Speed Queen gas dryer help please

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kenmoreguy89

kenmoreguy89

Well-known member
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Feb 23, 2010
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Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.
Hi all, my speed queen gas dryer just stopped igniting, the ignitor goes red, of course gas tap is open.

The dryer gas valve does not open....so no flame or any gas not ignited.

It just makes a weird thing, when I turn it on while gas tap is closed and after the ignitor went red and then cooled down and I open the gas tap it start releasing gas in the drum.....and does not stop until I stop the unit!
Also if I leave it about 30 minutes still and then I start it again the flame goes lighted  at first "attempt"  and stay so for about 3 minutes then it  shut off and never goes lighted even if ingnitor keeps going red.....

What could be?

Thanks
 
There could be several things......

a timer issue......

or the gas valve itself is not functioning......

you may have to investigate more as to the cause.......

does the gas still pour in even if the unit is unplugged, that would be cause for a bad gas valve......or like a washers water valve, something could be stopping it from closing, even unplugged, the water would still flow...

or test the contacts at the gas valve, is the timer sending down the current when needed after the igniter has reached the red glow?

my one experience was intermitant flame......all caused by a solenoid on the gas valve....using a screwdriver pushed against the solenoid to twist it, the flame burns, let go, and the flame stops......2 new solenoids cost about 30.00, and back in action ever since......

let us know how you make out....
 
Hi Martin thanks, no the gas just does not flow I would smell the odor from the vent, when I turn it on the ignitor goes red but no gas valve opens.... But another weird thing is that if I turn dryer  on with the gas tap closed and then I suddenly open it  I can hear a shhhh sound  from the burner and gas smell from the vent and drum,  but  if I shut off the unit gas  valve also shut off as well...
If I restart the dryer no gas gets ignited of course....
<a name="start_42914.631240">"is the timer sending down the current when needed after the igniter has reached the red glow?"</a> Eheh, good question this one,  how can I understand it, where do I have to check? Exactly? Anyway I think it does  maybe not always as when I turn it on after I reset it and it remained still for a while gas goes ignited and works as it should just for 3 minutes and then gas  shut off with ignitor keeping going red....
Just do not know where to start to look at......I'm not used with gas dryers....

Thanks Martin

[this post was last edited: 10/13/2012-11:24]
 
I found this webpage but did not understand many things, especially this part:

<h2 class="subtitle">Checking the Gas Valve.</h2>

This is done if you have established that the Ignitor Coil is coming on but the Burner is not firing up. A malfunction in the Gas Valve usually occurs when the Solenoid Coils that open the flow of Gas in the Gas Valve get weak and burn out. The Solenoid Coils are located on the top of the Gas Valve. After testing the Coils and establishing that they are good there is no need to check the Gas Valve any further. So lets go ahead and test the coils.

In order to test the Gas Valve coils you will need your Multi-Meter. Disconnect the wires that are connected to the two coils. With your meter set on the resistance setting check the coils for the following readings.

<ul>
<li>Between 1 and 2 your meter reading should be about 1365 Ohm +/- 25 Ohm.</li>
<li>Between 1 and 3 your meter reading should be about 560 Ohm +/-25 Ohm.</li>
<li>Between 4 and 5 your meter reading should be about 1220 Ohm +/- 50 Ohm.</li>
</ul>
What is a Multi meter? What is a Ohm? Did not understand what I would have to do also.....someone do understand something and can explain me?
Thanks

 
More info......

Okay I'm doing some continuous  attempts trying to get more info,  it was asked if it might be a pressure issue?
We've recently changed the gas piping that goes to my stove and dryer, we changed the rubber gas hoses that were became old.... the  main copper  pipe giving gas to the dryer and stove hose became a little bent due to new layout of kitchen,  but did not notice any difference of reduced gas flow or size nor in the dryer flame and stove....
It just makes me wonder the fact that initially, at the start of cycle ignitor goes red glow, but no gas is lighted, then the igniter keeps going red every 30 seconds (without lighting anything),  then if I turn off the gas tap and I let pass one time of ignitor lighting attempt with tap turned off and suddenly at the second attempt while ignitor is becoming red I open the gas tap the gas become lighted and it burns for about 5 minutes, then it shut off, and it does not get lighted anymore....
It is also happened that the burner didn't light properly , it once lighted at the beginning of the burner asembly tube with a very weaker flame......

Hopefully that it is a thing I could cheaply fix, also in case are coils to be changed there is always the problem of the voltage, i'd need 220-240 working ones and honestly I do not even know where to look for them....
I should ask to some Speed Queen dealers but I'm sure they would charge crazy costs and also push to make the repair theirselves...

[this post was last edited: 10/13/2012-15:54]
 
Just took a video......

 

The video starts with me turning the dryer on, first ligting attempt went bad as usual, all the shacking you can see at 0:35 it's me going to close the gas tap, then at 1:11 I let stand the camera inside the cabinet waiting for ignitor to light and get red and so me going to open the gas tap, then as you can  see the burner did again what I mentioned before, it just get a small gas flow at the beginning of burner assembly so I have immediately shut off the dryer, I took another video then showing again the gas tap trick which had success this time......and lasted lighted on  for 5 minutes, then as always it shut off.....

Thanks

 
A suggestion on something to look at is since you just moved the dryer to redo the gas line and had to hook the exhaust back up, is there anything blocking the airflow to the outside? If the machine does not have adequate ventilation it will not allow the gas to ignite if only for a few moments or not at all. You should also never use that plastic white exhaust pipe on a gas dryer. If this is not the issue it sounds like the gas valve has gone bad and needs to be replaced.
Jon
 
I checked the contacts and the dryer send current to coils after ignitor get red, I didn't understand how this Multi  Meter works, but, hopefully it is a coils issue I wil try to change them, do you maybe know if there is difference from 120 volt coils or 220 volt?
Would the 120 work the same with the 220 voltage?
I found a  cheap couple of them on ebay.....

