Thread Number: 45531
Dude, where's my combo? |
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Post# 666536   3/17/2013 at 15:55 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 666538 , Reply# 1   3/17/2013 at 16:01 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Silly me, I forgot that I had pulled the combo out to finally try and get it working properly...
For those who don't recall the saga, when I got the machine in 2008 I found that there was serious damage to the wiring cause by a band of vicious Texan rodents... I somehow managed to get the machine running (and this with just a partial wiring diagram) but it wasn't working completely. I could make the machine wash and rinse, but it never got to spin or dry. Well, thanks to Automatic Ephemera, I got the Service Manual for this machine and after studying it for several months, I figured I knew what to do to make the GE Combo do everything it was supposed to. Well, that's what I believed anyway... |
Post# 666539 , Reply# 2   3/17/2013 at 16:05 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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First thing I did was to check my wiring. I had never hooked the machine up to 240 Volt power because I feared that I had not wired the 'dry' components correctly. Turns out I did - that was a pleasant surprise!
What I never figured out was why the timer never got power... I improvised a power supply by drawing from the water level control and from the main neutral lead. Well I found ONE bad connection that accounted for why the timer did not seem to be powered... |
Post# 666540 , Reply# 3   3/17/2013 at 16:07 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 666541 , Reply# 4   3/17/2013 at 16:13 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Well, after a lot of deliberation, studying the manual, and having Phil's (PhilR) insights after he studied the manual, it seemed to point to timer issue. I was scared to try it, but I opened the timer and did some continuity testing....
As it turned out, there was a contact to a switch that would alternately feed power to the timer from two different sources - the switch blade would contact one terminal in a 'lower' position and a different one in the 'upper' postion. Well, that 'upper' position was where power should have been flowing from in the rinse-drain phase of the cycle and contact was not being made. Believe it or not, this was fixed by simply adjusting the upper contact! It was the one on the upper left in this picture. Son of a ...... |
Post# 666544 , Reply# 5   3/17/2013 at 16:16 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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I also had trepidations about ever using this machine as a dryer becuase the lead from the thermostat control to the probe inside the wash tub had been chewed away.
A while back John (combo52) sent me a thermostat from a 1959 GE combo that he parted out. Now I just had to figure out how to replace the exising one with this... |
Post# 666549 , Reply# 6   3/17/2013 at 16:21 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Here was what was confusing me...
The 1956 thermostat had a set of two switches behind it. The 1959 version had only one. Thanks to the wiring diagram and comprehensive cycle descriptions in the manual, I found out that the second switch was used to when the 'delicate' temperature for drying was selected. I figured that in a worst-case scenario, I'd no longer have delicate drying capability in the combo. I didn't see this as a show-stopper, though, as I was never really intending to use the combo unit as a regular use dryer due to the high water usage. I threw caution to the wind and switched the switches from the 1956 to the 1959 thermostat! |
Post# 666551 , Reply# 7   3/17/2013 at 16:22 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 666552 , Reply# 8   3/17/2013 at 16:22 (4,055 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 666555 , Reply# 9   3/17/2013 at 16:24 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 666559 , Reply# 10   3/17/2013 at 16:26 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 666560 , Reply# 11   3/17/2013 at 16:29 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 666561 , Reply# 12   3/17/2013 at 16:31 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 666563 , Reply# 13   3/17/2013 at 16:33 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 666564 , Reply# 14   3/17/2013 at 16:36 (4,055 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)   |   | |
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Post# 666565 , Reply# 15   3/17/2013 at 16:37 (4,055 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Yeah, it wouldn't be one of my restorations if there wasn't still something not quite right now would it??
So, I did still observe two issues. The machine never kicked into spin (all 200 RPM of it...) and I am not sure that the dry function is working completely reliably and automatically. I'll probably not get to do much more exploring until the end of the week, but I did manage to test the spin solenoid and it seems to be working... Stay tuned and if there's a major power outage next weekend, you can't prove it was my combo... LOL This post was last edited 03/17/2013 at 16:55 |
Post# 666604 , Reply# 16   3/17/2013 at 19:10 (4,055 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 666608 , Reply# 17   3/17/2013 at 19:20 (4,055 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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Post# 666616 , Reply# 18   3/17/2013 at 19:58 (4,055 days old) by petek (Ontari ari ari O )   |   | |
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Post# 666619 , Reply# 19   3/17/2013 at 20:06 (4,055 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)   |   | |
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Post# 666637 , Reply# 20   3/17/2013 at 20:59 (4,055 days old) by Maytagbear (N.E. Ohio)   |   | |
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Yay, Paul! Lawrence/Maytagbear |
Post# 666686 , Reply# 22   3/18/2013 at 02:25 (4,055 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 666745 , Reply# 23   3/18/2013 at 10:38 (4,054 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Arthur, I haven't successfully dried a full load of anything in this combo yet, but I have heard that a condenser-dry combo like this one will turn out fluffy towels, especially when the hot water rinse option is selected. I think that will be my 'maiden wash' load test for this machine!!
