Just shocking!!!!!!

[SeaCat]

This morning my neighbor came over. He was in a bit of a bind. It seems his Clothes Dryer had stopped working the night before and his wife wasn't happy. He asked if I could possibly take a look at it.

Being in a good mood I grabbed my tool box and wandered over to their place. (I made him carry the tool box, I was busy sipping my first cup of coffee.)

I got the machine unplugged and moved away from the wall. I opened the access panels and took a look inside. For an old dryer it was in amazing clean condition. I started testing switches, working off the wiring diagram. Some of the wires were the incorrect color but that happens. All of the switches seemed to be working correctly, although some of the connection points looked like they had become over warm.

While I was working I asked a few questions. It seems the motor just died the night before. Well this model doesn't have any breakers in it but it does have an overload switch. This seemed to be in good shape though.

As a last test I hooked my Multi-meter to the motor itself. I then plugged the machine into the power socket. As I turned on the power switch I felt a tingle in my hand and watched as my Multi-meter fried. (Thankfully it was a cheap one.) I quickly unplugged the dryer and started to look closer while asking some more questions. The guy admitted that a friend of his had worked on the machine the day before. When I looked and followed the wiring I found the problem.

His friend had somehow managed to wire the motor into the 220 line instead of the 110 circuit it's supposed to be wired into.

I did learn a couple of important lessons today:
1) Always aask if someone had worked on whatever is broken just before it broke.

2) Always use cheap tools on other peoples machines.

A cheap price for the lessons learned.

Cat

 

[Smarmy_and_Sappe]

Just wondering, what is a 220 line? 220 is actually 2 phases of 110VAC with no neutral. As the two lines are out of phase, you will see 220VAC across both poles, or 110 from each pole to neutral. So, if 220 was connected to the motor, whoever worked on the dryer previously removed the neutral from the motor and replaced it with the other hot wire.

Metering 101.

Lesson 1: Always put your meter on the highest range, and work your way down. (Not necessary when using an auto-ranging DVM.)

 

[sr71plt]

Just wondering, what is a 220 line? 220 is actually 2 phases of 110VAC with no neutral. As the two lines are out of phase, you will see 220VAC across both poles, or 110 from each pole to neutral. So, if 220 was connected to the motor, whoever worked on the dryer previously removed the neutral from the motor and replaced it with the other hot wire.

Metering 101.

Lesson 1: Always put your meter on the highest range, and work your way down. (Not necessary when using an auto-ranging DVM.)

I'm not electrician, but 220 was the household appliance voltage in the European, Middle East, and East Asian countries I've lived in. If you mistakenly plugged an American-standard appliance directly in the wall socket, you had exploded appliance, a cloud of smoke, and singed hair. We either had to have step-up transformers or use local appliances.

 

[Smarmy_and_Sappe]

I'm not electrician, but 220 was the household appliance voltage in the European, Middle East, and East Asian countries I've lived in. If you mistakenly plugged an American-standard appliance directly in the wall socket, you had exploded appliance, a cloud of smoke, and singed hair. We either had to have step-up transformers or use local appliances.

Actually, it's a step down transformer. It would convert the 220 VAC Line voltage to 110VAC, which appliances in North America are designed to operate at. But yes, plugging them in directly would cause a moment of excitement. (Similar to the day I drilled through a live power cable, a great orange flash, a lot of smoke, a spectacular bang, and a ruined auger bit.)

 

[sutherngent985]

Metering 101.

Lesson 1: Always put your meter on the highest range, and work your way down. (Not necessary when using an auto-ranging DVM.)

That was the first lesson we got in school...we were using Simpsons. Auto ranging takes alot of the guess work out of it but I doubt that a cheapie DVM ie Radio Shack would have that and may not even range that high as they are designed for hobbyists. I have brought stuff (meters, scopes, etc) home from work to do what I had to. We had some good hand held DVMs but I dont think most people would pay several hundred dollars for one.

 

[jomar]

3) Let Mikey touch it first.

 

[SensualCealy]

SeaCat, did you fix the dryer for the guy?

And is he replacing your metre for you?

