GE Combo Rebuilding

[hippiedoll]

Combo52

Can't wait to see the pictures & videos you mentioned above with all the splashy wash action!

WOOOO HOOOO!
D

 

[chestermikeuk]

GE Combo Restore

Great work John & Jason, will be fab to see one in action, looks a simple but sturdy machine, good to see the canvas pump drive as used in the GE top loaders and our Hotpoints.

The calrod dryer elements at the top of drum, is the smaller one used as the booster to the large one for high heat fast drying ? or the other way around ?

Whats the capacity of the drum cylinder for a dry load John ?

Have you timed how long a dry load would take after spinning a wahload with a spin dryer / extractor first ?

Grest Restore, Mike

 

[combo52]

GE Combo Restoration

Hi Mick, Thanks for the encouragement.

The tub capacity is around 4.5 CF, the machine was rated for a 10# load of clothing.

There are two heaters, the larger one is 2800 watts and the smaller one 1200 W. If using the regular heavy dry both heaters are used for the first phase of drying, then the 2nd period only uses the 2800 W element, if you do a delicate dry load only the 2800 W element is used.

If you have set the machine to dry the clothing when starting out the heaters are also used during the 3 spin periods. And if you select a hot wash wash the three rinses are C-W-H, if you select a warm wash all 3 rinses are warm.

Here is a good sized load of heavy pull-overs and underwear that I put in this morning at 915am, it finished at 1115am.

Note this is on 208 volts so dry time is 25% longer.

You can see in the pictures of the combo we are rebuilding for the museum that Jason and I added a 2nd 1200W element to make up for lower voltage, with this element we should get just about 3900 watts of drying power.

 

[bradfordwhite]

"208 RPM" ?  That's a defo. disappointment.

 

I hope the new FL washers/dryers are improved.  The clothes coming out of a newer FL are often so dry it doesn't take long for them to dry.  Usually less than 25 minutes.

 

GE was always trying unique things.  We have to give them credit for that.  From wall hung frigs to under sink dws to Advantium ovens that cook with light.  

 

[surgilator_68]

John doing what he does best

 

[jons1077]

That’s awesome

I can hear him humming now

 

[sarahperdue]

Totally cool!

John,

Thanks millions for doing this machine for me! I love this thread and the details on progress. It looks large in your photos--it's 30" right? What's the deal with the 208 volts and 25% longer drying time? Is 208 service common? Am I right in thinking that 220 is the standard? And I love the pictures of you working in the tub--fun to put a face with the voice.

David, you can definitely see it in action and "play" with it when we get it installed!

Christina, the avocado is going to become turquoise. I sometimes think it's a bit sad to paint over an original finish because I know there's someone somewhere who would love it as is... and someone somewhere who has the color I'm looking for. I'll most likely be painting some of my textured impasto finish Geneva cabinets with a ridge filling primer to make them smooth which also saddens me. I'd love to find someone who is looking for the impasto finish to trade with as it is rarer than the smooth finish. And so it goes...

Sarah

 

[circlew]

Sarah, I'm 99 percent certain the voltage there in rural Alabama is 120/240 single phase. VERY few single family homes have 208Y/120 service, but it is very common in larger business buildings that use 3 phase for equipment like air conditioning or industrial machinery. 208Y/120 may be available at your location if it is served by 3 phase lines, as some farms have large motor loads.

 

[sarahperdue]

2 phase

I know we have two and not three phase, so that probably means we have 240. Would the 240 address the dryer performance/cycle time?

Thanks,
Sarah

 

[turbokinetic]

Sarah, I am 100% sure you have 120 / 240V single phase service at your place. It will be perfect for this machine.

 

[tolivac]

Some multifamily buildings have 208/120V 3 ph power.Two apartment buildings I lived in used 208V.

 

[hippiedoll]

Sarah...

I'm sure your turquoise over avocado will turn out beautiful. I personally like the funky 70's colors myself. But I know avocado isn't a first choice for some.
Hmhmhm...

I can't wait to see when Jon gets done with your GE combo and you've turned it turquoise. Be sure to keep us posted and of course share pictures & videos!
;o)

 

[hippiedoll]

Sarah...

I'm sure your turquoise over avocado will turn out beautiful. I personally like the funky 70's colors myself. But I know avocado isn't a first choice for some.
Hmhmhm...

I can't wait to see when Jon gets done with your GE combo and you've turned it turquoise. Be sure to keep us posted and of course share pictures & videos!
;o)

 

[cornutt]

Sarah, you almost certainly have 240V service. I'm not aware that Alabama Power ever put in 208V three phase in any single family residences.

Am I correct in assuming that on this combo, the one timer handles both wash and dry? And the other knob is a temperature selector?

 

[lowefficiency]

>> Christina, the avocado is going to become turquoise. I sometimes think it's a bit sad to paint over an original
>> finish because I know there's someone somewhere who would love it as is... and someone somewhere who
>> has the color I'm looking for.

Don't be too hard on yourself. The vast majority of the population doesn't care at all, and simply trashes/scraps major appliances of the "wrong" color when the trends change. You're doing it a favor by having it restored and put back into service, regardless of the color.

It's just like with antique cars. Sometimes a car rolls through at a show, and you can hear the critics in the crowd chattering "That's not the right color! 1943 should have been a darker shade of [whatever]"... Well sure, but you know what? Someone cared enough about that car 30-40 years ago to fix it up and paint it to suit them. And because of that "travesty", that car was loved enough to survive until today when it otherwise would have been crushed and melted into toasters and doorknobs before half of those complaining were even born!

 

[combo52]

GE Combos

The combos are both running well, the only thing left to do is rebuild the inlet valve in the white free-standing combo that is going to stay in the museum, I am also going to put in a heat relay to protect the motor centrifugal switch, timer heat contacts and dry thermostat.

 

Pictures of washing a few loads, these machines wash really well and even handle non HE detergents well.

 

Reply #33, Hi David, you are correct there is just one main timer and a dryness thermostat on the right, all drying is auto-dry and if set correctly it works well.

 

[jons1077]

Beautiful combos!

That white machine is one I hope to find, in avocado of course! Those panels are so handsome. Awesome work, John (and Jason?)!

 

[hippiedoll]

Combo52:

Thank you for sharing those pictures!
I LOVE the pictures showing the sudsy water through the windows! You know me, I likes the windows!
)

I'm so happy you got the combo restorations completed. They look AMAZING!
Can't wait to see some videos showing the splashy washing action!

WOOOOO HOOOOO!
)

Doing the happy-dance on this side of the computer.
;oD

 

[combo52]

Final Picture Of The Under Counter Combo

As loaded in Tims  [ macboy91si's ]1993 Dodge 5 Sp six-cylinder magnum sport van.

 

John L.

 

[swestoyz]

John, thank you for documenting the rebuild process. Great work!

Ben