Tumble dryer doing my head in. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: McFLUFFELS
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 29, 2022, 03:08:49 pm
content: Hello, maybe someone here can help me.I have a Simpson 5kg tumble dryer with a very interesting problem it is suppose to tumble in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction (3 minutes in each direction) to stop sheets tangling thing is it only goes in one direction now It was functioning perfectly in forward/reverse then 24 hours ago it started struggling to go in reverse it would shudder for 3-4 seconds the go as time progressed it got worse until it would completely stall when reversing so it would be on for 3 minutes then off for 10-12 minutes because the heater remained on without airflow and trip the two thermal fuses on the heater assembly then when the fuses reset it would go again.First I mapped out the wiringChecked all the thermal fuses they were all goodChecked the door safety switch it functions as normalNext I went to the dual direction timer and opened it upI initially thought I found the problem, the neutral contactor was not reaching the reverse contact in its resting position because the reversing contact melted its support and moved further away fixed that with a bit of material to push the reverse contact forward. I also cleaned up all the surfaces just incase.Everything was put back together but the same problem still persists.So next I checked that the motor bearings are free in both directions and they were remarkably smooth for a 15 year old machine resistance through both windings were nearly equalthe only thing I can think of is the motor run cap it is connected across the motor windings and bolted to the motor frame but would the motor not fail to run in both direction if it were the cap. I also tried reversing the cables on the timer and same problem turns clockwise but not anti-clockwise.Any input would be greatly appreciated maybe im missing something obvious, thanks in advance.

author: fordem
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2022, 03:16:34 pm
content: That diagram cannot be correct - look at the live supply line.Assuming the pink line in your timer is some sort of movable contact, the supply live will never be connected to the heater

author: McFLUFFELS
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 29, 2022, 03:39:08 pm
content: Yeah the diagram is messed up the live supply (in the photo of the timer) pushed by a cam (pink) into the motor live contact (red) then pushed further into the the heater supply (grey) to make sure that the heater is never on without airflow.Here is an updated diagram

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2022, 03:49:52 pm
content: disconnect the direction switching and try applying power directly to the motor terminals,that way you can determine if the fault lies with the motor or the switch

author: McFLUFFELS
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 29, 2022, 03:55:32 pm
content: I will try to apply power directly tomorrow, however during my troubleshooting i did switch the forward/reverse wires but it still resulted in the motor spinning only in the one direction (clockwise) that's why im so dumbfounded by this problem

author: Jeff eelcr
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2022, 11:44:44 pm
content: Those contacts are not looking very good to pass any high current.(or)Possible winding short in motor or bad cap.Recheck other things sometimes they fail after you check 1st time.Jeff