Jon - it only took me four years to get this far, but I am still determined!! Oh and a word of caution - the dials for the cycle control and dry selector are REALLY fragile! Use extreme caution with yours and if you manage to mess them up (I did - that could be a whole other thread!) I came up with a way to repair them. Phil - just hope the snow predicted for this week will be cleared in time... |
Post# 667251 , Reply# 24   3/20/2013 at 12:17 (4,052 days old) by supermaticjames (Donegal, Ireland)   |   | |
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That washer/dryers or "combos" as you yanks call them do indeed leave fabrics softer. This is because the air is very moist during drying. James. |
Post# 667394 , Reply# 25   3/21/2013 at 06:52 (4,051 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Having used these for years they do a decent job of drying, which is quite a feat when you consider that the clothing goes into the dry cycle almost dripping wet having been spun at only 200 RPMs. While condenser dryers often do make for fluffier towels I did not notice this as much on these GE Combos, this may have something to do with the rinsing, poor final water extraction and the fact this combo is a VERY HOT dryer. The thermostats trip-cutout temperature varies by the users dryness control setting from 180-280 degrees F. The way these machines were made they provided either a warm or hot final rinse and on the two GE Combos that I have used for years I have overridden the warm or hot rinses and this certainly does not make any difference in the fluffiness of clothing coming out at the end of drying and if anything because it makes the dry cycle a little longer it may leave them fluffier. |
Post# 667417 , Reply# 26   3/21/2013 at 08:58 (4,051 days old) by everythingold (Grand Rapids, Michigan)   |   | |
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Post# 667607 , Reply# 27   3/22/2013 at 09:56 (4,050 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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So, I got as far as finding out the spin solenoid was good early this week. I was pretty sure there was a contact issue that preventing the timer from sending power to the spin solenoid.
With Phil's help, we did a complete recalibration and adjustment of all the timer contacts - it's kind of scary, but it was a successful operation! I swear that Phil will put other timer repair places out of business one day... Of course we had to do a cycle test to be sure that everything was still working... WARNING: The video here contains language that may be deemed offensive - it was 1:00 AM this morning and I was feeling a little punchy (I don't usually film 'first-time' tests...) Please forgive my colourful language! |
Post# 667612 , Reply# 28   3/22/2013 at 10:01 (4,050 days old) by westingman123 ()   |   | |
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THAT'S colorful language? Oh, you polite Canadaian boy, you. Congrats on the success! Don't hate on the 200 rpm spin, though. You'll hurt her feelings. |
Post# 667613 , Reply# 29   3/22/2013 at 10:02 (4,050 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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And although the machine did kick into the dry cycle with both calrods and the condenser valve working fine, I got a little spooked by the temperature inside the tub. It got REALLY hot and I was a little concerned that the 1959 thermostat is not kicking in. I was a little surprised the safety thermostat didn't kick in either... But what was very odd and of great concern was the fact that the combo ran when I opened the door during the dry cycle... I had expected the motor to shut off, but it didn't...
So, I am a little leary of using this with clothes, lest I burn the house down.. Any suggestions as to what my be wrong here?? |
Post# 667614 , Reply# 30   3/22/2013 at 10:09 (4,050 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)   |   | |
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Post# 667615 , Reply# 31   3/22/2013 at 10:13 (4,050 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 667628 , Reply# 32   3/22/2013 at 11:35 (4,050 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Post# 667703 , Reply# 33   3/22/2013 at 18:55 (4,050 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 667881 , Reply# 34   3/23/2013 at 11:56 (4,049 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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I have worked far too long on this combo of mine to give up now... I took the dry control knob out of the control panel and realized that I probably installed the 1959 model upside down... So, what I thought was the lowest possible setting on the dry cycle very may well have been the highest. Well, I figured I had to test that theory....
