Appliance-resistor question

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augie47

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Tennessee
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State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
I have a dryer with a resistor across the "start" button.
The resistor appears to be "open".. what will the result be ?
 

augie47

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
schematic is missing. overheat thermostat is "open" which seems to be the problem with the dryer. I just happened to note the resistor was "open" also. assumed (I know) it was a suppresion acorss the button.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
schematic is missing. overheat thermostat is "open" which seems to be the problem with the dryer. I just happened to note the resistor was "open" also. assumed (I know) it was a suppresion acorss the button.

Are you talking about a thermal fuse? Rat Shack has them, or did a while ago. I have fixed many appliances by replacing them.

Just curious about the resistor. What value is it supposed to be and exactly how is it connected?
 

augie47

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
It's connected in parellel (across the terminals) of the momentary start button.
 

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
schematic is missing. overheat thermostat is "open" which seems to be the problem with the dryer. I just happened to note the resistor was "open" also. assumed (I know) it was a suppresion acorss the button.

Not sure what the resistor is for without a schematic. Are you sure its a resistor??

FWIW: A vent clogged with lint is a common cause for the overtemp thermostat to open.
 

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
I did a Google search and found that a resistor is sometimes used to keep the timer motor going.

Here's one

http://www.applianceblog.com/mainfo...-dryer-will-not-shut-off-after-dry-cycle.html

Nice find. On my dryer, if its running, and I open the door to stop it, then I can hear the timer still ticking.

If your's doesn't keep ticking, that may indicate the resistor is open.

Although, I'm not sure why the timer needs to keep running after the dryer has shut off?? Maybe for a cool down period before the buzzer sounds?
 

hurk27

Senior Member
The only dryer I found that has a 3770 ohm resister is the GE/Hotpoint older design type using the diagram found here

It looks like it is part of the Auto normal and auto knits cycle, normally the timer motor stops until the dryer reaches set temperature then when the heating element kicks off the timer is allowed to advance when the timer is selected for low heat or Polly knits this resistor is by passed and the timer motor keeps running even when the Polly knit thermostat shuts off (low temp)

The confusion was that you stated that the resistor is parallel with the start button, other then maybe the start button has a couple extra un connected terminals that was used as a connivance to locate the resistor I found no diagrams showing any resistors in the start button circuit, almost all start buttons apply power to the motor start windings until the run relay pulls in, this same relay also provides L-2 power to the other side of the heating elements. most other brands use a very similar circuit but most use a 4.7k ohm resistor or close to this, GE/Hot Point is the only one I find with the 3.77k ohm resistor?.

As far as what would this bad resistor cause if left bad? timer motor would not advance in any of the auto settings but would have worked just find in any of the manual timed or low temperature settings

If this dryer is not a GE/Hot Point let me know which one and maybe I can pull up a wiring diagram.
 
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augie47

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
Wayne,
In truth, I was posting for an acquaintance per his late night "help me" phone call.
My info is third hand, but I will attempt to find additional info.
Thanks.
(apparently replacing the heat bank enabled him to "dry" again and the resistor, if it is bad has not made s noticeable difference. In trouble shooting, he just noted it showed "open")
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
Wayne,
In truth, I was posting for an acquaintance per his late night "help me" phone call.
My info is third hand, but I will attempt to find additional info.
Thanks.
(apparently replacing the heat bank enabled him to "dry" again and the resistor, if it is bad has not made s noticeable difference. In trouble shooting, he just noted it showed "open")

Are you sure he had his meter on the right setting?

Trying to read a 3k resistor on the 200 ohm setting will display 'O' on a DVOM.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
Wayne,
In truth, I was posting for an acquaintance per his late night "help me" phone call.
My info is third hand, but I will attempt to find additional info.
Thanks.
(apparently replacing the heat bank enabled him to "dry" again and the resistor, if it is bad has not made s noticeable difference. In trouble shooting, he just noted it showed "open")

I get those calls all the time.:happyyes:

But like I said above if the resistor is bad, the timer will advance in manual timed mode or any low temperature modes, but in either auto modes it will just dry forever as the timer will not advance until it is moved past the cool down cycle (last 15 minutes of the auto setting)
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
I get those calls all the time.:happyyes:

But like I said above if the resistor is bad, the timer will advance in manual timed mode or any low temperature modes, but in either auto modes it will just dry forever as the timer will not advance until it is moved past the cool down cycle (last 15 minutes of the auto setting)

I almost feel so guilty. More then one customer has called about their dryer/ timers not working. I usually ask the age of the dryer and implant the idea of new dryer in her mind. Which usually means a new washer along with it. All for 50 cent resistor. :ashamed1:
 

hurk27

Senior Member
I almost feel so guilty. More then one customer has called about their dryer/ timers not working. I usually ask the age of the dryer and implant the idea of new dryer in her mind. Which usually means a new washer along with it. All for 50 cent resistor. :ashamed1:

I know what you mean, my last dryer was a 30 year old Whirlpool, the only thing ever went bad was low cost and easy replacement so I just kept fixing it, well about after I moved into my new house the drum motor finally died and I broke down and bought a new one.

But I limit my appliance work to relatives and close friends, not what I want to do for a living, and it's not listed on my insurance for me to do for hire so it gives me an out every time:p

Back in the late 70's I got a job with a commercial Laundry company in Longwood Florida, and had to repair and maintain coin ops all across Florida, along with about any other place you would have commercial equipment, coin ops in laundry mats were nothing more then a home machine with a coin operated timer, so what I learned there helped me in fixing my own stuff.:happyyes:
 

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
I almost feel so guilty. More then one customer has called about their dryer/ timers not working. I usually ask the age of the dryer and implant the idea of new dryer in her mind. Which usually means a new washer along with it. All for 50 cent resistor. :ashamed1:

If it makes you feel better, at least you aren't asking them how old their house is!! :)
 
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