Maytag to GE Console Adaptation

[Chetlaham]

How well would this GE console fit on a Whirlpool produced Maytag MEDC300XW0 dryer? Obviously it may not fit perfectly, however I want to know if it is viable to begin with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4035287709...00&rk=1&rkt=1&itm=403528770981&pmt=0&noa=1&pg

 

[goatfarmer]

With enough time, patience, and money, almost anything is possible.

 

 

[Chetlaham]

The listing comes with the back panel, I'm guessing all I will need are a few self taping machine screws.

 

 

Any idea if the lengths are identical?

 

 

It would be a dream to have a GE control system on a Whirlpool platform. 

 

[combo52]

Anything is possible

The Maytag dryer does not have a dual heating element so you'll have to figure a workaround for the GE temperature system right off the bat. The GE console is 27 inches wide while Maytag one is 29 inches wide.

The control system is obviously much better on the current Maytag dryer Where you have a nice auto dry cycle and real temperature control not just an input reduction.

John L

 

[Chetlaham]

Thank you John!

 

 

I might just swap the timers then and re-numerate the console on the Maytag. The timer should physically fit.

 

 

Temp control will remain off/low/med/high via bias thermostat as is now. I could implement a Whirlpool dual heating element like they did on their original MED5920TW0 Centennials though I don't think its worth the added effort and the disadvantage of thinner elements vs the single element I have in there now.

 

 

 

 

Will gladly trade the auto dry and subsequent wrinkle prevent for a genuine 130 minute timed dry cycle. 

 

 

   

 

 

[this post was last edited: 2/1/2025-08:11]

 

[Chetlaham]

In an Ideal World

This is what my Maytag Centennial would look like, along with what would be millions of other machines:

 

 

 

 

    

 

Hi-limits and thermal fuses on both sides of the line, dual under-driven  2700 watt heaters, Mallory timer, lighted console, hamper door, lint whistle, shoe rack insert, medium heat cycling stat, porcelain enamel tops, 10 minute press care cool down, 5 minute regular cycle cool down, all in the Whirlpool top filter design but with seriously beefed up belt, rollers and cabinet.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

One can fantasize about a practical workhorse with all the respectable home style features. Throw in a 10 year unlimited warranty with a lifetime heater warranty and I'm sold.  

 

 

Of course the next best thing would be to replicate this at home with some vintage GE parts. 

 

 

[combo52]

Reply number 4

Disadvantage of thinner elements ???

you're going to have to explain this one to me.

 

[Chetlaham]

Honestly, you might have gotten me on this one. My understanding, though limited, is that thinner elements sag and deflect more (with time) over a comparable distance. I'm curious how well Whirlpool has taken that into account when using the same set of supports and spacing for their double element dryers as they do for their standard single 5600 watt elements. Maybe they have, maybe less so... I generally don't like being the one to find out. 

 

 

I personally would like to see appliance manufacturers use higher wattage higher voltage elements adapted to the actual

nominal voltage. For example, putting 277 volt 7,450 watt elements in 240 volt dryers which would put out about 5,600 watts at 240 volts. The cooler running element would last much longer. Appliance makers should engineer dryer elements such that they will absolutely never fail with unobstructed exhaust ducting of reasonable length. 

 

[neptunebob]

But Chet...

As Freddy Mercury would scream:  Why, wHy, whY, why, WHYYYYY?!?!?!?!?

 

[combo52]

Chet, your GE dryer has thinner, coils, thinner coils are not as heavy or less likely to sag. You have no engineering sense at all.

You designed a dryer that could run for over two hours at temperatures over 200° with dry clothing in it there's absolutely no safety in that type of design. It's absolutely ridiculous. No one would ever build it. They wouldn't be allowed to build it thankfully. The home insurance industry would ban that dryer.

The household voltage range in the United States runs from about 208 V for people with three phase service to nearly 250 V for a large percentage of people appliances. Need to be able to run in those ranges safely.

Whirlpool has not built a dryer with a 5600 W element in many decades , 5400 W is the highest they have built in years.

Almost every week I substitute a 3600 W element in 29 inch whirlpool dryers for the original 5400 W element where people have long vents and or voltage that is nearly 250 V to prevent repeat problems and service calls.

Why don't you use your talents to come up with some good ideas that could help the world. It's a shame that your personal situation keeps you from being able to actually go out and work on or see what happens to appliances in the real world. I hope you eventually find someway to actually help since you have so much interest. But because you have been so standoffish not giving the least a little bit of information about your own problems it's impossible for anybody else to help you as well, good luck

John L

 

[Chetlaham]

Twisting reality

<blockquote>
GE dryer has thinner, coils, thinner coils are not as heavy or less likely to sag. You have no engineering sense at all.

