Let's Talk About Frigidair e"Filtra-matic" Electric Dryers - TR61

[launderess]

Here's me reading through the owner's manual for my Frigidaire ironer, and as wont to be the case of such period publications, the back of the book lists other products by the same maker.What did my little eye spy? Well Frigidarie speaking about their condenser "Filtra-matic" dryers.

Always knew about the 220v models (TR-60), but never knew there was a "plug-in" version that ran on normal 110v/120v current. This I would like to see!

One can only imagine the current draw on such a unit,and it probably would not pass UL or any other electrical code today.

 

[toggleswitch2]

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I have a standard North American dryer rated as 120/240v 60Hz. It is 5,600 watts (5,000w heater + 600w motor) being 24a.

My apartment does not have 220/240v service. By simply moving one wire, I am able to run the dryer on a standard 120v 20a circuit.

Cutting the voltage by/to half reduces the wattage to about than 1/4 of the original wattage. The 5,000w heating element (@ 240v) thus draws only 1,250w +/- (@ 120v)

Heating load @ 240v is 20.83a based upon:
Watts = volts x amps, so therefore watts / volts = amps
5,000w / 240v = 20.83a


So following Ohm's Law:

E (Electromotive-force in volts) = I (Amperage) X R (Resistance (in Ohms).

E= I x R same as E /I = R and R/E =I

240v / 20.83a = 11.52 Ohms

So, using 120v the heating load is:
120v / 11.52 Ohms = 10.42a

10.42a x 120v = 1,250 watts.

1,250 watts heater + 600w motor = 1,850 total draw being 15.41 amps.

Of course it takes at least double the time to do the job.......

Bedsheets= one set + two pillowcawses, Queen size = one hour
Ordinary load of darks 2+ hours.
Big load of towels and/or jeans up to 4 hours.
And theses time are based on a 1,000 RPM spin in my front-loader.

It is my understanding that nearly all early dryers in this country were made to be used on both voltages, in that not all residences/homes HAD 220v before (and well into) the 1950's. Even when they did, the 30a needed on 220v was the issue and not always available.

 

[toggleswitch2]

My dryer is delivered 110/120v by way of a custom-made (fashioned by moi-meme) extension cord with a heavy-duty plug and wire and a standaard 4-prong 220v 30a socket that fits the dryer's standard 4-wire/ 4-prong 220v plug.

Instead of the socket having 2 (split-phase i.e. different) hots, a neutral and a ground/earth; it is simply fed one hot, two neutrals and a ground/earth.

Having only a one-hour timer, I must use the auto-dry cycle (it is of the time/temperature type, NOT sensors) on low heat (because the high temp setting can never really be achieved) and at that the minimum setting, or else the dryer may not shut off.

But it works for me.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Assuming a fixed wattage draw, double the volts means half the amps and half the volts means double the amps.

But the reisistance of a load stays the same regardless of voltage, which makes my dryer's "conversion" to 110/120v possible; wattage goes way way down. And that means so does amperage.

So to reiterate, a dryer which requires a 30a circuit @ 220v only needs a 20a circuit on 110v.

 

[combo52]

120 volt Frigidare Filtra-matic

I have a 120 volt TR60 in my collection its exactly the same as the 240 volt machine except it has one 1800watt heater instead of two 2200watt heaters. I have used this dryer for many years as an axially dryer in the winter. Its pretty slow but not as bad as connecting a 240 model to 120 witch would give you 1100 watts of heat output. The dryer works fine on a 120 volt 12GA copper 20 AMP circuit.

 

[tomturbomatic]

After one of the newspaper articles about our collection, a lady called offering one of the 120 volt Filtrators that was in a Baltimore suburb. It was her late mother's and was in mint condition. It has the same timer as the 220 volt machine and needs every minute on the full 2 hour timer to dry a load of cottons spun out in a Unimatic. After the first load, the heated machine takes a little less time to dry subsequent loads.

 

[Unimatic1140]

One can only imagine the current draw on such a unit,and it probably would not pass UL or any other electrical code today.

Current draw is safely within a 20amp line rating. It just takes forever to dry a load on 110 volts.