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Thread Number: 49189
John Eich, John Fev, and Jon Char & Other Pros: Need Combo Expertise on GE's 66 Version |
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| Post# 711995 10/28/2013 at 23:39 (3,830 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
 It's a case of Benign Non-Combo-itis in which the Wash Cycle is perfect, and the Dry Cycle fills and pumps perfectly for the condenser drying, but the heat won't come on. I fear I may have damaged the machine, but don't know enough to know if, in fact, I did. Here's what happened. There was a leak somewhere pooling out on the garage floor shortly after I started the machine. Took off the back panel, and found nothing. Started the machine up again and saw water squirting from the fill valve, which looked, by the way, minty and new. Fixed the leak problem with a new hose. BUT DURING THE ANALYSIS: at one of the trials, a drop of water hit one of the terminals and there was a spark and a flash. Because the fill valve is integral to the drying process, I'm wondering if I shorted something out and that's why my baby won't dry. Please advise, and many thanks in advance for the enlightenment. Michael Mick 
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Post# 712053 , Reply# 1 10/29/2013 at 07:22 (3,830 days old) by jetcone  (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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What contact did you sizzle where is it located? | ||
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Post# 712068 , Reply# 2 10/29/2013 at 09:41 (3,830 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Hmmm.... In the early models (like, oh I don't know, a 1956...) GE suggests the following possible causes of no drying:
- One blown fuse or bad connection on the wiring block (not getting 240v to the dryer) - Bad timer or timer contact - If condenser water is not flowing, the water control switch may be defective - If condenser water is flowing, the heater relay may be defective (not sure if there is one on the 66 model, though) - Defective operating thermostat ** This may not apply to the 66** - Belt switch tripped (THIS was the root cause of not getting heat to the 56...) I don't know if these suggestions apply or not, but it might help!! Keep us posted.... | ||
| Post# 712076 , Reply# 3 10/29/2013 at 11:16 (3,830 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Jon, the sizzle was right from where I photographed--one of those contacts, but nothing LOOKS damaged, and the hot warm cold temp functions are all working.
Paul, there must be a heater because this is an Electric Combo, not a Gasser. Singing the "How dry I am song," but changing it to wet. "Nobody knows.... how wet I am." | ||
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Post# 712079 , Reply# 4 10/29/2013 at 11:37 (3,830 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Michael, Have you tried testing the dry function since the 'zap' incident?? If you still can hear water flowing through the condenser valve, that should mean the valve is still good. I think you are correct that the dry function will not kick in if the condenser valve is not working...
I have a LOT of service information on these later combinations, but the books are all down in Ogden and I'm stuck in Montreal this week... I'll do some hunting on the weekend if it helps. What is the model number of this combo?? | ||
| Post# 712086 , Reply# 5 10/29/2013 at 12:40 (3,830 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Yeah, that's the bite in the butt, Paul. Everything else works with the precision of a Swiss watch. Remember the screen flush on the 49 GE. Well, this does a tub flush THREE of them between rinses. There are short pauses with reverse tumbling before the drains, all kinds of cool stuff that I have yet to fully appreciate & organize much less master. Getting my head around this machine's operation will become the equivalent of a Vulcan Mind Meld.
Here's her pedigree: Model 861C1 W Serial HC 300 630 Volts 120 208 3 wire Cycles 60 Watts 4500 Any help is greatly appreciated as this is far beyond my pay grade. So busy haven't even checked Ephemera for a manual which I'll do right now. | ||
| Post# 712090 , Reply# 6 10/29/2013 at 13:08 (3,830 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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The Mains | ||
| Post# 712093 , Reply# 7 10/29/2013 at 13:15 (3,830 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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And the fabulous DRIP DRY
which is all I'll be doing until we figure out what's wrong. Again, during the dry cycle, the condenser clicks on, you can hear the gushing & gurgling, ( sometimes it sounds just like the water vac the dentist places inside your mouth), and the pump and see the condenser water discharging from the hose in trickles and gulps. BUT NOT A DEGREE OF HEAT.