Today at 12:18 PM EDT, I started up the GE Combo in the dry portion of the cycle (with no laundry in it). The calrods powered up, condensor kicked in, and the timer paused to let the termostat take over. At 12:42, I heard a distinctive 'clunk' (over the rumble of the machine and hubby's continual 'ARE YOU SURE IT'S ON' remarks). That could only mean one thing - the thermostat had cycled off! It had and I observed that the timer had started running again. I had reached the first 'trip point' as described in the manual!! At around 12:45, I observed the calrods had cycled off. Very encouraging! And finally at 12:50, the combo shut off AUTOMATICALLY!! So that's it folks - the 1956 GE Combo at long last is fully functional! Today's plan is to get it back into the kitchen centre (my 'kitchen table restorations' are fun, but they do eat into one's living space... ) I'll try and get a video of the FULL CYCLE up soon. Now, I had better start thinking of getting a certain Hubby a puppy to compensate for all this... LOL |
Post# 667886 , Reply# 35   3/23/2013 at 12:10 (4,049 days old) by revvinkevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land)   |   | |
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Post# 667889 , Reply# 36   3/23/2013 at 12:27 (4,049 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Post# 667893 , Reply# 37   3/23/2013 at 12:39 (4,049 days old) by AutoWasherFreak ()   |   | |
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That's great that you got her going again! I sounds very quiet in the videos, is it really that quiet? Can't wait to see the complete cycle video
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Post# 667900 , Reply# 38   3/23/2013 at 12:59 (4,049 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 667987 , Reply# 39   3/23/2013 at 22:13 (4,049 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 668026 , Reply# 40   3/24/2013 at 08:04 (4,048 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 668030 , Reply# 41   3/24/2013 at 08:11 (4,048 days old) by westingman123 ()   |   | |
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no trout for dinner? Damn. |
Post# 668032 , Reply# 42   3/24/2013 at 08:36 (4,048 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 668101 , Reply# 43   3/24/2013 at 16:03 (4,048 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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I am not a happy camper... The combo was reinstalled in the kitchen centre yesterday afternoon with no obvious issues. I did notice that when I tried to install the timer dial with the inner dial that it didn't fit perfectly. I had to file down the fiberglass resin I used to repair the timer dial shaft and it seemed to fit... I manually advanced the timer dial to make sure it wasn't binding anywhere and again it seemed fine. |
Post# 668105 , Reply# 44   3/24/2013 at 16:21 (4,048 days old) by retromania (Anderson, South Carolina)   |   | |
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Me love combos too! :) |
Post# 668159 , Reply# 45   3/24/2013 at 20:51 (4,048 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Post# 668231 , Reply# 46   3/25/2013 at 06:22 (4,047 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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combo frustration it happens because you are dealing with two machines not one like a GE FF. So you will have twice the way to come back from junk to perfection. I rebuilt my 1956 Bendix completely from the ground up last year and even today I discover it puddles all over the floor due to someone in the distant past must have stored it in freezing conditions and -THIS I HAVE NEVER SEEN IN A VINTAGE WASHER BEFORE - was that the Nylon valve for the condenser split, its a hairline crack!But there must have been water in the valve and when it froze the nylon gave way. You can't even see it unless the valve is out in your hands and in the right light-but when you go to dry it sprays fine mist stream the whole time the machine is running. I am trying to find the correct ice maker valve to replace it with. So the point being Combos have to be cobbled back into service they just don't get rebuilt like GE FF do's. Its a trial and error kind of thing.
I learned that from John Eichenger and by doing it myself, but once you get them up and running wahoo they are fun. 1) Trash some jeans 2) throw in3) go to bed 4)wake up and5) put new clean jeans on 6)TAH DAH!
BAD! DUOMATIC ! BAD!!
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Post# 668234 , Reply# 47   3/25/2013 at 06:59 (4,047 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Jon we see this all the time, the valve does not need to ever freeze to have this happen, I just did a GE inlet valve for an IM Friday that did this, the split is so small you can never see it, but one foot away you can feel this tiny spray of water.
