Introducing the 1956 Rheem Gas dryer!

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Your welcome , Kevin. ...

Instead of Russell to the "rescue", it was SILVERADO to the rescue. As it is a most unusual dryer, none of us would want to see it go to the crusher.

Uh oh, my attention to detail is out of control again!!! Besides pointing out that address sign (1140 that you got a shot of,and I was pondering its'significance),I just noticed "CircleWs'" comments. Circle Dr. was the name of the street it was on, and at first glance I thought the inspection tag read Norwalk, Ca.; not Newark!

Never knew there was a Newark,Ca. until now, LoL. ...

Anyway,it was a Pleasant trip down "memory lane", through some of my old stompping grounds.

-Russell
 
Love the 1140 house sign!!!

Fabulous find Kevin, I do believe you are the only one we know of who has one of these dryers. Extremely rare to say the least. Do the pink and red buttons on the left actually say anything on them?
 
I'm intrigued by the drum. Does the drum actually tumble, or do the vanes move while the drum remains stationary?
Either way, it's a cool machine!

veg
 
MUST HAVE A VIDEO!!!!!!!

PLEEEEEASE KEVIN!!!!! Make us a video of the Rheem Gas Dryer in operation.......and while your at it can you make one of the 1963 Kenmore Series 70 set you picked up? I so want to see the washer in action (and the dryer too), I remember that washer from my childhood in the 80's. PAT COFFEY
 
My brother-in-law has an aunt that had a Rheem gas dryer when I last visited her home in the 70's. I remembered that the dryer was quite bulky next to her GE filter flo washer with the built in bleach dispenser on the front of the washer.
 
What's inside you ask??

This afternoon after I got home I decided to pull the back panel off and see what's hiding behind it.......

WELL... once I removed the panel I discovered this dryer has not just one, but TWO separate blowers! The small blower shown in the photo of post #396936 above, is ACTUALLY for circulating the air around inside the cabinet for drying delicate items in the "Clothes Saver Compartment" under the "Clothes Saver Lid"! Wow, pretty neat! BTW, the photo below is after vacuuming out (I assume) 53 years of (occasional use) lint!

>Oh, BTW Keith, I forgot to tell you the spare key for the garage in under the potted plant outside. So come on by anytime! LOL

>Darryl, you asked about the capacity (you know it's really amazing what you can discover by actually reading the owners manual... LOL). According to the manual it will hold 20 LBS of WET laundry!

>Veg, yes, the entire drum rotates, not just the fins/arms/baffles. It's interesting that these "baffles" are only in the back half of the tumbler drum!

>Pat, I'm not sure a video would be very interesting since there is no window, LOL.

RevvinKevin++12-2-2009-22-33-45.jpg
 
Do the pink and red buttons on the left actually say anythin

You know Robert, I couldn't see anything on them or on the bezel around them... UNTIL I took this photo! As you can see the pink button is "delicate" and the red is "regular". There are also lights behind the buttons, so those little squares in the middle light up depending on which button is pressed.

>Brent you asked about the BTU rating. After looking the owners manual and then looking all over the dryer, I finally found this data plate inside the front panel hiding under some of the 53 years of lint. It shows 22,500 BTU's.

>Tom. Thanks for pointing out Wedgewood and Rheem were related! I actually discovered this fact after I actually READ some of the info in front of me! LOL

A warm Thank You to all of you for your congrats and well wishes! When I first looked at this dryer, I didn't really think I would be interested in it for myself. But the more I explore it and learn about it, the more I think I DO want to keep it for myself!

RevvinKevin++12-2-2009-23-14-23.jpg
 
Very cool Kevin!
This is one very well built dryer!
Too cool!
Thanks for capturing the back of this wonderful dryer. Awesome.
Is there anywhere on the dryer that states the output BTU's of the burner?
I am shocked at how clean it is!
I am so glad you found it!
Thanks for the photo's.
Brent
 
Kevin how cool is that piece of machinery great find... you go buddy, Enjoy.
Is that the same company that produces heat & air conditioning ?

Darren k.
 
That dryer venting design was shared by at least one other brand. Friends' grandparents who lived in Greenwood, SC had a Coronado dryer from the early 50s with that center top lint filter location. When I was doing the laundry, I opened it up and there was an absolute lint blockage. The drying speed picked up, but the towels were not as soft with the increased airflow. It was an electric model with the open coil heating element above the drum. Old dryer drums had heavy duty construction, although 20 lbs of wet laundry was 10 lbs dry, like the washer capacities of the day. Looking at the back of the dryer, it is easy to see that the airflow was similar to the WP-built dryers with the perforated drum back except for the placement of the lint filter.
 
Neat find Kevin

How stylish that they continued their square look right into the timer knob!!! 

 

I think Bygted has a similar model but I dont' recall it being that colorful as yours.

 

That dryer has neat features , the save the clothing Compartment is a cool idea for sure!!

 

But letting a gas dryer vent to the interior is suicide-city, I can't believe they recommended that from the get go. At least in MA its not been code for years and years.

 

What a combo Apex Washer & Rheem Dryer, now that is a laundry pair out in left field 1950's style!!

 

 

 

 

 
 
I think Bygted has a similar model...........

 

 
Actually this is the same dryer Bygted has now.  

 

This is a thread from Dec, 2009 that Tom felt the need to resurrect after I posted the link (for more photos) in the other thread about another Rheem dryer for sale in the LA area. (Thread #45877 RHEEM gas dryer in the Los Angeles area!)

So make no mistake, I did have the above dryer for a short time in 2009, but no longer.   I also have no interest in this other one currently for sale in my area.

Kevin
 
Wow, Kevin, that is a beautiful dryer! I know very little about gas dryers but this one looks like the fanciest one of the day. I wonder how many thrifty homemakers used the drying rack to dehydrate foods while drying clothes (MAAAAW! They're making fun of me at school 'cause I smell like apples... LOL)

Congratulations on saving this rare bird!
 
How fantastic. I was looking at that emblem thinking, WHERE HAVE I HEARD RHEEM? and then I remembered that the MONSTEROUS furnace that had taken up a quarter of the laundry room in the house where I grew up and my parents still live was a RHEEM. Speaking of laundry rooms: I SECOND the request on the 63 Kenmore series 70, as that's the one that my family had growing up. The dryer FAR outlasted the washer, but I still thought it a fantastically handsome design. (Coppertone, baby!)

Congrats again on your amazing find. They just don't make them like that, anymore!
 

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