</blockquote>
 

 

 

Anyone with a basic background in engineering or construction knows the thinner any material is over a given distance the more it will sag or buckle compared to same material of a greater thickness. This can literally be tested and observed by anyone.

 

 

 

<blockquote>
<span style="color: #ff6600;">You designed a dryer that could run for over two hours at temperatures over 200° with dry clothing in it there's absolutely no safety in that type of design. It's absolutely ridiculous. No one would ever build it. They wouldn't be allowed to build it thankfully. The home insurance industry would ban that dryer. </span>

 

 

 

</blockquote>
Uh John, those are called high limits. They are placed on and around the heater box while facing the heating element- which will always be much hotter than the rest of the dryer. A heater box and its radiant output can easily exceed 200*F without the rest of the dryer, exhaust, or clothing ever exceeding 200*F in either normal or emergency conditions.


 

Just because a heater box exceeds 200*F doesn't mean the rest of the dryer will exceed 200*F.

 

Since you grasp thermo dynamics better than Whirlpool, Maytag, GE,  Electrolux, Milele, ect you should give these guys a call and tell them they've been doing it wrong for over 100 years by specking 250*F to 360*F high limits. Tell them its ridiculous. Tell them those dryers should not be being built. Call insurance companies and let them in on this grandiose mistake. Contact UL, NRTLs. Tell your local fire department about it. 


 

In fact most tech sheet, service manual or even a parts bag will tell you those high limits are typically rated to trip in excess of 200*F on hundreds of millions of dryers.   

 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/sm-backend-production-attachments/wiringsheet-3399691-reva.pdf
 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/sm-backend-production-attachments/wiringsheet-8576811.pdf
 

 

<blockquote>
<span style="color: #ff6600;">The household voltage range in the United States runs from about 208 V for people with three phase service to nearly 250 V for a large percentage of people appliances. Need to be able to run in those ranges safely. </span>

 

 

 

 

 

</blockquote>
And? I never stated or insinuated that appliances can't safely handle those voltages or their NEMA bandwidths.    

 

<blockquote>
<span style="color: #ff6600;">Almost every week I substitute a 3600 W element in 29 inch whirlpool dryers for the original 5400 W element where people have long vents and or voltage that is nearly 250 V to prevent repeat problems and service calls. </span>

</blockquote>
 

Thats just one way of solving premature heating element failures.


 

 

 

<blockquote>
<span style="color: #ff6600;">But because you have been so standoffish not giving the least a little bit of information</span>

 

 

 

</blockquote>
John, you are the problem. You're the reason you see what you see.


 

I posted a design concept with 350*F high limits as is normal for hundreds of millions of dryers, as dictated by physics, and then you go on to shamelessly insinuate I had proposed a dryer that would have drum, clothing and exhaust running in excess of 200*F.


 

Members who trust you then take your words as incontrovertible truth, become outraged at my misrepresented character, motives or intelligence and then place me on their block list. The divide only grow furthers with time as they can now only see your misconstrued posts but not my rebuttals calling you out on it. 

 

 

In cases such as these presenting any more information than needed for the topic at hand is of no help or advantage.

 

 

 

 

 

[this post was last edited: 2/2/2025-13:24]

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Really, why the effort to "hot rod" a toggle-switch GE dryer and such a low-line model with a Maytag cabinet that's still going to be one that only the original controls will still work with?

Keep the dryer that's with those controls, it's the only thing equivalent to "street legal" as opposed to something that's still a mundane, modern Maytag out of place with what it competed with to be at the top of the heap...

Though putting an antiquated set of controls there won't at least to me won't improve it, given the battle with native technological elements just about all the esxperts here have chimed in with...

Try it with a halo of heat cabinet and drying if you really must, at least that's more era-correct...

So would be that GE cabinet Frankenstein'd with a Maytag-tiled center-dial dash, no?!

-- Dave

 

[Chetlaham]

I will keep the heating system as is- it currently gives the perfect temperatures with its single element and bias thermostat. High limits and thermal fuses to remain as they are now for obvious reasons. In all honestly I prefer Whirlpools heat control system to GE's. 

 

 

The thing I am really after is the 130 minute unadulterated dry cycle. That is what I long for.  

