jackthewack
Jul 10, 2013, 02:26 PM
Have white-Westinghouse dryer about 22 yrs old. Just replaced belt and now tumbler works. But as working with machine got a shock from the light inside. Turned machine on but now have no heat in dryer. What part do I have to check or replace?
drtom4444
Jul 11, 2013, 06:05 AM
Most likely it is dirty and lint deposits have built up, as it always does, in all the air ducts which will cause the main safety to blow causing the problem you described.You need a multi-meter to find which safety has blown and to find why you have a grounded hot wire. This is a dangerous problem and you will need to read from the hot wires to the cabinet to see if it's grounded and then track it down by checking different parts to see which one is shorting to ground. It's probably the light, or you have a loose wire hitting the cabinet. It actually should not shock you as it's supposed to be grounded to prevent that from happening. Check that, too. You will have to take it all apart and clean the drier out thoroughly or it is all for nothing. Every air duct will have to be removed and scraped and washed out to remove baked on lint deposits which bakes on like a concrete lining. This will burn so the manufacturer has installed the safeties to keep from having a house fire. The safeties are oval-shaped with a round center part containing the safety with two plug-on terminals for the wires and when they burn open, from the dryer being dirty, nothing will work or it will not heat. Using an ohm meter you put a lead on each terminal of the safety, with one wire unplugged, and if it is good you will have a reading of about zero; if it is bad it will read infinity. Driers were the number one cause of fires at one time, hence now we have safety fuses. Look at: How to clean your clothes dryer. How to make it hot again. - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMP7BW1lLs4) to see how. Also look at these to get an idea about how to clean it: Mr. Appliance Tips: How to Clean Your Dryer - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBiRw-KElC4) ; Cleaning a Dryer Vent and Lint Trap - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFTZGgVisCI)
Electric Clothes Dryers (http://www.electrical-forensics.com/Dryer/ElectricClothesDryers.html) Dryer vent cleaning prevents fires - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6wmD502-xE) and: Cleaning out a dryer with top lint cleanout - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBNDbyRm68M&feature=fvsr)
Cleaning out a dryer: By a woman 2 of 2 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a73HTFkcB90&feature=relmfu)
Note that on most of the videos it does not show them washing out the parts, but this is important because it's the only way to really get the parts clean, just don't get motor wet or the capacitor if it has one. Vacuum out the motor to remove all dust. I would move the drier out to your garage to have plenty of space to work. You also want to check your vent and clean it, also. The vent should have a short run and be straight as possible. The job is really easier than it sounds. There is no shortcut that will work; it has to be cleaned well. Before you re-assemble it make sure to use white lithium grease (high-temp grease) and grease all bearings.
Here are some manuals. They are not GE, but they are about the same wiring: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8010163/Whirlpool%20Dryers.zip