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| Post# 712094 , Reply# 8 10/29/2013 at 13:18 (3,830 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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The tub is pretty and nice | ||
| Post# 712251 , Reply# 9 10/30/2013 at 13:13 (3,829 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Excuse the body parts. | ||
| Post# 712345 , Reply# 10 10/30/2013 at 21:31 (3,829 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Unusual finding
Wanted to see what goes on in the Soak cycle, which is a short one, but clicked the cold valve off because I wanted eventually to wash the load in hot and wasn't sure what temp the Combo soaks at. But then, I said wait till tomorrow in the sunlight and try the Soak in an empty tub--no laundry--with the door open, and really study the operation.
So I dialed up the Wash Cycle, and then went in the house to Aworg. About three-quarters of an hour later, I returned to the garage to find the machine tumbling quietly and happily with the dial holding tight at the start of the rinse cycle. Interesting. So I flipped the cold valve back on, and the WARM water gushed in for the first rinse. Amazed that the Combo would not go forward without cold water, but just kept tumbling on, all patient and no drama. Here's a shot from the first day before learning correct dosing--a short learning curve, indeed. Biggest Suds Cake I've ever made. 
This post was last edited 10/30/2013 at 21:48 | ||
| Post# 712347 , Reply# 11 10/30/2013 at 21:36 (3,829 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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And finally a suds-free rinse ~ | ||
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Post# 712352 , Reply# 12 10/30/2013 at 23:46 (3,828 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Non Heating GE Combo Hi Michael and congratulations on joining the combo club at long last.
The first thing to check is to be sure the circuit breaker is not 1/2 tripped in your panel.
The heater element terminals are very close to the water valve mounting bracket, and it sounds like it may have shorted in this area. I would unplug the machine and raise the top of the machine and look at the heater element terminals, there are four of them and see if you can see a burnt or loose terminal, you may have to unscrew the inlet valve bracket to see the top terminal. Hopefully a wire just blew off a terminal and it can be repaired. If the end of the heater terminal blew off it is a big job to repair and you need a new heater.
The not heating could also be many other things, a bad timer contact, adjustable dryness control thermostat, hi limit thermostat, motor centrifugal switch and a bad wiring connection ant where in the heater circuit.
There are several other possibility's as to why it is not heating, it would be best to call me as it is had to even try to diagnose something without me asking more questions, John. | ||
| Post# 712417 , Reply# 13 10/31/2013 at 12:53 (3,828 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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HI JOHN | ||
| Post# 713418 , Reply# 14 11/5/2013 at 18:35 (3,823 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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What's a cool and unexpected coincidence is that the timer "CHUMS" just like the Unimatic next to it, and the chums often occur in synchrony because General Motors is doing back up spinning for General Electric, but not always. For clothing, the GE is perfect for outdoor drying. Enough water out for reasonable drying, enough water in for wrinkle-free hanging. Towels, alas need a tighter squeeze.
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| Post# 713419 , Reply# 15 11/5/2013 at 18:36 (3,823 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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I may never go back ! | ||
| Post# 713449 , Reply# 16 11/5/2013 at 22:01 (3,823 days old) by stainfighter (Columbia, SC) | ||
to know thyself... | ||
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Post# 713479 , Reply# 17 11/6/2013 at 02:07 (3,822 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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good quote robert | ||
| Post# 713526 , Reply# 18 11/6/2013 at 11:36 (3,822 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Nirvana, Indeed, Robert. | ||
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Post# 713540 , Reply# 19 11/6/2013 at 13:00 (3,822 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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I MEAN MIKEYD! | ||
| Post# 713798 , Reply# 20 11/7/2013 at 22:24 (3,820 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Will never tire of agitated draining. I could watch it all day. This is the Soak Cycle in progress, during the drain period: Fill, a two minute or so tumble, a tumble drain, followed by a one minute very slow spin, at maybe a hundred RPM's; the clothes are literally "soaking wet," so they stay in solution till you come & get 'em. The Soak is really necessary for stained stuff with only a 9 minute maximum wash. Curiously, the Ephemera says the 57 washed for a nice long 18. Wonder why they cut it short.
This post was last edited 11/07/2013 at 23:06 | ||
| Post# 713804 , Reply# 21 11/7/2013 at 23:01 (3,820 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Piece by Piece for MG + Confession
Tempted to show how the GE Combo can easily swallow both quilts in this house; no other machine here can do that, but I will resist the temptation, so as not to strain the belts or the motor. The Ephemera says the two machines for which doctrine is available hold 9 and 10 pounds. When I saw the new young dude load up his two new FL's with a mountain of laundry, I was nearly peer-pressured into trying the two quilts in the Combo, and with Jon's Cryptic comment like the Oracle from the Matrix or Delphi, I was even more tempted, Somehow, and with uncommon self-control, I resisted.
