GE Dryer Stopped now Starts. Why

"... I removed the top panel then wanted to get in the back. While looking for an online schematic, the drum light turned on and the dryer worked."

How did this happen if the appliance was disconnected from service?

Thermal protection switch perhaps? 24 hours sounds like a long time, but maybe.

A safety switch could have been stuck, maybe?

That was my thought too, but I wanted to have a schematic in hand before digging into the equipment.

I agree with Doorman on a possible bad thermal switch but rather unlikely given the amount of time it was off.

Another possibility, if the dryer started working as you were, or right after you removed the top panel then perhaps there is a loose connection under/attached to the top panel.

I have seen schematics on appliances attached to the inside back, outside back, inside - sides, under the top (but you would have seen that).

Have you tried contacting GE direct and request a schematic?

Now we're handling appliance repairs.

I have two general concerns. First I'm hoping that you used some sloppy writing when you said that the drum light turned on with the top panel off. Don't ever disassemble an appliance with power connected. Particularly don't do this the first time you open anything up until you really know the clearances you have as sheet metal and fingers move in places you don't know about. Second, if you do not have a disconnect or breaker controllable at the dryer then the wiring for your dryer was done by either a previous owner or handyman. Certainly no licensed electrician installed this wiring. This sounds more likely than a thermal breaker cooling off because of the full day of no previous usage. This implies to me that some shoddy wiring exists in your house. Many people try to save money by doing their own electrical work by talking to the guy at the home improvement store and doing it yourself. The trouble with this approach is that even when you find a knowledgeable guy at the store, they are relying on your untrained eye about your needs.

Did you unplug it to work on it?

It would be a bit irresponsible to leave it plugged in while working on it. Although it was not explicitly detailed in the original question to readers, all safety precautions were taken when checking the plug, opening the panel and plugging the power back in after opening things up.

People, let's not get wrapped around the axle on what was not included in the post and please consider what was included.

You could be a total idiot for all any of us know. Just as we all might not know piddle about dryers.

So, your initial post says CHECKED breaker and plug, took top off. Thing starts working. That implies that you didn't unplug it, since it seemingly just started to work.

Now, aside from the numerous warnings about safety, there have been some good suggestions.

Perhaps, if you had just left it at, "where can I find a schematic" we wouldn't have got "wrapped around the axle on what was not included in the post".

For the most part, you're probably right, except hopefully for the 'total idiot' part. I will try to be much more explicit in my posts.

Thanks for your feedback.

When you had the top off, did you notice it on the inside of the back cover?

I've seen two sites that suggest it may be stuck there, as KJK/USA has also suggested.

I'm sure you're not a total idiot, but if you explain the problem like you're talking to a total idiot it might help.

Good luck.

No, no information on the inside cover.

Given that the space behind the dryer is rather tight I didn't want to climb in and out without a schematic in hand. (Also, since it's now working, I don't have an over-riding reason for troubleshooting. The wife only wanted a working dryer.) It's possible that a schematic of some type is behind the power input panel, but I suspect that it is nothing more than what is already in the User's Manual. That 'schematic' is only a wiring diagram which shows how the 240 VAC is wired for four-wire systems and three-wire systems.

What I'm looking to find is something that shows all of the selector switches under the top panel, any safety switches within the dryer, the door interlock switch and other sub-components as well. I can understand the manufacturers hesitancy in including this for consumers, but it would certainly be available for repair technicians. I simply haven't had any luck finding it.

Rather than digging into the dryer blindly, I'd like to have some idea of why it's behaving like it is, and a schematic will help tremendously in this.

Every washing machine and dryer I have worked on (six or eight of them in the last 15 years or so) has a schematic pasted to the inside of the back cover, or under the top... it was always somewhere.

I may have simply been lucky. I would hope this is a standard practice. I will probably have to work on another one someday.

Excuse me but we only have what you have written to go by. What you wrote implied to me an unsafe disassembly. Assuming that this is an all electric dryer that you are trying to troubleshoot, I expected the use of a voltmeter or at least a lamp check to measure for the presence of voltages and continuity at various points in the wiring. What you wrote implies to me that you expected to troubleshoot your dryer failure by just visual and mechanical inspection. So, going by what you did include in your writing I think that you are lucky to be alive, not qualified to troubleshoot household wiring let alone a microprocessor controlled appliance and frugal to a fault.

I'm going to get my beer and popcorn, too.

I think the door switch is in series as an interlock. Could the jiggling of panels and components realigned or jiggled a door switch that hadn't 'made', even though the door was physically closed, or maybe the door just didn't fully close until you leaned against it?

Let's see ... twenty or thirty slide-on connectors ... moisture ... dust ... heat ... vibration ... eight to twenty sliding contacts ... maybe a couple relays ... and a guy who's taking it apart while it's connected. I'm gonna grab a bowl of popcorn and a beer!

It's the door interlock switch.

BDThompson, I did not believe that i would see this in my life-time, it seems to me that you have healing hands. What other things have you put your hands to?

Seriously though you should take all effective precautions, before working on an appliance, the first rule is to disconnect the power at its source and then only turn on the power to perform tests and then disconnect power before removing more panels. Second rule if you are not qualified don't attempt the repair.

Life is to short, you don't want to make it shorter do you!

Best Regards

Joe

YOU WORKED ON IT LIVE?

BD: As a GE alumnus (1st 10 years working in appliance control products division) there should be a line diagram pasted to the inside of the back cover. You probably have a poor or degraded electrical connection or relay/switch contact.

The relay/switch contact in the dryer is UL & CSA approved and even if it fails, it is unlikely to start a fire or cause an electrical shock risk. The wiring and controls are not complicated, but it does not pay to probe around in the dryer without the line diagram or a good VOM.

The connection fault is the greater risk and should not be ignored. Unless you are experienced and have the equipment to "do it yourself", please have all connections from your breaker to the cable plug connections at the back of the dryer (then in the dryer) checked by a qualified electrician for both mechanical and electrical integrity. Look for large or varying voltage drops. A poor connection that can be intermittently open when carrying the heavy load current to a running dryer will also generate enough heat to be detectable.

For your own safety, please listen to the good advice given by the gurus in this thread!

If it like the dryer I worked on (and ended up ripping it apart for the wrong reasons) it was beacuse I was so very used to working on 110vac systems.

The diagram pasted to the inside of the dryer lead me to measuring voltages all over the place - YES I worked on mine with LIVE power, like a REAL man - and all appeared to be OK.

Only after the dryer was torn to ity-bity shreds, and my wife made me buy a new one (that did NOT work when plugged in) did I realize one leg of the incoming voltage was bad!!!

The system required 220vac to come from two lines of 110vac. One leg of 110vac was going into the dryer for me to measure properly, but incorrectly, but the other leg was not giving the 110vac. The power plug wiring was bad!!!

At this time I was in a rental home, so the landlord had to fix the wiring and the new (un-needed) dryer was working fine. The only thing my wife cared about (other than my waste of money to buy the new dryer!!!).

ss