so that's how a dryer timer works

Played 27 times

Uploaded by: clickersound

Upload date: 1/5/2025

Description:

In a dorm I was at, I discovered that there was a buzzing noise coming from the dryer. Upon closer listening, I discovered that it was the synchronous motor powering the timer. Basically, a synchronous motor is one that is synchronized to the AC frequency it receives, which here in the states is 60hz, so 60 rotations a second or 3600rpm. All you have to do to turn that into a timer is gear it down and you've got a accurate enough timer.
I think something might have been wrong with the gears in that timer. I have listened to other dryers like it and they don't have the same sound.

Yeah we still got an old gas drier with a timer like that too, you can't really hear the motor enough to even pick up the 60 hurtz hum or the gears, ours you can turn the knob either way, it tells you not to go counter clockwise in the manual but it allows you to do it so I don't really worry about it. We've had it probably 15 years and the only thing went wrong so far with it is a gas valve decided to eventually start sticking and not open up all the way.