 

70 minutes with medium heat switching to low heat half way through the cycle is not enough for a full load of heavy towels or stuffed pillows. The 10+ minute cool down then leaves the load room temperature cold. Yuck and depressing. It has been this way since day one. The vent system is unobstructed and short, and the dryer does not cycle on its high limit. 70 minute cycle is just enough to dry average loads, more than enough to dry small loads, but for large loads forget about it.

 

 

High heat might solve the issue with super loads coming out damp, however I rarely use high heat. Medium and low is the only setting I use. 155*F to hot.

 

 

The level of supposed fire risk is no more than me turning the dial back to 70 minutes once it has advanced to 40 or 50 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

[combo52]

130 minute dry cycle

That's ridiculous. You need a better washing machine even my huge loads of 12 bath sheets which are bath towels that are nearly 5 feet long and 3 feet wide, dry easily in about 60 minutes in my dryers.

It is considered very dangerous to run a dryer for an hour or more with dry clothing in it, it's also very hard on your clothing to say nothing of a waste of electricity or gas and inside air from your dwelling.

A well engineered product makes people's lives better. A dryer should shut off automatically when clothing is dry saving the machine wear and tear your clothing and reducing hazard and energy usage.

It's too bad you can't put your interest into something productive that actually has a chance of being built, you could actually patent things if You thought up something that was actually useful.

John L

 

[Chetlaham]

The thing is with very large loads the clothing isn't dry at 60 minutes, it is still damp. So nothing is running dry for an extra 10-20 minutes. That is not dangerous or wasting energy when said energy is actually needed to fully dry the clothing.

 

 

Sensor pads and thermostats can not always tell whether clothing is dry or not. Shoes, comforters, stuffed pillows and toys, ect can appear dry while still damp.

 

 

130 minute dry cycles were built and were actually useful. Misguided energy regs, knee jerk ligation and people being aggressively stupid are what lead to the infantalization of appliances. You can't even boil water or sear steak on modern burners.

 

[neptunebob]

Chet are your a retired engineer?

How else would you have time to come up with these concerns?  Maybe you should look into getting more fiber in your diet too.  

 

So far, you have not answered Freddie Mercury and WHYYYYYYY!!!!?!?!

 

Often when comforters come out slightly damp from the dryer, I place them over the living room sofa and they dry completely by the next day.

 

[combo52]

130 minute dry times

The only reason older dryers could be run for over two hours some up to almost 3 was because they were designed to be hooked up to 120 V for people who couldn't afford the wiring or didn't have 240 V in their house.

No full-size washer dryer pair in the United States ever was designed to run two hours to dry normal loads when it was hooked to the proper voltage or gas, this is a by gone idea that nobody wants and people buying new appliances would not tolerate today. Things like shoes should not go in a dryer. I couldn't imagine what your shoes would look like if you let them tumble in the dryer for two hours, I wash shoes every month and I just set them in front of the grill of my refrigerator, where the warm air blows out and their bone dry overnight, there's many other ways to dry shoes as well without destroying them or running a 6000 W dryer for hours.

New ranges have as hot or hotter, burners, broilers, than ever before. There is no problem getting things grilled baked, etc. Gas ranges have up to 20,000 BTU burners back in the good old days. You were lucky to get to 12, many electric smooth top ranges have 3000 W elements and of course induction ranges are faster than anything ever built so I'm not sure where you're getting that silly idea that you can't cook anymore on new stoves.

Why aren't you working in the industry if you're so interested rather than just sitting at home dreaming of this nonsense all the time?

John L

 

[Chetlaham]

Of Course!

Absolutely. Older dryer were designed and listed for 120 volt adaptation if 240 volts was not available. That is indeed the reason why 90 minute timed dryer cycles had an extra 40+ minutes added to them.  

 

 

 

 

 

However, that doesn't change the fact full size dryers of the past not intended for 120 volt operation still offered a 90 or 100 minute timed dry cycle. Without switching to low heat mid-way through. And without a 10+ minute cool down. Because 70 minutes of  soft heat permanent press treatment was not enough. I highly doubt any customer would consciously refuse to buy a dryer because it offered 90 minutes of unadulterated timed dry.

 

 

Shoes work well with towels and even tennis balls thrown in. Shoes can be dried on a rack that goes inside the dryer, as offered by Kenmore back in the day. Nothing gets damaged or worn out.

 

 

Burners- of course they are more powerful than ever. Until silly UL mandated burner thermostats which prevent people from being able to cook. A very small percentage of people whom were being negligent started grease fires, so the solution was adding thermostats that cutout the burner.

