dry clothes.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I wonder if part of the inflated price for dryers is the cabinet changes they are making to keep the dryers matching all of the variations in the fronts of the new FL washers. American-made dryers would go decades in some cases with only minor trim changes to the front panel.

 

[combo52]

PRICES OF NEW DRYERS

I think that there are several factors that are allowing the price of new dryers to equal that of the matching dryer.

1 People are so used to having a dryer that they are willing to pay the price.

2 People wrongly assume that a new dryer will work better and be more energy efficient.

3 the energy-star washers are being subsidized by the goverment, state, utilities which makes them cheaper than they would otherwise be.

4 The building and assembly of the new washer designs that have come out is very automated compared to the building and assembly of clothes dryers.

5 The manufactories are making more money on the sale of dryers than washers which is way they are being pushed in pairs. I am sure that they would love to sell you a new stove to go with that new washer and dryer LOl.

In many cases it will be cheaper and work better to keep your old dryer or buy a more sensible rear control machine than buying one that matches the new washer. Many new dryers are actually smaller inside than the older wider machines and a larger diameter drum seems to work better than the deeper ones in the newer 27" machines.

 

 

[the7]

Thanks combo52 for the valuable info.

It seems there are two heating elements in the GE 7 cu ft dryer.
Wonder if you know the wattage of them and why it uses two instead of one?

 

[gr81nknox]

interesting observation

Last fall my parents bought a new Kenmore pair, washer model 2800 and dryer 6800. The washer was the Kenmore version of the 4.3 cubic foot Cabrio and the Dryer was the matching dryer(7.0 I believe). While the washer is all new, the dryer is basically the same dryer as the 1995 90 Series model it replaced. Aside from the electronic controls and more rounded look of the cabinet, it looks the same. The drum, the drum light, the filter location, even the mechanical sounds it makes are nearly identical to their old one as well as my 2002 Elite. The price certainly isn't the same, as they paid close to $600 for it. I will give it that it dries clothes quicker than the old one, but that may be attributed more to the higher spin speed of the new washer.

 

[DADoES]

 

Some Maytag Bravos dryers have a high-velocity belt-driven blower that makes for longer venting allowances and/or faster drying.

 

[the7]

After using the new dryer for several days, my wife is quite happy with the new dryer because the clothing dried from the new dryer are softer than from the old dryer.

 

[the7]

There are two heating elements in this GE dryer.
It seems that the dryer will cycle only one heating element ON/OFF to maintain a desirable drying temperature while the other heating element is always ON during the drying cycle.
In such manner, the drying temperature variation will be less than that of the other dryer using one heating element.

 

[the7]

I bought a digital thermometer to measure the outlet temperature of the GE dryer.
The sensor was placed in the lint tray.
The setting was in normal cotton cycle with a typical cotton/mixed load.

A) From 0 to 10 min, the temp was increasing slowly from 68F to 113F (47F increase)

B) From 10 to 20 min, the temp was increasing very slowly from 113F to 118F (only 5F increase).

C) From 20 to 32 min, the temp was increasing slowly from 118F to 149F (31F increase).
During the periods of A, B and C, the inlet thermostat was cutting IN/OUT one of the heating element to maintain the set-temperature of the inlet.

D) From 32 min to 50 min, the outlet thermostat took over to the set-temperature of the outlet. The outlet temp as measured varied from 136F to 154F. When the temp exceeded 154F, both heating elements were cut OUT (OFF). When the temp fell below 136F, both heating elements were cut IN (ON).

E)From 50 min to 56 min (cooling down period) the outlet temp fell slowly to 104F and at 56 min the buzzer sounded to end the drying cycle.

 

[the7]

The sensor in the lint tray.

 

[the7]

The digital thermostat.

 

[the7]

It should be a digital thermometer.

 

[combo52]

NEW GE DRYER

During periods A & B one heater should not be cutting on and off at such a low outlet temperature, you likely have too long an exhaust system or other problem with the exhaust system. If you want to get the best life and performance out of this dryer make sure your exhaust installation meets GEs recommendations in every way, A bad exhaust system likely contributed to the problem with rusting rear seals on the old KM dryer.