You probably could use an IM inlet valve for the condenser water supply, just keep in mind that most new IM inlet valves are only designed to run for about 1 minute before the coil burns out to protect the home from flooding should something go wrong with the IM. So if one is the use an IM valve get a little older design where the coil can still be changed to a continuous duty design, for more details consult an expert. |
Post# 668241 , Reply# 48   3/25/2013 at 07:39 (4,047 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 668273 , Reply# 49   3/25/2013 at 09:49 (4,047 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Jon, I know exactly what you mean... The '68 Viking (Westinghouse) top-load dishwasher had a similar issue - I couldn't see the blasted split on the pump housing but it was there...
Back to the GE Combo - I ain't been beat yet. After I calmed down yesterday and on the bus ride back into Montreal today I reasoned that it HAS to be a timer contact (and I think I know which one!). I'll probably take a break and pull the combo back out in a couple of weeks - it was a bit of a PITA having the combo in the dining room for service. But by golly, I will get this thing working again! |
Post# 668284 , Reply# 50   3/25/2013 at 11:00 (4,047 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 680962 , Reply# 51   5/25/2013 at 13:46 (3,986 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Just for the heck of it and knowing that with a heavy rainfall warning in effect there was little chance that I'd empty the well, I thought I'd give the ol' GE combo another try...
It ran but the timer is not running at all anymore (on the test wash when I re-installed it in the kitchen centre, the timer ran briefly, then quit). I have a few possible causes... 1) a wire got rattled loose when the machine was wrestled back into place 2) the timer switches that control the time need to be re-aligned 3) the timer motor itself has quit on me I also think I may be able to access the time without pulling the unit out of the kitchen centre. I'll have a run at that later this summer. In the meantime, I did manually get a load of table linens washed, rinsed, spun and dried in the machine. I just have to make this work automatically soon!!! |
Post# 681054 , Reply# 52   5/26/2013 at 01:27 (3,986 days old) by NewVista58 (Northern NJ)   |   | |
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Post# 681066 , Reply# 54   5/26/2013 at 04:58 (3,985 days old) by retromania (Anderson, South Carolina)   |   | |
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This has been most interesting to follow. |
Post# 681276 , Reply# 55   5/27/2013 at 21:33 (3,984 days old) by zippyjet (Baltimore)   |   | |
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From what I've learned from the old school combos:
1. For today's clothes, the heat and excessive hot water would be the death of them. 2. Excessive use of water and, having a final hot water rinse would be frowned upon in our energy conservation society. 3. All that heat making the laundry area a steam bath or sauna especially during the summer months. And with climate change do we really need excessive additional heat? 4. These old behemoths seemed like a fire hazard waiting to happen. 5. However watching your You Tube videos of the machine in action are cool. 5. Which models had the door window and which did not? Were they from different years? |
Post# 681323 , Reply# 56   5/28/2013 at 06:53 (3,983 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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I have had the 1966 version of this GE combo installed in my kitchen for almost 25 years now, and while it is not my primary washer-dryer it does get used a few times every month and it has never ruined a thing. It is true that older dryers and combs did have hotter drying temperatures available but people also had delicate clothing in the 1950s and these machines could do a beautiful job laundering them without any damage, { a quick hot rinse certainly will not hurt any clothing that was washed in hot water to begin with ].
I certainly do not see any real danger of fire with an appliance like this [ if I did it would not be in my kitchen ] older appliances had very little plastic used in their construction that will support a fire. I would however recommend staying at home when using almost any appliance that is this old, in addition to major appliances I would also include old radios, TVs, any small appliance that heats, etc.
I do share your concerns about energy use and would not encourage many people to use this machine as their everyday machine, however old combos in general are usually as efficient to use overall as a separate washer and dryer of the same time period. |
Post# 681426 , Reply# 57   5/28/2013 at 19:15 (3,983 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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To the best of my knowledge, only the 1955 version of the GE washer-dryer combo (their very first) was the model that did not have a window in the door. I have seen literature (and even a few in person!) models from 1956 until the early 1970s that all had windows in the door. There may have been some lower-end models from beyond 1956 without the window, but I do not know this for sure.