Hopefully that it will be what will work for us.....

Thanks
 
Hi Jon, Thanks for input!

Hi Jon, it's gas  piping is brand new it just have a few weeks, except for the copper  gas pipe bringing gas to the room  which unfortunately is very hidden back behind kitchen furnitures so it is ver hard to reach for a change so I just hope it is the coils that went, I would need to move all the kitchen furnitures and wait for a plumber to come....and pay good money.

 I can just reach the copper pipe elbow and noticed that during the last works in the kitchen hand  bending it  they made it's circonference in the elbow tighter further... it could be a possible cause also..... it is 2 weeks that I've made these changes and no problems till yesterday... as for the vent hose  is brand new,and also vent hood is new, nothning is blocking the airflow as I can feel a good amount of air getting out of the vent and also this morning I tried to dry a load with the gas tap trick and I can see a good amount of steam going out the vent.....so is vented as it should....
About the plastic hose, well I knew some people says it is a fire hazard but it is because of the lint  as least this is what I've heard  and since my dryer is checked very often and I have it's vent always under control and  is very short I think this kind of  hose would work anyway....
I have  also thought about the gas pressure and flow as I mentioned.....speaking with my neighbors they said they all noticed that gas pressure in these  days is less than before and gas stoves burner burns slower......
May be that my possible limited gas flow of the gas pipe elbow and the decreased gas pressure of these days is the cause.....may be?  as said my stove does not show any signs of this decreased pressure I can keep all the four burners lighted with no problems.... but maybe it's me that I don't recognize it being new and still not knowing it well....
This may be another thing confirming this theory but also just a case..... my sister just told me she tried to run it yesterday   night at very late and she said the gas ignited for three times itself, than anymore, she said the burner turned off every 5 minutes or so, had about 2 mins without flame and then  would get re-ignited and so on....should the gas always stay lighted during cycle in a Speed Queen? I've read it could change from dryer to dryer.....never seen how it always did as i never had the need....anyway the fact that last night it lighted itself may be because the gas being night had a little more pressure in that time slot.....
but it may be not......how would you judge the gas flame you can see in the second video, does look a normal natural gas flame for a dryer? Or it looks weak? Oh another thing I've notice is that it use to produce a whistle while gas is ignited i've never heard before.....
Thanks

 
 
I don't have any dryer diagnostic advice, but:

You should never use copper tubing or piping to distribute fuel gas.
 
Copper piping.....

Can I ask why?
I have a copper pipe installed bringing gas to the room then it give gas to stove and dryer with a three way and flexible  rubber coated hoses going to stove and dryer, the copper pipe was installed time ago, probably early 80s,  when they did build the condo,  this is what came in my house, also, most of the domestic gas piping you can see over here are made out of copper...
This is what Italian laws says to use for fix  gas piping and this is what plumbers use when they have to make a  law certified gas plant.....
So wondering why it should not be used.....
 
Actually now that you mentioned it, i noticed in the second video that the flame was not all that large and you had a lot of yellow in the flame. normally its all blue and you would have a larger flame and a lot of noise from the blower sucking it through the dryer.
Jon
 
Copper piping for gas.

Is the norm for us europeans :) I think its only in the USA that you have to use that weird threaded iron pipe and after seeing a plumber do some gas work over there I am convinced that copper is a darn site easier IMHO of course :)

Austin
 
Got some news....

<a name="start_42948.631832"> </a>

<a name="start_42948.631832">Hi All, yes it was my doubt it's flame  was weak and it confirmed being so,  as watching some  SQ videos on youtube I could see larger flames.
The news is this, today after coming home I put myself back at troubleshooting the dryer, I tried yet another time to let  it run and with my big surprise it lighted up at first time and produced a very large blue flame, being almost the same circonference of the burner cone like it should be I guess , you could hear the flame noise being sucked as  Jon describes...</a>

<a name="start_42948.631832"> </a>

<a name="start_42948.631832">It contunued to light up and shut off every 5 minutes or so for 4 times, till it stopped even if ignitor was keeping going red.....</a>

<a name="start_42948.631832">
So it means that is not gas pressure the issue  as gas had neough pressure, so it 's something else...

So very likely is a coil issue (maybe not opening as they should because they got weak) at least I deeply hope so,  gas shutting off prematurely or not lighting is a sign of bad coild valves as I've I've learned so maybe it is also for gas pressure....
And the gas trick someway allows valves to work a little  even if not as they should.

I'm at work trying to unscrew the coils holder to check coils inside and eventually part number to find out if the ones I already found would work, unfortunately a bolt got stuck so I just hope the PB blaster I have sprayed will work, will wait for it to penetrate....
I hope that it will result "just" in a coil issue rather than a more serious issue like timer issue, I checked contacts with a current tester, and looks like the contacts work and current is sent...
If it will be the timer...well it's going to be hard...I will discover it just with the time.

Thanks all for the great help and inputs, please keep posting,  I will let you knon any news I will have about.

 </a>

 

 
 
I don't know how it works in Italy but in UK it is illegal to work on gas valves, pipes or fittings unless you are a qualified gas engineer.
 
What???

Really???

So if one needs to change an hose to a stove needs to call a "qualified" plumber?   sorry but to me this sounds  so stupid....

Here every hardware can sell gas stuff to anyone, intended as piping etc.... what it takes to put a pipe to a stove or dryer???

A matter is an house plant, another is piping an appliance, work on  coils etc...

Sorry but it sounds ridicolous to me....

Anyway not sure if there such a law in Italy, honestly......I don't care!
 

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