Thread Number: 41624
Early - mid 50s? Kenmore electric dryer
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Post# 614092   8/1/2012 at 21:13 (4,284 days old) by ken (NYS)        

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Post# 614099 , Reply# 1   8/1/2012 at 21:39 (4,284 days old) by stan (Napa CA)        
very nice

stan's profile picture
looking Dryer!

Post# 614115 , Reply# 2   8/1/2012 at 23:22 (4,284 days old) by CircleW (NE Cincinnati OH area)        

One of my neighbors had a dryer like this that she used along with her Maytag wringer machine. She used them until '73 when she got a new Kenmore 700 set in Avocado. While the washer was in the basement, the dryer occupied a corner of the kitchen.

Post# 614155 , Reply# 3   8/2/2012 at 05:47 (4,284 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)        
pic

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not too shabby


Post# 614173 , Reply# 4   8/2/2012 at 07:42 (4,284 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Old KM Electric Dryer

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Probably 1958 or 9 they held this style over and used it on mid and lower end models for a number of years, this could be the last of the Frog-Eyes. These are decent dryers mechanically but they are slower than many dryers of the same period and use about 25% more electricity that most Electric dryers, so I would not want to pay to run it as my everyday dryer.


Post# 614280 , Reply# 5   8/2/2012 at 16:28 (4,283 days old) by kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)        
Frog Eyes

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I love the frog eye washer!!! I just have some doubts on the dryers.....
Just a question, do I remember correctly that these dryers weren't deisgned for the outside venting? So they had just a square vent on their back and so venting indoor?
Thanks to evryone who can solve this doubt.


Post# 614322 , Reply# 6   8/2/2012 at 22:18 (4,283 days old) by whirlaway (Hampton Virginia)        
Frog Eye

I would say it is a 1956,because of the black and gold dials.Ihave a 1955 for a daily driver and washing machine,that match.I also have a 1957 I used for almost 30 years as a daily machine I still have it and it runs well. The background on the dial is copper and white.They are vented to the outside.the 55 has a lint filter,the 57 doesnt.It takes about 49 min at med to dry a full load on both.The 55 is a high speed dryer,but is only hooked to run on reg 220,it has a 2heat element for 220 to run at a higher amp if you chose to hook it up.Thanks

Post# 614418 , Reply# 7   8/3/2012 at 10:57 (4,283 days old) by kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)        
whirlaway

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Thank you for sharing these great info! I guess you ment regular 120 volt and 220 for 2 elements.
So actually you can hook them up to 120 volt also?
That is good!
I just do not know why I known they were designed for indoor venting....maybe just a wrong info since the square vent hole is so unusual...
49 mins at med temp is so good!!! As far someone talks about consumption I'd say this: does not matter how many watts does it use if it get the job done in less time than others that use less watts but for more time...the electricity that is used at the end would be the same or even less so I would have to see time and watts to judge...

Just another curiosity how many watts does it use on 120 volt?
Thanks again!!!




This post was last edited 08/03/2012 at 11:25
Post# 614467 , Reply# 8   8/3/2012 at 14:38 (4,282 days old) by whirlaway (Hampton Virginia)        
No! Double element

I wrote exactly what I meant.Mine is what they referred to as a High Speed dryer.I think it pulls about 5,000 or more watts when wired to a stronger circuit,but I think it pulls about 3,000 on reg 220. Kenmoreguy would probably know exactly.It has never been wired for 120. Thanks

Post# 614499 , Reply# 9   8/3/2012 at 16:26 (4,282 days old) by kenmoreguy89 (Valenza Piemonte, Italy- Soon to be US immigrant.)        
Oh Okay I did all by myself LOL Sorry....

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I tought it was a typo and then asked this because sounded like there was a difference from running it with one element (for which you should have used 120) and for 2 the 220, that was even because I've read "regular 220" so I tought it was referred to the voltage not to the Amp.
Sorry i just misunderstood totally, please apologize.
So 3000 on regular amp circuits and 5000 with the 2 elements working... 49 mins for a load and 3000 at med temp (that amp. is way less of some dryers that I know, and think even of most ones of that age) well I think it is just excellent anyway, and isn't slow at all , so from what I read I could now say that the speech I did before in this case should be intended in "reverse" since someone said they were slower and used 25% more elecetricity of dryers of that age ,so at this point I'm just asking if maybe the slowness wasn't balanced from the lowest absorption with one element working.....what do you think? Anyway they offered the possibility of an higher speed by switching two elements on.....so if so the 49 nins would become abot 30 or 20 and something....
It looks everything pretty normal to me anyway, no more electric usage.....
I do not know I may be wrong...
If someone got something to say or any response I'd be glad to hear.....


Just asking......
Thanks






This post was last edited 08/03/2012 at 16:46
Post# 614534 , Reply# 10   8/3/2012 at 20:28 (4,282 days old) by whirlaway (Hampton Virginia)        
I will Check the Tag

I will pull it out tomorrow and see exactly what the useage is. The tag on the back as I remember only speaks of 220.I think that is if some houses are wired for a heavier 220 amp service.The washer is a cycla fabric model with suds saver and 2speeds.This set later became the Lady Kenmore top of the line models in the next year.1956.I think, they have all of the bells and whistles you could have bought on the Kenmores in 1955.My very first one I got was in 1972,when I moved out on my own at 18.I paid 15 dollars for it at an appliance store.It was a trade-in.It was a plain 55 model frogeye. Lasted for years with only a belt replacement.If you dont overload them or over soap.You have no problems with suds lock.Working outside at the phone Co,my clothes would really get dirty.They really do a good job washing. Thanks Bobby

Post# 614921 , Reply# 11   8/5/2012 at 15:16 (4,280 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Late 1950s KM Electric Dryer

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This dryer would have a 5,600 watt heating element at 230 volts or the dryer may have already been rated at 240 volts which is the normal household voltage in most US homes since the 1960s. The dryer will consume around 6000 watts in total [ 5600 for the element and 400 for the 1/3 HP motor ] when running on a 30 AMP circuit, a full 10 pound load washed in the matching washer will take nearly an hour to dry and consume about 5 KWs of power [ average cost in US about 12 cents per KWH or 60 cents ] Even though this dryer was labeled Hi Speed it was slower than most other US dryers then and now and used about 25% more total power. WP redesigned their dryers in 1966-7 and after this time they performed as well or better than other US dryers both in terms of speed and cost of operation.

 

If you connected this dryer to 120 volts it would draw around 1,900 watts for heat and motor and take about 3 hours to dry a load [ which would require you to come back to the dryer two extra times to reset the timer for another hour ] total power consumption for 3 hours of operation on 120 volts would be a little cheaper or about 50 cents.

 

On these older WP and KM built dryers Sears offered faster electric models starting around 1955-1961 on their TOL models where the dryer had a second heating element that could be utilized if you connected the dryer to a 50 AMP 240 volt line, this brought he total heater wattage up to 8,400 watts which really speed ed things up. Higher end gas dryers from both WP and KM used 37,000 BTU gas burners which also gave great drying speed. After 1961 there were no more Hi Wattage electric models from KM and speed again suffered till the newer more efficient models replaced the old design in 1966-7.



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