Lady Kenmore 800 Soft Heat Gas Dryer Start Up

[tomturbomatic]

Blue Flame!

When my dryer is at full input, the blue flame is shot through with flecks and streaks of orange but that might be because it is outside and it might be burning pollen.

When we used to travel with my father during the summer, there were some cities that had a program put on by the local gas company called The Blue Flame Kitchen in the mornings after the Today Show and Romper Room/Miss Frances Ding Dong School etc. went off the air. It probably was scheduled for women finished with getting their families out of the house. The professionals were home economists in white uniforms with white bubbe shoes and they cooked things and talked about the features of gas refrigerators and ranges at every step of the preparation of each dish. This term "blue flame" was so ingrained in society that when a friend bought an early 50s Chevrolet with a blue engine in it and was showing it to us, someone who I can guarantee you would not have watched the type of program I have described called the car the blue flame special.

 

[combo52]

1963-4 LKM GAS DRYER

Hi 4bagger, is your dryer spark or glow coil ignition ?

 

Also was it an early build 1963 or a later build dryer, if you post the serial # we can tell when it was built.

 

John L.

 

[4bagger]

John L. I believe it is glow coil ignition, but not 100% sure. Where is the serial number plate located?

 

[combo52]

On A plate Behind The Door

 

[4bagger]

Looks like the Ser.# plate was removed. Here's a pic of the front of the burner unit if that helps.

 

[combo52]

1963-4 LKM GAS DRYER

A picture of the left side of the burner assembly would confirm for sure, the Dec 62 date on the modulator would indicate that this dryer is and early build and these all had the glow coil ignition.

 

The GCI dryers take a minute or so to light as the pilot lights first which heats up the mercury safety switch which sends current to the main burner valve coil and 37,000 BTUs of gas lights instantly.

 

John L.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Can't you tell by the noise?

 

[maytag85]

Sounds like these older Whirlpool/Kenmore dryers use a pilot type of ignition but not a standing pilot.

Not a Whirlpool/Kenmore dryer but here’s a Maytag gas dryer from 1956 that uses this type ignition system Whirlpool/Kenmore used up until the early 1960’s sometime

 

[4bagger]

John L. The burner ignition process on this LK dryer is exactly as you described "The GCI dryers take a minute or so to light as the pilot lights first which heats up the mercury safety switch which sends current to the main burner valve coil and 37,000 BTUs of gas lights instantly.." I never thought I'd be laying on my garage floor so interested in how a dryer heat element functions.

 

[maytag85]

The engineering of vintage appliances has always fascinated me, and it’s interesting how they used a variable burner in gas dryers many years ago and it seems like they dried very fast and slowly turned down the flame as things got more dry. If you uploaded a video to YouTube of the burner operation drying s small or medium load it would definitely be entertaining to see the burner turn down as things get dried towards the end of the cycle.

 

[4bagger]

I've used this dryer about 10 times now and she really is a workhorse. Currently paired with a pristine '59 Maytag model 142. Mismatched, but still very cool set.

 

[4bagger]

blower bearing

Dryer didn't want to start this morning. Took the blower belt off and it started right up. Reinstalled the belt and again wouldn't start. Removed the blower unit from the machine to oil the bearings. Question: does it need to be disassembled to oil bearings or is there an oil port somewhere. If it does need to be disassembled, it's not obvious to me where to start.

 

[4bagger]

Okay she's back up and running smoother & quieter than ever. Getting the blower unit apart enough to oil the bearing became obvious as I was cleaning it. Great advive John L. Should've oiled the unit out of the gate.

 

[mgmachine]

Lady K Dryer here

I own the same dryer, a few things to watch out for, the drum is installed using a big brass bushing and flange,occasionally remove the plastic access port inside the drum,set the dryer to air dry only. Use a flashlight while the drum is spinning,make sure the bushing is spinning with the drum,you can use a sharpie to mark the front of the bushing.If the brass bushing is not spinning with the drum,the flange in back of the drum will score the bushing,eventually will cause the dryer to fail.I had a hard time finding a bushing, by luck on eBay, I found a new one.I coated the new bushing with non slip rug pad,solved the issue.

 

[maytag85]

I have a 1963 RCA Whirlpool Imperial dryer in electric, and I greased the bearing but I might grease it again just for the sake of greasing it and making sure it doesn’t start squeaking.

I’ll post a picture of my 1963 Whirlpool Imperial dryer just Incase if anyone wants see what it looks like

 

[gelaundry4ever]

dryer update

What are the updates on this dryer? What is the drying temp for sturdy cottons?

 

[maytag85]

Reply #35

I believe most of those Kenmore soft heat dryers had all the temperatures built in. Even the timed drying cycles on a Kenmore soft heat are a sort of automatic dry cycle. Basically on the gas versions, it starts out with the full 37,000 heat output then gradually starts turning the flame down and if the temperature can’t be held once the clothes are dry, it’ll shut off the heat completely. The electric versions of the Kenmore soft heat simply just use a lower and high wattage element, basically the higher wattage element cycles on and off while lower wattage element stats on to maintain a steady temperature, if the temperature can’t be held once the clothes are dry, it’ll cut off the heat early before the cool-down. Probably left out a thing or two but that’s how it works from my understanding from surfing through the archives on the Kenmore soft heat dryers.

 

[combo52]

Kenmore soft heat dryers from the 60s

Reply number 36, mostly correct

During the heated portion of the timed or auto dry cycles. The heat never shuts off, unless something goes wrong.

On the electric versions there is no operating thermostat at all the smaller heating element will always be on.
On the gas versions themodulating burner will hold the temperature between 160 and 165 depending on the dryer it’s one or the other, if the modulating burner failed to modulate down word such as a failure, the heat was shut off at 180 to protect the machine and the clothing. but normally the flame never goes out until it gets to cool down.

John. ️ j

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>Combo52: On the electric versions there is no operating thermostat at all the smaller heating element will always be on.</blockquote> What controls the larger element?

 

[tomturbomatic]

I think it is the operating thermostat. I had an electric Kenmore Soft Heat dryer and it was amazingly fast because when the larger element cycled, there was still heat input from the smaller element so the dryer did not have to depend on those old heavy thermostats cooling down to cycle the heat back on which can be a lengthy process during which moisture removal slows. The smaller element will be on until the timer sends the machine into the end of cycle cool down or if the high limit thermostat shuts off the heat.

My KA Franken Dryer with the 37K modulating burner provides an exhaust temperature at the end of the vent hose of 165F within 5 minutes of starting.