GE Dryer, press start just hear a humming sound

I just hear a humming sound when I press start. Model is dpsb620ec4ww. How do I pop the top off so I can inspect the belt? What else should I look for? Thanks.

Reply to
noname
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HI, Check the belt capacitor?

Reply to
Tony Hwang

I just opened the top, can't see a belt. Replace belt and see what happens, right?

Reply to
noname

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Reply to
philo 

Crap, it isn't the belt I was looking in the wrong place.

How can I debug this?

Reply to
noname

On Mon, 6 Jan 2014 07:24:59 -0800 (PST), noname wrote in

Yes, that's a good start.

Reply to
CRNG

If you see belt and it's not moving, next step is check if motor turning.

Reply to
Dan Espen

I use that website all the time to figure out appliance problems, cost of parts, how to do the repairs, etc.

Here's what it says for the OP's dryer symptoms:

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"On most dryers the drive motor turns the drum and the blower wheel to exhaust the air. If the dryer won't start the motor might be defective. Before replacing the motor, check the thermal fuse, start switch and door switch because all three are more likely the cause. If the dryer won't start and the dryer motor makes a humming noise there might be something caught in the blower wheel, or the drum might be binding. Try removing the belt from the motor and checking the blower wheel for obstructions. The dryer motor can't be tested easily. If the more common components have been checked and it seems the motor itself is defective, it will need to be replaced. It is not serviceable."

Reply to
TomR

Yep. I kept my old Sears going for something like 30 years. Just needed a new belt once in a while (or an idler arm). Eventually the motor went so I bought a new drier not much different from the original.

They tried real hard to sell me a service contract.

Reply to
philo 

I had a dryer like that, I was able to get it going by manually turning the drum while pressing the start switch. I thought it was the bearings going out, but now that I think about it, it could have been a bad centrifugal switch as well.

Anyway you might also check to see if anything is stuck in the fan in the back. Take off the exhaust hose, unplug the unit, and pull it back from the wall. The top should pop off by inserting a wedge on either side until the holders come free (probably best to follow some sort of online guide for this).

Jon

Reply to
Jon Danniken

I got it going. There is a felt loop (for insulation I guess) that seals the front of drum to the front door assembly. The thing had broken or some thing. I just took it out, left the top off, pressed start while spinning, now it works. Should I replace that felt drum seal thing? It didn't seem to affect me spinning it by hand, so I am worried this wasn't the problem. Should that felt thing have an imprint from the drum spinning against it?

Reply to
noname

I think that felt helps hold the drum in place, you should get a new one. Not likely to be anything else wrong.

BTW: Now is a good time to clean out the vent pipe.

Reply to
philo 

I guess) that seals the front of drum to the front door assembly. The thing had broken or something. I just took it out, left the top off, pressed start while spinning, now it works. Should I replace that felt drum seal thing? It didn't seem to affect me spinning it by hand, so I am worried this wasn't the problem. Should that felt thing have an imprint from the drum spinning against it?

The felt strip provides a little bit of lubrication. It's a fairly common replacement part.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Try to hand turn the drum. If you can, the belt is broken. The belt runs around the drum with a spring tensioner by the motor.. If the belt is OH and the motor doesn't turn it could quite possibly be the starting capacitor (or on some, the starting switch)

Reply to
clare

Excellent trouble shooting sequence.

Reply to
clare

I worked for Shears, for 4 weeks. They really push the MA, maintenance agreements. Must be a money maker.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Yep, any company that has service will try to push a service contract. A good money maker.

The worst I heard of was ADT.

The place where I do volunteer work had a contract with them for their security system...I think they were paying $300 a month. One day the system went down and when they came out...they saw that computer the software was installed on was Win2k and ADT said there was nothing they could do as they do not support Win2k. (All equipment was owned by the org. I volunteer for.)

In other words, the place paid all that money for nothing.

I got advice on-line from a guy who used to work for ADT and he told me to buy a Linux based security system which cost a total of $200 .

They could buy a new one each month and still save money.

They have now had it for two years and never had to spend money again.

Reply to
philo 

Turn the timer to any cycle, open the door, hold the door switch closed, tu rn or push the start switch to start, hear the hum, and give the drum a sho ve clockwise by grabbing a baffle and moving the drum. If the motor starts and the drum moves on its own, you need a new motor.

Reply to
todd3620

Before you do anything check the fuses. If one of the two fuses in the

240 volt line for the dryer is blown it could produce the symptom you describe.
Reply to
Larry Weil

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