Timed Dry Cycle

[Chetlaham]

Is there any law or regulation that limits the amount of time the timed dry cycle can be on a clothes dryer? I see that new dryers do not offer more than 65-70 minutes of dry time, and I don't see any dryers made past the mid 90s that have a time dry only cycle like many BOL GE dryers.

 

[combo52]

Yes Partly

New dryers must have some form of auto dry, and manufactures are trying to get away from long timed cycles because of possible energy waste and INCREASED FIRE risk from users setting the timer for hours trying to get clothing dry when the vent system is blocked, or the dryer is not operating properly Etc.

 

[launderess]

IIRC Timed Dry Cycles

Run afoul of the DOE's push to make appliances energy efficient. To wit most all dryers sold today have moisture sensors. Something previously only seen on top or perhaps middle shelf models.

My vintage Whirlpool portable dryer (in Harvest Yellow)does not have any sort of sensor drying, however the modern version does and has had for some time.

As to the length of timed dry cycles when found suppose makers feel most users will be going with sensor dry for things that would take long periods to dry anyway. Even my rather new AEG Lavatherm suggests only using timed dry for small loads that the dryer's electronic sensors may have difficulty getting right. This and or for things where you want more control over dryness.

For instance if I chuck something deemed "dry" already by the Lavatherm it won't run for more than a minute before shutting down. Have to used the timed dry setting instead.

 

[dustin92]

Maybe? I'm sure someone else knows more, but it seems like after a certain date, all dryers had to offer an automatic cycle. We had a very BOL Roper (Whirlpool) dryer that had one heat setting, no options or buzzer, and a 30 minute timed cycle or the automatic cycle. It was a good dryer (as all Whirlpool dryers we've owned have been) but pretty much forced you to use the auto dry, it dried well but wouldn't dry a load in 30 minutes. They may also be required to offer a timed cycle, not sure on that though. As far as offering only a 65-70 minute timed cycle, some people use only the timed cycle, and 65-70 minutes should be more than enough to dry an average load. A good family friend did exactly that- used only the timed cycle, max time on high heat. At one point they had a GE that had a 90 minute timed cycle. I would hate to see the amount of electricity that was wasted after the clothes were already dry in that dryer. Next was a Whirlpool, 80 minute timed cycle, high heat. I always tried to tell her the auto cycles would save electricity and money, but she never really got the point across. They lived with us for a year and I told her she needed to use the auto/normal cycle. Caught her putting it on max dry! Clothes always dried perfectly on normal. Some people just don't learn LOL.

 

[Chetlaham]

Fire Risk

I can see time dry masking such an issue, especially those 80s BOL GEs that literally had a 120 minute timed dry cycle, if not more. I miss them I know people who prefer timed dry for some reason, although to be fair a lot of newer BOL and MOL whirlpool dryers come with a wrinkle guard on the auto dry cycle that can't be turned off so it forces timed dry.

60 minutes is more than enough for high heat, though on very large loads on medium heat I find that my top lint Whirlpool needs another 10 minutes on top of those 65 minutes. Reason for time dry is that mine does not have a switch for the wrinkle guard- so if I run the dryer when I plan on not unloading it I have to hear the motor cycle for 2 hours. But I love this dryer so I am not to bothered. Whirlpool makes the best dryers IMO.

 

[Chetlaham]

Look ma, no auto Dry!

Here is the tech sheet to a time dry only GE I used to have:

 

[Chetlaham]

Time Dry only GE

Not my thread, but just for the history/discussion, a GE with a 120 minute timed dry cycle. The PP is also timed dry.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?46459

 

[retro-man]

I thought that the extra long timed dryer cycles were on electric dryers. I don't recall seeing that long a period on a gas dryer. I could be wrong. Anyways that long of a timed period was used when installing the dryer on 120V. This dropped the heating element temp considerably and the longer time was need to dry the clothes, since the automatic cycles did not work correctly on 120v.

Jon

 

[pierreandreply4]

the screen shot of my grandmother 's dryer was time dry

the pic might be vintage but my grandmother now passway who had a 40 year old dryer was mostly time dry if you look at the control when using the perm press cycle

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>the pic might be vintage but my grandmother now passway who had a 40 year old dryer was mostly time dry if you look at the control when using the perm press cycle</blockquote> Pierre, that dryer is ALL timed dry.  The Light / Med / Heavy cycle is also timed.  It's just marked for fabric weights instead of minutes.

 

[cam2s]

My Maxima offers up to an hour and forty minutes of timed dry. The default time is 40 minutes. If you select the rapid dry the default time is 18 minutes.

Cameron

 

[mayguy]

Why wouild anyone use timed dry for more then 60 min!? Waste of energy, and hard on the clothes as most loads takes 30-50 miin to dry anyway?

I use my sensor dry 99% of the time, only timed on mattress liner on the gust bed.

 

[supersurgilator]

I have a 1 year old GE dryer and I find the auto cycles to run WAY longer than necessary and overdry the clothes. I set it to the less dry setting on high heat. It will run for way over an hour. Sometimes I go and check on the clothes and they are bone dry and the control is still at the less dry, it hasn't even advanced any.

I've also used it on a Whirlpool that was at a guest house we were staying at. Put a load of towels in on the normal dry. It ran its cycle and stopped. Went to take them out and they were still very damp. Used it for an identical load the next day and when I checked on them, they were all bone dry and it was still sitting on the normal setting and hadn't advancd. Unfortunately if it worked correctly these would be great cycles, but I'm not impressed from personal experience.

 

[super32]

I only use time dry for large/bulky items that tend to confuse the auto/electronic dry. I usually set for about 20-30 minute sessions, then i can check, flip, rotate the item in question.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Drying times

My Duet, as well, has a 1hr and 40 minute max drying time.