 

They work so well, that people are actively bypassing them:

 

https://www.ncgunowners.com/xf/threads/i-got-a-new-stove.79571/
 

Read the Youtube reviews if you want an accurate, real world account of what people are experiencing with sensi temp burners:

 



 

 

I've been cooking myself for over 30 years including weekly frying, even when sick or exhausted, and I have never had a grease fire let alone left heating oil unattended. Or kept adding heat the few times oil went above its smoke point.

 

In other words, the majority of people are punished for the negligent actions of a few. Cost of living increases to cover the cost of new rules which aid or help nobody at the bottom. A concept that goes against freedom, liberty and democracy. 

 

 

 I am a US citizen with inalienable human rights and a consumer.

 

 

[this post was last edited: 2/4/2025-09:50]

https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=37448

 

[Chetlaham]

Concerns

@neptunebob: I don't need time. I just put a very heavy load on medium heat for 70 minutes and it comes out damp. It as simple as that.

 

[combo52]

New coil top burners with safety shut down

Again, you know nothing about how this works these limit the temperature of the pan to roughly 1000°. I don't think there's anything you cook it over 1000° just like smooth top elements limit the temperature at about 1000°F.

The purpose of the safety devices on coil top elements is to greatly reduce warranty and service expenses damage to ranges damage to the elements themselves and damage to cookware from boiling dry and actually melting aluminum pans onto infusing to the elements.

This also does slightly reduce the risk of having a fire on top of your range from unattended pans left on high, this type of requirement is been in place in Europe for 50 years. It has been voted in by the great majority of Americans I suppose if you wanna burn your house down, you should tell your insurance company of your intent to do so See what they have to say.

The safety sensors on ranges do not affect cooking one bit unless you have old pans that are so badly work that you shouldn't be using them in the first place.

Again, you show absolutely no knowledge of engineering to make remarks that this is not a good system I have heard 0 complaints from consumers with this type of element, they're trying to work out a similar system with gas ranges, but it's much more complicated, gas ranges aren't quite as big risk because they don't get near as hot as electric stoves to begin with, but it still can't be a problem.

John L

 

[Chetlaham]

According to GE's link I posted, the burner cutouts when the pan temperature reaches 450*F:

 

 

 

How do you know the pan temperature is actually allowed to reach 1000*F when auto ignition temperature of grease and cooking oil is below 1000*F?

 

Have you read UL 858? The intent UL858's new rules is preventing grease fires.

 

The American public does not vote on UL or NFPA standards. You don't know how the system works.

 

Site a source for all your claims, otherwise I'm not buying any of them.

 

 

People are complaining, have a look at the internet. The complaints for sensi temp are scathing, plentiful and racking up thousands of upvotes.

 

 

 

[qsd-dan]

Chet,

What is your current dryer? I know you have a pre 2018 Speed Queen top loading washer.

Are you looking into making a custom dryer as a 2nd dryer or as your one and only dryer?

For shoes, I don't recommend tumble drying those without a rack. They can loosen/damage the baffles. If one has an interior light in the path of tumbling items, shoes can damage the lens cover. During the winter months, I put shoes upside down over the heater registers. During the summer months, I take one of my vintage fans, point it slightly downward and air dry on high speed overnight.

When drying a comforter, it's a good idea to turn it inside out at least once to get the middle dry. Running the dryer for an hour and a half without doing this can over dry/damage the outer fabric. With a sensor dryer, use the "more dry" option (if that is an option). Turn the comforter inside out and either use the sensor dry again or use timed dry. If you're using a 29" Whirlpool/Kenmore design, be prepared to do this several times due to the rear intake/exhaust/sensor mounted on the rear bulkhead (these machines do NOT play nice with drying large items!).

I never had a problem drying pillows in under an hour and that's out of a commercial front load washer with a 500 RPM final spin. Time dry should work if you want to over dry them vs sensor dry.

 

[Chetlaham]

My current dryer is a Maytag MEDC300XW0, delivered in early 2013. This is my daily use dryer. I plan is to adapt a General Electric WE4X525 / 963D123G009 timer to it.


 

 

Comforters you do have to pull out and re-arrange/un-ball several times. Some dry faster than others.

