The drum slows down, then returns to normal speed after a minute or two. it does this constantly. There is no heat, the flame ignites and shuts down after 20 or 30 seconds. I am wondering if the motor is going bad and the speed inconsistancy is being picked up by the rotation/centrifical sensor, causing the unit to shut down the flame...not to cause a fire.
Am very sorry to hear about your troubles but I happened to run across something that might help you. I realize its a bit lengthy but it could save you loads if you can diagnose it yourself and not have to pay a technician.
First, in many cases, the dryer actually IS heating, but there’s just not
enough airflow out the vent to take advantage of it, so the end result’s the same as ‘no heat’. So
first determine that there’s a strong flow of air out the vent. I can’t stress this
enough - low airflow’s the no. 1 cause of dryer problems, not to mention dryer fires. Then check if there’s any heat in the drum when running empty.
If there doesn’t seem to be any heat at all, first check for 240V present at the dryer. I can tell you that many hours have been wasted over the years by not *doing this first*! Neglecting
this is probably THE most common mistake of the novice appliance tech (and some pros who should know better!
<g> ).
If you have a voltmeter or 240V
bulb, just check for 240V at the dryer
term. block, and you will save some aggravation
and possibly a service call.
If
you have no way to test this, or you are at all uneasy about messing
with 240V
(before proceeding, check out this disclaimer), just go to your breaker box and throw the dryer breaker off/on several times. (If your dryer is connected with fuses, replace both of them and try
it again.) Sometimes - just sometimes - resetting the breaker will restore
240V, especially
in damp basements.
How you proceed from here depends on your abilities. I’d
probably suggest calling a pro if you’ve proven 240V to the machine, there definitely is no heat, and there’s plenty of air out the vent. A pro sees this
problem every day and can usually diagnose it in 10-15 minutes.
I
will say to those of you who are ‘handy’ - start at the heat source and work *backwards*.
If there’s
nothing obvious (burnt wiring, etc) attach
that 240V bulb to the element leads (or gas valve 120V supply), and fire the dryer up.
Light
= open element (gas control/ignition system problems).
No light = other problems (thermal fuse, t'stat, etc).
Hope this helps!!
TJ
Its the problem of faulty motor .just replace the motor and it will start working properly.
u can order 1 motor from www.repairclinic.com
Q - My electric dryer runs but will not heat, what could stop my dryer from heating?
A - Things that could stop a electric dryer from heating:
- house fuse or breaker ( needs two of them ), heating element, burnt wire, thermostat(s), thermal fuse ( not all models ), motor heat switch, timer, selector switch, burnt power cord/plug.
A ohm meter test for these parts is here.
Q - My gas dryer will not heat, what could stop my dryer from heating?
A - Things that could stop a gas dryer from heating:
- glow bar igniter, thermal fuse ( not all models ), coils on the gas valve, gas valve, thermostats,motor heat switch, timer, selector switch, sensor.
A page for checking gas dryers is here.
Motor
If the dryer motor only hums when you press the Start button, the motor may be burned out. Here's how to test the dryer motor:
If the motor is very stiff, or impossible to rotate manually, and the blower fan housing is clear, you need to replace the motor. Remove the belt.
Check for obstructions in the blower fan housing.
Manually rotate the shaft of the motor.
If the motor rotates freely, run the motor momentarily with the belt removed and the blower in place. If the motor runs fine with the belt removed, there may be a problem with the idler pulley or the clothes drum. Try to rotate the drum by hand. If it is very difficult to move, correct any problem with the rollers or pulley, and then reassemble the dryer and try it again.
If the motor hums but doesn't rotate on its own even with the belt removed--yet you can turn it freely by hand--you usually need to replace the motor or the motor start capacitor.
http://www.repairclinic.com/0088_8_1.asp...
click the link
also this link for more help
http://www.applianceaid.com/dryers.html
he parts that I have pointed out with the arrows are the parts that you will need to check with an ohm meter if the dryer is not heating. First check and see if you have 110 volts coming to the gas valve at this type of a connector. If you have voltage, then unplug the dryer and check the parts I have pointed to. Some dryers have 3 coils instead of the 2 shown here. If you do not have voltage coming to the burner, then you will need to check the timer contacts that feed the gas burner, hi limit thermostat, operating thermostats, the safety switch on the motor, and any other point that you can see on your wiring diagram picture that feeds voltage to the burner. The coils on the gas valve are very bad for working once or twice and then quitting. If you find a open circuit on one of the gas coils, replace them all = less problems later on. If the glow coil does not work ( get red ), check it with a ohm meter for continuity. The next thing to check if the glow coil does not come on would be the radiant sensor.  Inspect the igniter for small burnt spot on dark gray or black part of igniter or check for 110 volts to igniter wire plug when dryer should be calling for heat. Sometimes the ( older style ) igniter is separate from the holder and the holder can no longer hold the igniter tight enough and the two parts burn/arc where they touch each other = new igniter and holder ( some manufactures have new kits to replace these older style parts ).
Does the igniter get red and stay red, or does it get red, you hear a click and it goes off, then a minute later its gets red again?....if so you possibly have a bad set of coil valves. If the igniter gets red and stays red constantly then its the flame switch that is bad and maybe welded closed.
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How to take apart information   for GE style dryers
http://www.applianceaid.com/evenheat.htm...
this link with diagrams and instructions
The motor itself can do this....but a common trouble maker with the newer style  built dryers with the Even heat control is talked about below....
Â
If you have an  dryer that starts up when press the start button but stops as soon as you release the start button, the Even Heat Control ( there are other styles ) has been known to do this.
The Even Heat Control is located in the dryers consol. You can see it in this parts breakdown
This board should only be on dryers with "Even Heat Control"
One other thing in the diagnosing is that there should be 48VDC at the motor relay. I usually check for that when I have this symptom. I usually find when I press the start button, the drum turns but I am not getting 48VDC on the two pink wires at the motor relay. If I do get 48VDC then I would suspect the motor relay. Note: that you may read 48VDC or - 48VDC depending on which way you place the test leads of your meter.Â
I did have one that was shutting off after start button was released, I wasn't getting 48VDC at motor relay. We installed board and had the same problem. We checked the thermister and it checked out of tolerance. Replaced thermister and dryer worked fine. So there could be another scenarios. AÂ thermisterÂ
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The dryer is the GE Harmony, it is computer controlled. I have checked the gas solenoid coils, I am not sure what the resistance should be, but all 3 are identical. I checked the thermal sensors for "opens" there is resistance across them when the unit is off/cold. The drum runs, but it slows down and then speeds up again. The schematic diagram for the unit states that there is a "centrifical sensor" which, I assume, will shut down the gas/flame in case the drum stops and maybe slows down. The glow coil lights, the flame lights, but shuts off after 15 or 20 seconds. I can hear the gas solenoids open and close. I think that the motor is going, but I want to make sure before i spend $165.00
The motor runs...the drum runs, but at inconsistant varying speeds. The motor speed may be controlled by the computer cpu/processor...so I am not sure if it's the motor or the CPU
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