 

[toploader55]

New Kenmore Dryer.

Well, I've had it for a couple of weeks now, and after 7 loads of Laundry of all types, It Ranks with me as one of the Best Dryers I've ever owned. 40-50 minutes tops per load. Heavy Bath mats... 50 minutes. Cotton anything, 40 minutes.

Just love it, and still can't see spending 900+ for a Dryer. Just Old Fasion here. (And getting Older).

 

[coldspot66]

Like I've always said, W/P Kenmore 29" dryers are the best at any $$$. Eddie, that model has a moisture sensor, do you use the moisture sensing cycle? There is a small circuit board in the console for moisture sensing.

 

[syndets2000]

moisture sensor...

...setting is what I use on the WP (I found behind a store some years ago), during the winter- I line dry during the summer, its only for two people-

 

[the7]

combo52
Thanks for the advice. Will check the venting against the requirement.

 

[the7]

For GE electric dryer, there are
a)one Safety Thermostat at the inlet which will cut off "both" heating elements when overheat
b)one Control Inlet Thermostat at the inlet which will switch ON/OFF "only one" heating element to maintain the inlet set-temperature and
c)one Drum Outlet Thermostat at the outlet which will switch ON/OFF "both" heating elements to maintain the outlet set-temperature.

There are two heating elements (say about 2700 watts each at 240V) in the GE dryer.

 

[aquarius1984]

US dryers are by far and away the best in the world.

Combo52 thats quite a statement - you must of used hundreds of dryers in your vacations out of America!

When did you visit the UK and how did your find your trip here?

If it was recent you should have spoken up and you could of come to play with our collection.
More than welcome anytime to though if you plan a return journey.

Just curious as to how you found the British made machines that you have used and where you felt their downfall was?

 

[toploader55]

Moisture Sensor.

Yes John, I use the sensor cycle. I was keeping my eye on the clock to see how long the avaerage cycle tales. It also has the Wrinkle Guard feature as well.

If I wash a "Normal" load in the 806 then put it in the dryer by the time the second load is washed the clothes are just about dry.

 

[combo52]

US VS EUROPEAN DRYERS

Hi Robert I would love to visit sometime and we hope you get a chance to come here also. I am basing my claims of superiority of US built dryers from my experience of repairing and selling laundry appliances for over 35 years here in the Washington D C area. This being an international city I have had quite a few opportunities to get my hands on European and other imported dryers over the years and in almost ever case I have ended up selling them for almost nothing , giving them away or usually just scraping them.

 

Whats different in a nutshell

1 they are only about 1/2 half the size in drum capacity [ not a enough room for loads of 10 pair of mens jeans or king size comforters].

2 They are seldom more than 3000 watts [ slow ]

3 Gas dryers are almost unheard of [ too large a carbon foot print from thier use ]

4 They are very difficult to work on [ not designed for longevity ]

5 They are often noisey

5 The blowers are not powerful enough to exhaust air through 15-30 feet of exhaust pipe without clogging quickly.

 

Almost all US dryers are also used in commercial applications, I would love to see how many of the European 24" machines are sold with a coin box on them.

 

[hoover1100]

I would love to see how many of the European 24" machine

Asko and Miele are, off the top of my head...

 

My dryer can dry 8 pairs of jeans in an hour on LOW heat (high heat is far too hot on a 3kw dryer let alone a 5kw dryer! These are always 100% crease free and perfectly dried.

 

You can barely hear the dryer running unless you are basically next to it, the "noisy" dryers you are referring to must be the older (80s/90s) condenser models, modern condensers are no noisier than a vented model (provided you buy a half decent one).

 

As for them not being designed for longevity, well, I guess all the 50+ year old European models collectors on this forum have, as well as the many more still in daily use without repair must be a figment of our imaginations!

 

Perhaps in your opinion some Whirlpool designed dryers are 'the best', but that does not mean that 'U.S. dryers are superior to European dryers'.

 

Matt