My big concern with using this unit is not the heat (the safety thermostat would kick off before the tub temperature got dangerously high) but the water use... We're on a well and septic system in Ogden and we're slightly paranoid about running the well AND flooding the weeping field... Probably unjustified since we had the septic system replaced in 2010 but old habits die hard! |
Post# 681453 , Reply# 58   5/28/2013 at 23:23 (3,983 days old) by alr2903 (TN)   |   | |
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It would be great if you could somehow harvest the condenser water for watering the yard, plants. alr |
Post# 681590 , Reply# 59   5/29/2013 at 20:45 (3,982 days old) by rollermatic (cincinnati)   |   | |
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Post# 753123 , Reply# 60   4/27/2014 at 13:49 (3,649 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Post# 753127 , Reply# 61   4/27/2014 at 13:53 (3,649 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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I gave myself a tight deadline this time - I was willing to devote one more day to the combo and try and figure out where I hit the wall last may.
My plan was to test the timer, check that power was being fed through the timer to the elusive tan wire that was supposed to power the timer motor and just for the heck of it, swap the jury-rigged 1959 dry thermostat that I cobbled together last year with a real 1956 version (the one I extracted from that ill-fated combo I got in Syracuse last June). The clock was ticking and hubby keeping time... |
Post# 753131 , Reply# 62   4/27/2014 at 13:59 (3,649 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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I'll follow up with some video evidence soon, but by golly, I got the combo running again!!
The timer wasn't running because of 'black timer motor death', a plague that any of these 50-something machines cannot fend off... Slight problem: I didn't have a 'spare' Ingraham type motor to replace the one in the combo (which is actually the second one I put in...EEESH). I had to make a tough decision quickly - I cannibalized the 1955 GE stand-alone dishwasher and swiped the timer motor. Poor dishwasher... I managed to get the 'new' thermostat in pretty quickly after I had done some basic cycle testing. Experience has been a good teacher. And.... well, on the first cycle test last night, everything seemed fine!! The washer did what it was supposed to - filled, washed, drained, rinsed, spun, and DRIED!! The tub was empty so the thermostat cycled off after about 15 minutes. I was turning cartwheels and celebrated with a honking big rye and soda! |
Post# 753133 , Reply# 63   4/27/2014 at 14:02 (3,649 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Still under a deadline, I got the combo back into place in the Kitchen Centre this morning. Now, you can't tell how well a machine works 'till you actually wash in it, right?
I threw caution to the wind and assembled an 8-pound load of table linens and a few t-shirts. This is probably the biggest load I ever ran through this machine so far... LOL |
Post# 753134 , Reply# 64   4/27/2014 at 14:08 (3,649 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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The washer ran fine and I did not observe any leaks, sparks, flames, etc.
Call it coincidence, but the Ogden building inspector just happened to come by while the test load washed. I am beginning to think the house is bugged... LOL I got to test something that I had not previously been able to do: the off-balance reset! I probably twisted the leveling feet of the washer in one or another of the in and out of the kitchen centre cycles, and when the combo went into its first spin with a big load, it shook like crazy! But the off-balance mechanism kicked in, slowed the machine back to a 'tumble' for a moment, the back into the roaring 208-RPM spin. I was fascinated! Better still, it went into dry mode automatically and cycled off...automatically!! |
Post# 753136 , Reply# 65   4/27/2014 at 14:13 (3,649 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Now, I was timing the dry cycle carefully. I was astonished that it took 1 hour and 18 minutes to dry!! That cursed Magic Chef in town is faster... LOL
Still, the clothes were nice and soft and dry! I am still reeling that I got the combo working at long last!! I was watching the dry cycle and remembering the cold December night when the Kitchen Centre and refrigerator arrived in Stanstead. I had to go to the freight office to clear the unit through customs and I got my first look at it. I remember going right to the washer-dryer! I had never seen one up close at that point, if you can believe it. What a long journey this has been, but wow, am I happy!! |
Post# 753137 , Reply# 66   4/27/2014 at 14:22 (3,649 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Post# 753141 , Reply# 67   4/27/2014 at 14:38 (3,649 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 753142 , Reply# 68   4/27/2014 at 14:45 (3,649 days old) by aldspinboy (Philadelphia, Pa)   |   | |
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Paul what a accomplishment! Having a truly nice time when I was at your place in the morning wash, was a great experience.
I never knew that it drains more then several times and fills as it washes is that correct ?
Does the heating element glows, when in the drying mode ?
Can you stop it after the last rinse, and spin the load in...lets say in your Frigidaire top loader then return the load to dry ?
