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Thread: Need advice on fixing my Mum's clothes dryer

  1. #1
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    Need advice on fixing my Mum's clothes dryer

    I'm not sure what brand it is, she might've said Hotpoint, but her dryer is a fairly simple design and it's begging to have starting problems. When it's set to go and the start button is pressed the heating element heats up but the bin doesn't turn. If you open the door and rotate the bin by hand then apparently that loosens it up enough to start when you press the button again. If you run a second load of clothes after the first it'll start up ok with just the start button, but if left sitting for much time it requires a hand start. Once it gets going it runs just fine.

    I'm hoping this symptom is enough to diagnose what parts going bad and go in to do the swap. I don't have any experience working on a clothes dryer but I've changed out electric motors and bad capacitors on other equipment so I figure I should be able to get this done.

    77a64f28-d7ae-44d4-8e75-82cdf29c25b7.JPG
    If the end of the world ever comes move to Kentucky, because everything there happens 20 years later. ~ Mark Twain
    History began on July 4, 1776. Everything before that was a mistake. ~ Ron Swanson
    The economy of what you say lends more to it's meaning than the depth of it's exclamation.
    If you need a tool and don't get it, you paid for not having it and you still don't have it.

  2. #2
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    It sounds like the belt is worn out and needs to be replaced. There are also pads that the drum rides on that should be replaced while you have it apart. According to the label, it is a GE dryer. The model number is in the upper left corner of the label you posted. Belt wear is increased by loading too much weight into the drum.
    Lee Schierer
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  3. #3
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    Is the motor turning while the drum is sitting still. If so sounds like a bad belt or bad bearings. Do home owner dryers even have a rear bearing or is all rub pads.
    Bill D

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    Is the motor turning while the drum is sitting still. If so sounds like a bad belt or bad bearings. Do home owner dryers even have a rear bearing or is all rub pads.
    Bill D
    Mine has a spindle and bearing in the back that needs replacing every few years. It starts making noise, the wife squawks, it get replaced, life is good again.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #5
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    Hotpoint appliances are made by GE. A quick Google search shows that model number is indeed a Hotpoint dryer.

  6. #6
    Is it possible that the start capacitor needs replacing??

  7. #7
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    When it's ready for use and you press the "Start" button, can you hear the motor running to turn the drum?

    With the symptom that if it sets too long it has to be turned manually, I would check the belt, the idler spring arm and idler pulley. The idler pulley and spring arm are supposed to properly tension the belt.

    Looking at the parts manual, there isn't a motor start capacitor unless it's internal to the motor.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by brad hays View Post
    I'm not sure what brand it is, she might've said Hotpoint, but her dryer is a fairly simple design and it's begging to have starting problems. When it's set to go and the start button is pressed the heating element heats up but the bin doesn't turn. If you open the door and rotate the bin by hand then apparently that loosens it up enough to start when you press the button again. If you run a second load of clothes after the first it'll start up ok with just the start button, but if left sitting for much time it requires a hand start. Once it gets going it runs just fine.

    I'm hoping this symptom is enough to diagnose what parts going bad and go in to do the swap. I don't have any experience working on a clothes dryer but I've changed out electric motors and bad capacitors on other equipment so I figure I should be able to get this done.

    77a64f28-d7ae-44d4-8e75-82cdf29c25b7.JPG
    Replace the belt. Key thing is you said it "heats up." Dryer elements won't come on unless motor is up to speed. (There is an on/off switch for heating element built into the motor.) Because the fan is direct connected to the motor, this prevents element from over heating, and causing a fire. This function is what makes dryer motors perfect for starter motor on a RPC.

  9. #9
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    Because the fan is direct connected to the motor, this prevents element from over heating, and causing a fire. This function is what makes dryer motors perfect for starter motor on a RPC.
    Not being sure about what an RPC might be, Dr Google was consulted:

