Burned out timer contact on Whirlpool dryer.

I've already ordered a new timer but, is there away to repair this timer?

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I still have the tiny circular copper contact disk. How would someone adhere it back on if they had to?

Bonus expert question: Why did it burn out??

TIA

Jim

Reply to
gonjah
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It's toast. They fail because every time it opens and closes, it arcs a little. Over time, the metal starts to erode. Then instead of having a very low resistance, the resistance increases. That produces heat, accelerating the failure. More resistance, more heat, until it fails.

Reply to
trader_4

Can you cancel that order?

Rebuilding appliance timers is a cottage industry. Normally, in every major city there will be several people that rebuild appliance timers in their basements or garages for a fraction of the cost of a new timer. Just phone around to the local appliance parts stores, and the people working there will generally know who, if anyone, rebuilds appliance timers locally.

Alternatively, if there are no local places that do that kind of work, you can send your old timer in to Turner's Timers and have a rebuilt timer sent to you. I'd at least get a price for a rebuilt timer from them before you commit to buying a new timer.

'Turners Timer Repair - Appliance Timer Repair Experts'

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Reply to
nestork

Great idea. Turner only charges $70 to $130 to fix it, $65 to inspect it. I'll bet that doesn't compare very favorably with the cost Gonjah paid for a new one. Things must really, really be different up there in Canada. IDK of any cottage industry here repairing timers and if you called an appliance store here, they'd laugh at you. They sell parts, why would they refer you to some guy rebuilding them in his basement? I can see doing a repair if it's some expensive timer, integrated with something else, etc, but not for the typical dryer timer.

Reply to
trader_4

Hi, Maybe it was making a poor contact or misaligned. Used to exchange the timer assembly with rebuilt one at local parts store but I don't know if they still do. Like exchanging car part with old broken core for new or rebuilt unit.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Hi, I'll try to use silver solder?

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Hi, When I tried eBay with keyword "Whirlpool dryer timer" There were many hits. I usually check eBay first for some thing like this. Last month I came across a high end laptop(gaming laptiop) with broken RJ45 jack. I offered 200.00 for it and the owner agreed. You see as is you can only use Internet using WiFi, very inconvenient. I checked eBay to get a exact replacement jack and found one in China. two for 3.00 free shipping. Taking apart the laptop literally takes about 1 hour to get at the broken jack. It was filled with cat hair, I could see cat stumbling across the CAT5 cable buggering up the jack. The jack was replaced and every thing put back. Now it is a laptop worth almost 1G just like new.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

The new timer was $97 USD. Next time I'll check locally for repairs but it sounds like replacing it isn't too bad.

Good idea though.

I saved big bucks when the digital display went out on my Prius. The Dealer wanted $5000 to replace it. I found a rebuilt one for $500 online and found a great mechanic to do the work too. It ended up costing about $600 total. My wife was reading Consumer Reports last night and Toyota recently extended the warranty on the display to 9 years. As usual, I'm a day late and a dollar short.

Reply to
gonjah

why not submit a claim for your out of pocket expenses?

Reply to
Pico Rico

I'm expecting that if there aren't any people repairing timers in your area it's because of the prevalence of electronic timers in appliances over the past 20 years. Nowadays, stove clocks and appliance timers are all electronic, and they aren't really repaired except by replacement. There just isn't the demand for this skill anymore, just as it's comparatively rare to find TV repair shops anymore. It's cheaper to buy a new modern flat panel TV than have the old TV repaired.

No, no appliance parts store is going to laugh at you. When someone starts a new business, like repairing appliance timers, the very first thing they do is bring a stack of their business cards to each of the appliance parts stores in the city. That way the people working in the appliance parts stores get to know what services are available locally, and advise their customers. And those guys behind the counter get paid the same regardless whether they sell an extra timer or not, so they really have no incentive NOT to tell customers that need new timers that their old ones can be rebuilt.

If you go into any welding supply shop in Winnipeg, you'll see business cards from people who rebuild pressure regulators for oxyacetylene gas cutting and brazing.

Well, Google "appliance timer repair" and you'll find quite a few places online repairing and rebuilding timers for typical dryers, typical washers, and typical dish washers. If people didn't feel that was a practical alternative, those places wouldn't be in business.

Besides, there are new appliances where you can justify paying $300 for a new timer. And there are old appliance where the clear choice is to buy a new appliance. And there is that large number of appliance that fall in between where you can justify paying less than $100 to repair the machine's timer, and that's the niche that appliance timer repair shops cater to.

Reply to
nestork

My wife said the same thing. I just called up Toyota customer service and if I jump through a bunch of hoops it just maybe possible.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Reply to
gonjah

Y'know, if you had a soldering gun, you could probably solder that old copper contact disk back in place. If you could use a fold back paper clip or something to hold it in place while you heated it up, you might be able to fix that old timer yourself.

Reply to
nestork

Hi, If that was the only problem. Even one can splice new contact blade in with soldering. If there is a will, there is a way. Way back in lolden days Remember StrogerEMD phone exhcange system? Rebuilding relays, contacts were routine maintenance all the time.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Hi, As an addendum to this, there is an outfit in NYC who repairs Logitech remote controls for flat fee. One of my remote, Harmony 800 had vol. up switch got sticky real bad. Repair cost was 13.99 plus S&H. When it came back it worked like new, I sold it for 70.00 bought a Harmony One for 90.00, LOL!.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

I don't think solder is an advisable method on switch contacts that can get hot. And if it failed, then there isn't anything to solder back on, because it's eroded, finished, kaput. That's why it's gone to begin with. They don't just fall off. But to each his own.

Reply to
trader_4

Good answer

Reply to
jayville26554

Good answer !

Reply to
jayville26554

It was... 2-1/2 years ago.

Reply to
Father Time

Nothing was a good answer?

Reply to
Sam E

The other guy had a much better answer.

Reply to
catalpa

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