machine. It lists some of the troubles that can develop in
a washer along with the probable causes and remedies
for each.
Clothes Dryers
An electric clothes dryer is not as complicated as a
washing machine; therefore, we will not go into as
much detail on its operation as we did with the washing
machine.
The main electrical parts of a dryer are as follows:
electric-heating elements, thermostats to control heat, a
motor to turn the drum assembly, and a timer to select
cycle operations. Most dryers have a cutoff switch on
the door that stops the dryer when the door is opened.
Many dryers have a 40-watt ozone bulb to help
condition the air. This bulb requires either a ballast coil
or a ballast bulb. Both high-limit and low-limit
operating thermostats are used in dryers to control the
air temperatures that pass through the clothes. These
are located in the exhaust housing and can be easily
checked during operation by a voltage check. Your
tester will indicate a voltage each time the contact is
opened. Safety thermostats should show continuity
between terminals at normal room temperature.
Holding a small flame close to the thermostat should
cause it to open, indicating an open circuit across its
contacts.
Dryer timers are fairly simple to troubleshoot.
Some timer drive motors and switching mechanisms
can be replaced, but in most cases, it is more practical to
replace the timer. Again, before attempting any repair
or replacement of any parts, run the dryer through its
cycles, eliminating any guesswork. Always refer to the
wiring diagram for the particular dryer on which you are
working. Figure 7-4 is a wiring diagram for a typical
electric dryer.
Electric Ranges
Electric ranges cook food by surface- and oven-
heating elements. The surface elements, or burners, are
on the top of the range, and the oven elements are within
the oven.
Electric ranges differ in size, but most
standard ranges have four surface burners, a deep-well
cooker, and an oven. Electric ranges vary in width from
the 20-inch apartment size to the 40-inch full-size
range. The approximate height of the surface burners
from the floor is 35 inches.
The primary components of an electric range are the
surface burners, deep-well cooker, oven, timer, and
individual switches that control the temperatures of the
heating units. The range usually has a convenience
Figure 7-4.Schematic of an automatic dryer.
outlet to supply electricity for a coffee percolator,
waffle iron, or toaster, which you can operate on the top
of the range. The range is usually automatic. The oven
control keeps the temperature of the oven at a set point,
and an electric clock and timer shut off the oven at a
predetermined time.
The individual switches that
control the temperatures of the surface burners are
usually located on the front of the range.
The principle of operation of an electric range is
simply that of an electric current passing through a
resistance, thereby producing heat. The resistance is
usually nichrome wire.
Heating elements used in ranges may be of the open
or the enclosed types. The surface burners usually have
enclosed tubular or cast-in elements. Each element is
controlled by an individual switch that can control the
element for as many as 10 different heat positions. The
electrical power supply to each element is either 120
volts or 240 volts or both, depending upon the heat
position of the switch Each surface burner is connected
to a signal light that indicates when the unit is in the ON
position. In the wiring schematic shown in figure 7-5,
you can see the wiring of a typical electric range.
7-6
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