GE Dryer won't start

[ChrisJM981 924]

Another new home owner issue. Dryer will not start. When I turn the Start switch I can hear it hum, but nothing else happens. Exhaust was discovered to be not properly attached. Lint was escaping from the back. I'm not sure if the issues are related, but I figured I'd mention it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mipafox 438]

Do you have any rope or clothes pins?

 

I doubt it will help but try to turn the dryer by hand then try again. And see if manipulating the limit switch that senses the door shutting changes anything. Again, I doubt that would help because it should lock out all function and there probably wouldn't be a hum. But it's 30 seconds work for a 5% chance of success.

 

If I still had an office in Morris County I would swing by but it's out of the way now.

 

 

[ChrisJM981 924]

I checked the dryer door switch. It hums when I depress the button with my finger and try to start it. Is that what you mean?

[mipafox 438]

Yes, did you turn the dryer drum by hand?

 

 

[10X 3,296]

There is a drive belt that goes from the motor pulls around the drier drum. They break, in which case you will hear the motor running but nothing else happens. I've replaced a couple over the years.

[ChrisJM981 924]

Yes, did you turn the dryer drum by hand?

While turning the start dial and depressing the button? I guess I could turn the drum with my foot.

[ChrisJM981 924]

There is a drive belt that goes from the motor pulls around the drier drum. They break, in which case you will hear the motor running but nothing else happens. I've replaced a couple over the years.

Motor doesn't start up. Just humming fron the dial. Trying to manually start it as suggested by Mipa.

[ChrisJM981 924]

Yes, did you turn the dryer drum by hand?

Yeah so that worked.

[Displaced Texan 11,748]

Probably the starting capacitor on the motor.

[Kevin125 4,772]

Probably the starting capacitor on the motor.

 

Very likely.

[ChrisJM981 924]

Thanks guys. Time to find a part.

[Lalo 13]

Thanks guys. Time to find a part.

 

http://www.repairclinic.com/

[mipafox 438]

Hold on a second.

 

First, get the thing open so you can see what is going on, and make it activate. Confirm the motor does not spin and confirm it's not an issue with the belt. If the motor spins then obviously it's not the cap.

 

Next, test the cap. Unplug the machine, open the back of the motor. Short the cap by crossing the two terminals with a screwdriver. Take a photo of the wiring. Disconnect the wires from the cap. Short it with the screwdriver again. Test the cap with the voltmeter, should be near zero. Set the meter to homs (conductivity), and put the two leads from your meter on the two terminals of the cap and leave them there. IF you read any conductivity the cap is obviously dead. If not, leave them on there anyway for 30 seconds. You are actually charging the cap with your meter. Disconnect from the cap, and switch the meter back to DC voltage again. Check the cap for voltage. If the cap is OK, you will get voltage, and it will start to drop over about 30 seconds or so.

 

If the cap passes both tests, do not bother buying a cap. The motor is dead, and it is too small to repair.

 

Just FYI since it probably won't matter - Most people don't know this, but you can test small single phase motor windings with a multimeter and without the need of a meghohm meter. The power leads for the motor (completely disconnected from the dryer and the cap/starting circuit) should have non detectable or at least meghohm resistance with the case. There is also a specified resistance level range across the windings for these small motors. Good luck finding those numbers. But if the motor has voltage (confirmed with meter), doesn't turn, and the cap tests good, it's 95% the motor is dead anyway and further testing doesn't really help much.

[wweng 1]

youtube is your best friend

[ChrisJM981 924]

Hold on a second.

 

First, get the thing open so you can see what is going on, and make it activate. Confirm the motor does not spin and confirm it's not an issue with the belt. If the motor spins then obviously it's not the cap.

 

Next, test the cap. Unplug the machine, open the back of the motor. Short the cap by crossing the two terminals with a screwdriver. Take a photo of the wiring. Disconnect the wires from the cap. Short it with the screwdriver again. Test the cap with the voltmeter, should be near zero. Set the meter to homs (conductivity), and put the two leads from your meter on the two terminals of the cap and leave them there. IF you read any conductivity the cap is obviously dead. If not, leave them on there anyway for 30 seconds. You are actually charging the cap with your meter. Disconnect from the cap, and switch the meter back to DC voltage again. Check the cap for voltage. If the cap is OK, you will get voltage, and it will start to drop over about 30 seconds or so.

 

If the cap passes both tests, do not bother buying a cap. The motor is dead, and it is too small to repair.

 

Just FYI since it probably won't matter - Most people don't know this, but you can test small single phase motor windings with a multimeter and without the need of a meghohm meter. The power leads for the motor (completely disconnected from the dryer and the cap/starting circuit) should have non detectable or at least meghohm resistance with the case. There is also a specified resistance level range across the windings for these small motors. Good luck finding those numbers. But if the motor has voltage (confirmed with meter), doesn't turn, and the cap tests good, it's 95% the motor is dead anyway and further testing doesn't really help much.

I spun the drum by hand while activating the start dial and holding in the door button. The dryer started and ran. Pardon my ignorance, but doesn't that mean the motor is working as intended and the belt is seated properly?

[FishNJ 2]

Means the motor runs but won't get enough current to get going from a stop. As said motor capacitor likely.

 

Going back to your lint finding may be filthy windings inhibiting motor also. Open her up and see what you find.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Howard 538]

I owned a laundromat for year and when it does as you are stating it is almost always a bad capacitor.  Change her out and you should be good to go.

[djg0770 481]

http://www.appliancepartspros.com/repair-help/

 

Google is your friend.

[Kevin125 4,772]

If you can find the right part, it's probably under $20 delivered.

[ChrisJM981 924]

So before I ripped it apart I figured I'd see what happens if I turned it on after I spun the drum and got it to start. I closed the door, turned the dial, and it fired right up. I'm baffled. Time to take the top off to check for blockages, lint, etc.

[Kevin125 4,772]

Not sure what kind of belt it has, but if it's adjustable, maybe the tension is just right on the edge?  

 

Also, with a full load, versus empty basket, the torque required to get it moving will be more.  You didn't say if that last start was an empty dryer or full of wet clothes.

 

I'm not sure about failure modes of start caps.  Basically, if caps are shorted, they're junk.  They can be leaky, but someone who works on small cap start motors would know more about whether they could go "sorta" bad in practice.  Mipafox would probably know since he was or is in that biz.  Along with probably 40 other careers... lol.

[Displaced Texan 11,748]

Caps can break down over time.

The starting cap is a cheap part, couple of dollars at most, and an easy fix.

 

Motors DO fail, but not often. Many people mistake the starting cap failure as a bad motor in all types of equipment.

 

Without looking at it and breaking out my meter, that's where my bet is.

[Displaced Texan 11,748]

Caps can break down over time.

The starting cap is a cheap part, couple of dollars at most, and an easy fix.

 

Motors DO fail, but not often. Many people mistake the starting cap failure as a bad motor in all types of equipment.

 

Without looking at it and breaking out my meter, that's where my bet is.

[Displaced Texan 11,748]

Just out of curiosity, what was the solution to this problem?

[ChrisJM981 924]

Just out of curiosity, what was the solution to this problem?

I rotated the drum in the proper direction as fast as I could, closed the door, and turned the starter. I must have spun it in the incorrect direction trying to get those socks that stick to the drum.