 

 

 

[Chetlaham]

Here is the inside of the my Maytag Dryer

Dan, I disagree that shoes and other loads damage the dryer when done right. I use this dryer every day, and despite the routine overloading and heavy, rough loads the inside of the dryer still looks like it did new. I have to say that this probably one of the best dryers ever built hands down. The drum and paint is superb without any scratches except a little bit around the exhaust. The baffles are strong, they have not loosened, bent, cracked, warped, or broken. Zero discoloration except slight yellowing of the light bulb cover.

 

 

 

If you take a look, the heat vent has only a little bit of browning indicating the grate does not get super hot. The venting is excellent and I only dry on low and medium heat.

 

 

The door hinges however are not in good shape, they are putting out a black grime on everything around them.

 

[Chetlaham]

Heat Vent

Hear is an up-close of the heat vent. Does this vent look like it has been overheating?

 

[qsd-dan]

I used a 29" dryer for almost 30 years, I'm well aware of them. Never will go back to one, either. Mine was from the early 80's when they still used that ultra shitty thin interior paint that wore out in 10 years. It took Whirlpool until the late 80's (what, 4 decades?) to put a decent coat of interior paint inside their dryers...like every other manufacture was doing from the very beginning. Speaking of ultra thin shitty paint, you'll never see rustier dryer top than a Whirlpool made one.

Drying bulky items such as comforters was a constant invert and rotate for hours on end from the rear bulkhead intake/exhaust/sensor placement, don't miss. Sensor accuracy was "okay" for clothes, but miserable for bulky items. Having lint dust flurry all over the top every time I removed the filter....don't miss that either. I can still hear that under designed screechy idler wheel right now. At least they reengineered those for the better in later years. I could go on like the hilariously cheap foam weather strip seals around the intake and exhaust vents on the rear bulkhead that deteriorate quickly and leak. The blower area that collects lint and reduces efficiency. The coarse exhaust grill that gobbles small items and dumps them into the blower/blower area. Thank God those days are long over with!

Your complaints about under drying of items, especially bulky items, is definitely right on par with my experience. I know it all too well!!!

 

[Chetlaham]

I think we can agree and see eye to eye on bulky items not drying. I can also empathize with the rusty top, it scratches very easily. And by that I mean if you literally drag a plastic wash pan over the surface it will mar and scuff. The outer paint is a super weak area on these dryers. The side of the dryer that faces my Speed Queen washer has a huge rust spot with the paint totally worn off. I will spare your innocence and not show it LOL.  

 

 

Do you have any experience with Whirlpool 27 inch dryer platforms?  I am thinking about getting one of those. 

 

[qsd-dan]

No experience with the 27" models although they look suspiciously identical to the Maytag SOH's minus the 2 front support rollers (which, BTW, is a weak spot on these dryers, especially on the LG and Samsuck models who both copied this exact design. Plenty of evidence on Youtube to back up my claims). At least with these dryers, you have bulkhead to bulkhead airflow which is an added plus for large items. However, as with all bulkhead mounted sensors (front bulkhead sensor vs rear bulkhead sensor on the 29"), they're not the most accurate in sensing moisture.

"The side of the dryer that faces my Speed Queen washer has a huge rust spot with the paint totally worn off. I will spare your innocence and not show it LOL."

Trust me, I know! Had a pinhole leak in a jug of laundry detergent that bubbled up most of the paint on the top of my '81 Kenmore around 1991. It was rusty within a week and continued spreading until I sanded/repainted it days before giving it away. Had a very similar occurrence with my SOH Maytag many, many years later when a leaky spigot slowly oozed an entire brand new jug of Tide all over the top and front panel. Wiped it right off the porcelain finish. It didn't even bother/fade the paint on front panel where it drooled down.

 

[qsd-dan]

When is the last time you cleaned your vent hose?

Last time you took the back cover off, removed the filter plenum and inspected it? These dryers LOVE the collect lint in this area.

 

[Chetlaham]

Somewhere around 2016 (ish) I took the filter plenum off for cleaning. There was no lint build up at all much to my surprise.

 

I say that because in 2009 I cleaned out the Estate dryer which came with the old house, and, the plenum was absolutely packed in with hard cemented lint. Never saw such or so much before- even in the obscene exhausts of apartment GE/Hotpoint dryers. Obscene because sometimes you had tenants that would take the filters out and run the dryers without them. The Estate dryer had been heavily neglected and abused by the previous owner. When the rollers started screeching on the Estate I bought the Maytag on a black Friday sale and had it delivered in January 2013. 

 

 

The only thing that gets clogged are the exterior vent flaps, and I have to clean those monthly. But the rest surprisingly remains clean-ish though to be fair I have not checked the exhaust plenum the last couple of years.