    Acronym Definition
    RPC Remote Procedure Call
    RPC Request the Pleasure of your Company
    RPC Reflected Power Canceler
    RPC Rules of Professional Conduct (court rules; various locations)
    RPC Regional Planning Commission
    RPC Régime de Pensions du Canada (Canada Pension Plan)
    RPC Rohnert Park (Amtrak station code; Rohnert Park, CA)
    RPC Revised Penal Code (Philippines)
    RPC Role Play Convention
    RPC Reformed Presbyterian Church
    RPC Racing Pigeon Club (various locations)
    RPC Remote Power Control
    RPC Regulatory Policy Committee (London, England, UK)
    RPC République Populaire de Chine (French: People's Republic of China)
    RPC Renta per Capita (Spanish: Income per Capita)
    RPC Radio Port Controller
    RPC Remote Power Controller
    RPC Real Proxy C
    RPC Remote Printer Console
    RPC Remote Pc
    RPC Regional Programming Center
    RPC Rich Photorealistic Content
    RPC Remote Process Control
    RPC Regional Playback Control
    RPC Reverse Park Control
    RPC Regional Programming Contest
    RPC Region Protection Code
    RPC Regents Park College (UK)
    RPC Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (law firm; UK)
    RPC Rail Passengers Council (UK)
    RPC Rainbow Power Company (Australia)
    RPC Recommandations pour la Pratique Clinique (French: Guidelines for Clinical Practice)
    RPC Regional Planning Council
    RPC Riverside Presbyterian Church (various locations)
    RPC Rich Photorealistic Content (3D graphics content file type)
    RPC Regional Plantation Company (Sri Lanka)
    RPC Royal Parks Constabulary (UK)
    RPC Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
    RPC Readers Per Copy
    RPC Revenue Per Click (internet advertising)
    RPC Research Program Coordinator (various organizations)
    RPC Reverse-Phase Chromatography
    RPC Retirement Planning Center
    RPC Resistive Plate Chamber
    RPC Rigid Plastic Container
    RPC Research Planning Committee (various schools)
    RPC Reentry Policy Council (est. 2001)
    RPC Respecting Patient Choices
    RPC Regional Processing Center
    RPC Recreation, Parks & Culture (Canada)
    RPC Right Party Contact
    RPC Role Playing Chat
    RPC Rockland Psychiatric Center (Orangeburg, NY)
    RPC Reverse Proxy Cache
    RPC Recurrent Pyogenic Cholangitis (disease)
    RPC Regional Psychiatric Center (Canada)
    RPC Refined Petroleum Coke
    RPC Radio Port Controller (PHS)
    RPC Remote Power Cycling (application)
    RPC Réseau de Protection du Consommateur (French: Consumer Protection Network; Canada)
    RPC Rapid Positioning Capability
    RPC Restrictive Practices Court
    RPC Restricted Path Consistency (graph theory)
    RPC Reorganization Planning Committee (Maine)
    RPC Recycled Products Cooperative (California)
    RPC Research and Publications Committee
    RPC Rijksplanologische Commissie
    RPC Role Playing Character
    RPC Real Procedure Call
    RPC Random Partial Checking (voting algorithm)
    RPC Reverse Phase Control (theatrical dimmers)
    RPC Reactive Perforating Collagenosis
    RPC Rapid Prototyping Center, Ltd.
    RPC Réseau des Professionnels Chrétiens (French: Christian Business Network)
    RPC Revenue per Call
    RPC Remote Printer Control
    RPC Regional Preparedness Committee
    RPC Rockford Products Corporation
    RPC Relative Percent Difference
    RPC Royal Patrons Circle (Royal Ontario Museum, Canada)
    RPC Recursive Path Contraction
    RPC Remittance Processing Center (GE Capital)
    RPC Rapid Prototyping Capacity
    RPC Randomized Parallel Computing
    RPC Radar Processing Control
    RPC Regional Play Control (DVD)
    RPC Rapid Product Creation (strategic planning)
    RPC Radiation Policy Council
    RPC Radiation Protection Council
    RPC Recognized Air Picture Production Center
    RPC Rapeseed Phosphatidylcholine
    RPC Remote Power Converter/Controller
    RPC Registration and Product Control
    RPC Registered Publication Clerk (US Navy)
    RPC Radioanalytical Project Coordinator
    RPC Recruiting Partnership Council
    RPC Repair Part Catalog
    RPC Rigid Plastic Card
    RPC Return Postcard (printing and paper industries)
    RPC Reporting to Commander
    RPC Resource Plans Chief (Fabrication Flight, Logistics Support Squadron, Offutt AFB, NE)
    RPC Record Player Collector
    RPC Reliability Prediction Committee (IEEE Reliability Society)
    RPC Reinforcement Physical Conditioning
    RPC Registered Product Code
    RPC Returnable Product Container
    RPC Redd Phoenix Clan (gaming clan)
    RPC Red PAS Controller
    RPC Requisition Processing Cycle
    RPC Rosslyn Packing Company (Virginia)
    RPC Refit Planning Conference
    RPC Repair Parts Cost
    RPC RISC-based Personal Computer
    RPC Resource Planning & Coordination
    RPC Request for Preauthorized Checking
    RPC Regina Peace Council (Canada)

    Still not sure…

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  10. #10
    Dit dit dit - - - sad news. The fight for acronym accuracy is lost. Acronym was coined to mean initials that could be pronounced as a word.
    Well, ….I knew we were losing… nothing to be done now but stack arms, and go home and use my acronym stickers for duct tape.
    Last edited by Mel Fulks; 07-26-2021 at 6:08 PM.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Not being sure about what an RPC might be, Dr Google was consulted:

    Still not sure…

    jtk
    Rotary Phase Converter, used to make three phase from single phase power. Pony motor gets three phase motor spinning, and then power is applied, with 3 phase being generated by 3 phase motor.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    Lexington, KY
    Posts
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    Thanks for the advice Lee Bill Jim Bryan Barry Ken Bruce and Mel. Lots of things to check out now.

    Ron Fitzgerald, I asked Mom about the motor running and she said she's been using the dryer a lot more over the past few weeks and it's starting like it should now, which probably points to some kind of mechanical problem v. electrical I would guess.
    If the end of the world ever comes move to Kentucky, because everything there happens 20 years later. ~ Mark Twain
    History began on July 4, 1776. Everything before that was a mistake. ~ Ron Swanson
    The economy of what you say lends more to it's meaning than the depth of it's exclamation.
    If you need a tool and don't get it, you paid for not having it and you still don't have it.

  13. #13
    If the motor is spinning but the drum is not, as others have said replace the belt, not hard to do on a Whirlpool, or Maytag, but should not be bad on a GE product either & not really that expensive.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    Lexington, KY
    Posts
    98
    Right on, thanks Rollie.
    If the end of the world ever comes move to Kentucky, because everything there happens 20 years later. ~ Mark Twain
    History began on July 4, 1776. Everything before that was a mistake. ~ Ron Swanson
    The economy of what you say lends more to it's meaning than the depth of it's exclamation.
    If you need a tool and don't get it, you paid for not having it and you still don't have it.

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