J.C.Penney Electric Dryer

[xraytech]

I need some help here. Grandma has a beautiful mint condition J.C.Penney electric dryer but it does not heat up very well, I believe that it needs a new element. I was hoping someone would know something about these dryers. Also does anyone know who made them, I am assuming GE since it has the same style lint screen as the GE's. I do believe that it is from late 70's but has rarely been used since grandma always went to the laundromat upuntil 2002 when she got public water.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[andrewinorlando]

Could be a number of things. First, they were made by GE. Most GE electric dryers used 2 heating coils, hidden behind the drum. One coil was for low heat, dual coils for medium and high heat. It's possible one coil is bad. It's also possible there is a bad thermostat, a blockage somewhere in the exhaust ducting, or a wiring failure at the machine's terminal block. It is also possible that the outlet the machine is plugged into is somehow not delivering the proper voltage. The dryer would still function, but not heat at all, or heat slowly due to the reduced wattage, so make sure it's receiving 240 volts.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Time for some preventative TLC...

Ahhh, Penncrest. Neat stuff. The washers were more like the Hotpoint as they usually came with a self cleaning lint filter and the 'Agitator within a agitator' with that odd lock ring that had a habit of breaking.

All those are good things to check but I'm also thinking that you may have a bad heating coil. They come as restring kits and you thread the coils thru the ceramic eyelets, replacing any that are cracked.

I seem to remember from my GE days,(GE guys PLEASE correct me if I've forgotten something...) there are screws that secure the top to the front panel that can be seen when you open the door and look under the brow. Lift the top up and you will have access to the innards and will see screws that hold the front panel to the cabinette. By the way, you CAN check continuity of the elements and high limit stat from the top. You should see three terminals on the side of the 'can' or element housing. Remember, there are two elements that both share a leg at one end. With the wires removed at the terminals, you should get continuity between all three terminals and not to ground at all if the elements are good. Before removing the front panel, make sure you write down the location of all the wires at the door switch. On the back of the dryer in the middle is a small cover which hides the rear bearing. There may be a small keeper clip and some spacer washers you will have to remove off the bearing shaft (so they don't disappear into the dryer) before pulling the drum out from the front to access the elements and such. Undo the belt and out it should come.

While it's out you will need to check the front glides to make sure they aren't almost (or completely) worn thru. These can be rebuilt with new felt and slides or just replaced as an assembly, bracket and all. Also, when the drum comes out, there should be a teflon hub that sits on the rear bearing shaft. Sometimes it stays in the hole when you pull the tub. Either way, if it's worn, replace it. Of course delinting it is a given. All these parts should be quite available. If done properly, the average OLDER style GE dryer should run quietly and for a long time.

One trick I remember when restringing the elements was to put one end of the restring under my foot and gently pull on the other end to stretch the element out evenly before feeding it thru the eyelets. I just don't remember how far to prestretch it without over doing it. Maybe someone else will remember...
Hope this helps...

RCD

 

[pturo]

I would check first the air flow out, all the way to the outside. People are surprised how this makes the dryer not"heat up well". If you do get heat, but it just does not dry the clothes in the proper time, this is probably the reason.

If you get no heat:
1.) you have a blown cycling or high limit switch which can be detected using a voltemeter and easily replaced.
2.)You are not getting 220 volts to the machine. What kind of circuit or fuse panel do you have? I used to have a fuse panel in FL where there were pull out circuits for the 220 stuff with fuses that looked like shotgun shells behind. Sometimes only one blows, not the other. The thing tumbled, but did not dry when the one time fuse blew on this setup.

3.) If you get some heat:

Perhaps the wiring to the switch to the low to high heat is the problem, always stuck on low?

Most dryers work with high, medium, and low heat with different cycling thermostats assigned to the dial/button that you select, so it is kind of a heat timing cutoff limit rather than half a coil engaged to control the intensity, but manufactureres differ, I suppose. I have a gas dryer and the low setting gives the same flame as high, but cuts it at lower temps for the low setting. I have and electric dryer too that does the same.

 

[xraytech]

There is no obstruction in th event to outside, it is only about 10 feet long and vents to the outside through a flip open dryer vent that is in a glass block window.

As for the circuit, it is a Murray breaker panel and the fryer is on a 50 amp breaker which is not tripped.

It does heat up, just not enough, with a load of about 6 J.C.Penney bath towels you have to run it through two 80 minute cycles on high heat.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Your breaker is a double-pole as are all 220v circuits in ths country.

Check to see that you are getting voltage out of both sides. I have heard of cases were one of the poles "quits".

You'd then only get heat if the unit has a 120v element,as one of the two.