Congrates on your achievement. The GE center is truly a beautiful appliance. Darren k
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Post# 753144 , Reply# 69   4/27/2014 at 14:53 (3,649 days old) by warmsecondrinse (Fort Lee, NJ)   |   | |
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Congrats! I admire your skills perseverance. Be proud and FWIW, I think you've earned a bit more than one Rye & Soda for your work. Jim |
Post# 753145 , Reply# 70   4/27/2014 at 14:59 (3,649 days old) by hippiedoll ( arizona )   |   | |
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turquoisdude!!!
what an interesting thread. as soon as i started reading, i was hooked!! i loved how you laid out the details and added the pictures & videos. i think i served myself 2 cups of coffee while reading this thread about your GE washer/dryer combo. WOW!!! finally after such a long "refurbishing" journey. i am soooo happy that you got your combo baby up and running!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it sure is a BEAUTY!!! and i bet it's all kinds of fun to run/use too!!! thanks for sharing and keeping us all updated on your progress. i am soooo happy for you & your success!!!! :o) |
Post# 753157 , Reply# 71   4/27/2014 at 15:34 (3,649 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 753310 , Reply# 72   4/27/2014 at 23:28 (3,649 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c )   |   | |
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These old appliances,properly serviced, are safer than modern plastic junk!! As for your colorful language...honey, you didnt grow up with a Dad who was a WW2 Marine Corps combat veteran!!LOL..I know bad words that will peel paint!!LOL |
Post# 753323 , Reply# 73   4/28/2014 at 00:47 (3,649 days old) by washdaddy (Baltimore)   |   | |
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Paul, congratulations! Couldn't be happier for you. Hope you get many, many, years of use from your restored baby! Your patience and deligence have payed off. WOOHOO! Rick |
Post# 753362 , Reply# 74   4/28/2014 at 08:20 (3,648 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )   |   | |
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Post# 755021 , Reply# 75   5/5/2014 at 10:46 (3,641 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Ah, does it ever end?? I guess because the GE Combo never kicked into 'spin' when I first installed it in the kitchen centre, I never correctly leveled it. I still need to do that, but I threw my back out again last week, so that will have to wait a while.
In the meantime, here's what happened when I tried out the first load of clothes last week!! |
Post# 755106 , Reply# 76   5/5/2014 at 17:34 (3,641 days old) by robliverpool (england Liverpool)   |   | |
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Post# 755848 , Reply# 77   5/9/2014 at 01:12 (3,638 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 756533 , Reply# 78   5/12/2014 at 14:33 (3,634 days old) by StrongEnough78 (California)   |   | |
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Post# 756540 , Reply# 79   5/12/2014 at 14:52 (3,634 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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It would probably take some serious re-engineering of the drive unit to make a machine like this spin faster than 208 rpms. I think part of the reason the spin is relatively slow is the 'suspension' system of the GE Combo. It is literally a tub on legs - I think they could have called it a 'bolt-down'... LOL I'll comment more on that when I get tearing into the 47 Bendix... |
Post# 756572 , Reply# 80   5/12/2014 at 17:24 (3,634 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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There is basically no suspension on these combos, O Keefe & Merritt Norge and Easy combos also had no suspension so fast spinning was out of the question.
The OK&M did not spin at all, but was only made in gas and had a 9,500BTU burner, the Norge only spun around 200RPMs and the Easy did a surge spin where it surged to a little over 200 RPMs for just a few seconds at a time. And in spite of these poor water extraction rates anyone of these early combos will seriously beat probably any combo built anywhere in the world today in capacity and speed of the complete cycle [ maybe not total energy consumption however ]. I have long predicted that the return of a REAL combo is going happen again soon, one that can wash and DRY more than 10 pounds of clothing in under an hour and half. |
Post# 756638 , Reply# 81   5/12/2014 at 22:54 (3,634 days old) by ovrphil (N.Atlanta / Georgia )   |   | |
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Post# 757098 , Reply# 82   5/15/2014 at 04:11 (3,631 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 773441 , Reply# 83   7/27/2014 at 14:45 (3,558 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 773453 , Reply# 84   7/27/2014 at 16:13 (3,558 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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Post# 773455 , Reply# 85   7/27/2014 at 16:23 (3,558 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 773461 , Reply# 86   7/27/2014 at 16:53 (3,558 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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Yep, if the dry thermostat is set to the 'delicate' side of the dial, the calrods will not be powered during the spin. Also, only the large calrod will be powered up in the dry portion of the cycle when in the 'delicate' position. I swear I did not just read the GE manual on this, I memorized it... LOL |