Whirlpool Senseon (Calypso) Dryer - What cracked my drum and is it repairable?

[ovrphil]

It's alive! ....NEXT victim.

The dryer is up and running again. Other than a door spring evading me for a day(fell on the floor, under the dryer), and some struggle with identifying which wire goes where for the moisture sensors, and a loose metal screw on the back that allowed a rattle (thought it was the rear bulkhead loosening up!)...it's quiet and smooth. This was a good learning experience and the online videos at applianceparts was so helpful. But back when I first bought this unit, I tried to disassemble it intuitively. Wrong idea. I released ONE screw in the back that holds one side of the rear bulkhead that holds the two rollers for the drum. It shifted the bulkhead down and I couldn't get the other screws to go back in, that I removed in some other places. I gave up and just used the dryer as is. Wrong again. It caused the drum to become off center, dropping down. Effectively, the front part of the drum was higher than the back. The moisture sensors never had the clothes hit their surfaces in many cases, and fortunately it didn't cause any damage, once I discovered what happened. So, cleaning it was doubly good.

Now I'll tackle the other unit's broken drum. Thanks again for your help.

 

[yogitunes]

its all good....as you start to go through more, and take a few apart, you will grasp how some units are designed a bit different than others....but in general, the basic stuff is there....

there is a LOT more info today for tearing one down and repairs than what was available back when most of us were younger....heck the internet or youtube didn't exist....that really was trial and error.....

keep us posted on your progress....we too could learn something new along the way....

 

[panthera]

JB Weld Radiator Repair

Would fix it. Welding by a competent shop would, too - and, no, they wouldn't melt the fins or set up weird stress patterns. Goodness, welding has advanced a teeny, tiny bit since the 19th century.

However - this is just another example of what trash Whirlpool is building these days. Something like this should never have happened. Makes me wonder how poorly their washing machine baskets are put together.

 

[ovrphil]

Compared to vintage dryers

That's for sure, Martin!

This WP GEW9868KQ0 must feel like a cheap tin can that a small animal could dent or chew up. Certainly. the panel is delicate that houses the lone board.( In fact, an object drooped from an upper shelf onto the panel and left a very small dent.

The web has become such a resource...younger users have no idea how slow and primitive (yet fun)the web used to be. In 1990, when I started using the WWW, I'm sure aw.org would be just a BBS. MODEMS ruled and the faster rated modems were like GODS along with as much RAM you could afford(4mb was all I could afford, but needed 8mb for my new DEC-Tandy, rebadged 25 mz.,clock-doubled(50mz)Windows3.11/OS2(partioned dual boot)pc "hot rod". 1 mil users were surfing the web back then and if not for BBS groups and tablature data bases, simple text...it was really primitive. So you early appliance hobbyists were roughing it, with no web or litle online resources. I feel lucky, minus all the web ads.
Just from online videos and Q and A's, I discovered moisture sensors and how dryer sheets can coat those sensors or a small load my never interract with those door- mounted sensors, which will not stop the dryer for desired dryness. So those got cleaned with alcohol. I haven't, but should, test those sensors using a fuller load, to enable the sensors to come into more direct contact with the clothes. Reportedly, that's how they optimally work. I hope I replaced the two moisture sensor wires correctly. It hasn't smoked yet! A how-to video instructed, black wire to top sensor and yellow to the bottm one, but thats on a duet...not my WP model. I can't always read a scematic, which was available in the troubleshoot guide(BONUS FIND IN PANEL ENCLOSURE) YES,I marked the tab, but cleaned it off by accident during cleaning. So, though many of you can tear down appliances with your eyes closed, for newbies like me here's an age old advice:take your time. Find online help, ask before you make a mistake, document your path into and out, and keep your tools and parts ororganized. Try to enjoy the process(refreshments!!) and take break if you get frustrated. Anyway..common sense stuff...

Panthera - Right, I see J.B. Weld and another product that looked as good if not better. Quality and durability were around another century,earlier. Considering this dryer is from 2001 and still rolling, I'm glad it doesn't need a drum repair and that it still works!

I'll be posting photos of the damaged dryer drum...and well see how repairing it works out.

[this post was last edited: 11/15/2017-12:17]