Now for the confession or as the new saying goes, "too much information." There are actually 3 standard bath towels in the machine, almost lost in all that space. With baseball cap season over, I must get ready to reveal my thinned-down-to-almost-nothing head of hair. I learned one day a few years back by total accident that a towel rinsed in a moderate dose of fabric softener gives a little more body to my hair--must be the wax. So there they are my head towels in the midst of a soft soak, getting ready for the season.; no other towels get the luxury because I don't like them that soft. My best friends have very little hair, too! In motion to jump & lick. 
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Post# 713860 , Reply# 22 11/8/2013 at 06:49 (3,820 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Quilts in the Combo
Fear not! The combo can handle a double quilt quite nicely BUT don't use the dry cycle (when it does come back on-line...). The fabric would get a wee bit too close to the calrods as I almost found out the hard way.
I ran a couple (one at a time) through the Ogden Kitchen Centre Combo earlier this summer and I was astonished at how well it coped with them. That tub is pretty darn big, so there was plenty of room to slosh it around and with the number of rinses (5, yes 5 in the 1956 model) it did a great job. | ||
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Post# 713946 , Reply# 23 11/8/2013 at 16:56 (3,820 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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I wonder if my 1955 has 5 rinses?? Just cleaned the guts of the whole machine today with Crystal Simple Green my go to for 50 years of grease. You couldn't even see the wire colors now its a GE rainbow in there. Mikey glad you "direct rinsing" and not afraid of a little water- Sometimes we hide behind the glass doors too much!
Your best friends look eager to help! | ||
| Post# 713972 , Reply# 24 11/8/2013 at 18:14 (3,820 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Best Friends, Harrrummphfff They're very upset with the photo insisting that it is most unflattering and that they will NOT give back the Dychenerol Transponder which makes the GE Combo dry until I post a new, handsomer picture. They're such bitches. LOL. When I ask them where they buried it, they just grin and won't say a word. | ||
| Post# 714143 , Reply# 25 11/9/2013 at 12:20 (3,819 days old) by rustyspaatz () | ||
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Finally... It's nice to see an appliance demo that shows some leg. | ||
| Post# 714375 , Reply# 26 11/10/2013 at 12:37 (3,818 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Hi Rusty ~ | ||
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Post# 714380 , Reply# 27 11/10/2013 at 13:39 (3,818 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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A few snaps | ||
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Post# 714381 , Reply# 28 11/10/2013 at 13:40 (3,818 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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I love how gay | ||
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Post# 714383 , Reply# 29 11/10/2013 at 13:42 (3,818 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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She cleaned up well | ||
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Post# 714384 , Reply# 30 11/10/2013 at 13:43 (3,818 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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ready for the | ||
| Post# 714393 , Reply# 31 11/10/2013 at 14:28 (3,818 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Speaking of Gay | ||
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Post# 714474 , Reply# 32 11/10/2013 at 20:48 (3,818 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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fill port terminals?? | ||
| Post# 714502 , Reply# 33 11/11/2013 at 00:20 (3,817 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Weird GE plumbing: the fill inlets for H & C are inside the machine as in my 1st pic @ top of the thread. Show this inlet valve using a front ariel shot of the wires and terminals connected to the water inlet. "We are Borg [Warner]. We will assimilate you. Resistance is futile." I love it that Norges are made by the Borg. Praise God. LOL. Who knew? | ||
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Post# 714531 , Reply# 34 11/11/2013 at 05:58 (3,817 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK) |
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Is that...
The start of a black hole Mike in reply 15 pic, ha ha? great to see another classic returned to working service. So does it only wash 9lbs or is that for the dry programme?
Wouldnt it be great to see this spin extract at 1600rpm like todays washer dryers and then see how fast it takes to dry!! Happy Washing!! | ||
| Post# 714588 , Reply# 35 11/11/2013 at 13:16 (3,817 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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"The start of a black hole Mike in reply 15 pic, ha ha.&
YEAH ! That, my friend, is a Borgian Vortex, and I am smitten with it. HI MIKE !
