Figure 5-26. - Automatic blowdown valve.

4. a water pump assembly for recirculating and removing water from the washer, and

5. a host of controls and switches. These components are discussed in terms of what they do and how they do it in the following paragraphs.

TIMER ASSEMBLY. - The timer assembly is the "brain" of the automatic washer. The timers found in automatic washers are not much different from those found in some other major appliances, including automatic dryers and dishwashers. The cam-operated switch contacts are responsible for starting and stopping most of the basic washer operations.

The basic elements of a timing switch assembly are a split-phase motor, a set of cams, and some contact switches. The motor, usually geared down to a speed of about one-half revolution per hour, turns a set of cams that open and close banks of switch contacts. The switch contacts control the flow of line power to the various electrical devices in the washer.

TRANSMISSON ASSEMBLY. - The transmission in an automatic washer is the most complex piece of mechanical machinery in the appliance industry. The transmission is wholly responsible for converting the rotary motion of the main drive motor into either an agitating motion or spinning action. Although there is often a direct linkage between the drive motor shaft and the cam assembly that produces the agitating motion, the motor is connected to the spin section of the transmission by means of a friction clutch that lets the laundry tub reach its normal spinning speed gradually without overloading the motor.

In some current models, the transmission is shifted from one type of action to another by means of a solenoid-operated gearshift. The majority, however, shift between agitate and spin according to the