We only have Doctrine for the 56 & 57. [ Think I have the first date right. ] I'll check. Read 'em both a few weeks ago. One machine is listed at 9 pounds, the other at 10, but the tubs all look identical and I bet they are, including the tub in Jon's 55 above. I'll re-read tonight and get back to you because they DO list the wet pound weight as well, for one of the two machines. Following the new fingers rule I recently learned in Deluxe, you can see that there's plenty of room. For Paul, I loaded my two quilts into the machine just to see, but they weren't dirty, so I didn't wash them. I bet you guys would confidently add another quilt. The temptations are so great to pack the General silly. Don't know how much longer I'll be able to resist. Before I got the machine, John and I were talking about how fast the drying would be if I spun load in the Unimatic before drying, Doctrine says the General spins at 225. We'll see as soon as I get the Transponder back from the Poochees. 
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| Post# 714600 , Reply# 37 11/11/2013 at 13:57 (3,817 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Konklin mir? | ||
| Post# 714602 , Reply# 38 11/11/2013 at 14:06 (3,817 days old) by rustyspaatz () | ||
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Thanks for spotting that, MickyD, I corrected the spelling error. MickyD ? Are, are you a Dee-Jay? related to Rick Dees, by any chance, on the FM side of your family? | ||
| Post# 714622 , Reply# 39 11/11/2013 at 15:17 (3,817 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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The rinses are the most interesting. They come in six phases.
First, a cold flush with the drain valve open as the tumbling continues, 2. then a pause followed by a cold tumble fill, tumble, and drain. 3. a warm flush, pause 4. warm fill, etc. and drain. 5. hot flush, 6. pause, hot fill, etc. and drain, then on to the breathtaking spin cycle. Imagine what Jon's & Paul's 55 & 56 are like with FIVE rinses. Even Tom would be satisfied. The 66 gives decent rinsing with only 3 if you use HE detergent, but with suds one-third to one-half way up the legendary window in regular Tide with Downy, the rinsing is imperfect, but the clothes smell "real nice" and it works our fine for me. Lucky I guess, and surprised I don't have sensitive skin. This post was last edited 11/11/2013 at 16:10 | ||
| Post# 714644 , Reply# 40 11/11/2013 at 16:45 (3,817 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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LE RINSAAAAHHHJJJE (rinsage) | ||
| Post# 714868 , Reply# 41 11/12/2013 at 13:31 (3,816 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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HEY MIKEY, TOM, PAUL, JON, JOHN & FRIENDS
Here are some cool Ephemeral verbatim quotes:
From the 57 ~ CAPACITY-- 9 pounds dry clothes for complete cycle. Up to 12 pounds wash only. AUTOMATIC WATER SAVER-- Automatically measures water level for size of load--maximum range 4 & 1/2 to 9 & 1/2 gallon capacity From the 59 ~ CAPACITY--8 pounds of dry clothes washed and fully dried on one complete operation. AUTO W S -- Maximum range 6 & 1/2 to 10 & 1/2 gallon capacity. Same 26 inch tub with differing weight and water usage values. Interesting. The 66 seems to use 7 & 1/2 gallons consistently, but It's still under study. In the pic, we're at the 66's 7 & 1/2 max, minus the spillage. OPERATING SPEED:-- 1957: 45 rpm tumble wash and dry, 200 rpm spin 1959: 47 rpm tumble wash and dry, 225 rpm spin 1966: Don't know except that the spin on the Soak Cycle is much slower than Regular, looks to be about 100. Again, clothes are soaking wet. TOM, what do you make of this variety? 
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| Post# 714869 , Reply# 42 11/12/2013 at 13:38 (3,816 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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WRONGGUUEE. This one is max as you can see. | ||
| Post# 716826 , Reply# 43 11/21/2013 at 13:18 (3,807 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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It really is FABulous
Noticed it last week, rounding the corner. The scent is floral and original and satisfying enough to thwart--at least for a while--the search for vintage Dash, Calgon and Gain. Startling experience to smell it, and it gently permeates the room, and you can smell it on the clothes afterwards.
Odd consistency, like baking soda, very fine grind and silky, and dirt cheap--just pennies under three bucks. For all machines. 
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| Post# 716827 , Reply# 44 11/21/2013 at 13:20 (3,807 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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Here it is draining, decent suds | ||
| Post# 716830 , Reply# 45 11/21/2013 at 13:28 (3,807 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
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3rd Rinse | ||
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