C

 

[SeaCat]

Just wondering, what is a 220 line? 220 is actually 2 phases of 110VAC with no neutral. As the two lines are out of phase, you will see 220VAC across both poles, or 110 from each pole to neutral. So, if 220 was connected to the motor, whoever worked on the dryer previously removed the neutral from the motor and replaced it with the other hot wire.

Metering 101.

Lesson 1: Always put your meter on the highest range, and work your way down. (Not necessary when using an auto-ranging DVM.)

Okay, let me try explaining this without putting up diagrams. (And before Uncle Jose takes control of my fingers.)

Picture an electric motor with dual inputs. (220VAC) Input A comes off the power line, runs through several control switches, (including both high and low level thermostats) then goes through the heating element. It goes into the electric motor through the Centrifigal switch then to the common ground. Input B comes off the power line, through the timers and door cut out switch then into the motor.

Now, the person who had been working on the motor the last time had somehow managed to bypass the Centrifigul switch. While doing so he somehow managed to couple the two out of phase wires together into the same circuit. (Which by the way toasted the motor as well as my Multi-meter.)

My Multi-meter was not an autoranging one. Like I said it was an old el Cheapo. (I have got to get me a nice one.)

By the way, my favorite Multi-meter was an ancient Air Force one my father somehow got his hands on. It wasn't auto ranging, in fact it wasn't even digital. It did however have more fuses built into it than I have ever seen and was built strong enough to be dropped off the wing of a bomber and survive. The only problem is I can't find batteries for it any more.)

Cat

 

[SeaCat]

SeaCat, did you fix the dryer for the guy?

And is he replacing your metre for you?

C

The dryer is toast, (as is mine by the way. Mine died of old age.) I'm planning on replacing my Multi-meter with a bit better one.

Cat

 

[SensualCealy]

The dryer is toast, (as is mine by the way. Mine died of old age.) I'm planning on replacing my Multi-meter with a bit better one.

Cat

Hubby is an electrician, I hear that line all the time!
I'm planning on replacing my ______ with a bit better one!

So long as he doesnt say wife Im okay!
C

 

[Lisa Denton]

Hi Cat.

Sorry about your tool (?) by that I mean your meter thing, and since that guys dryer don't work maybe you can help me with a question about my washing machine.

It works fine, but last time I was cleaning the floor real good I got someone to help me scoot it out. I didn't unplug the water hoses or even electric, so there is no leaks and stuff. Anyways, there was two old floor tiles back there, same as the regular floor tiles but they weren't glued down, still had the paper backing on them and I could see they were under the back legs of the washer. They were old and crumbling and uckey lookin, and I was cleaning, so I threw them away.

Now my washing machine still cleans good, and there are no leaks, but it makes a awful racket. I have to put a folded paper towel between the top lid and washer to keep it from banging like hell, and it , um, kinda moves around when it is on the whirling cycle.

I tried to adjust those back legs out, but the damn thing is heavy, you got any suggestions?

Do I have to go buy a whole box of floor tiles to get two to put under the back legs like it was?

 

[SeaCat]

Hi Cat.

Sorry about your tool (?) by that I mean your meter thing, and since that guys dryer don't work maybe you can help me with a question about my washing machine.

It works fine, but last time I was cleaning the floor real good I got someone to help me scoot it out. I didn't unplug the water hoses or even electric, so there is no leaks and stuff. Anyways, there was two old floor tiles back there, same as the regular floor tiles but they weren't glued down, still had the paper backing on them and I could see they were under the back legs of the washer. They were old and crumbling and uckey lookin, and I was cleaning, so I threw them away.

Now my washing machine still cleans good, and there are no leaks, but it makes a awful racket. I have to put a folded paper towel between the top lid and washer to keep it from banging like hell, and it , um, kinda moves around when it is on the whirling cycle.

I tried to adjust those back legs out, but the damn thing is heavy, you got any suggestions?

Do I have to go buy a whole box of floor tiles to get two to put under the back legs like it was?

Lisa,

Nope, you certainly don't have to buy a whole box of tiles to fix the washer. You can either get singles in a place like Home Depot or Lowes, or you can just cut a couple of sections of Plywood if you happen to have it around. (I did this for my mother a couple of years ago. I just cut a piece of Plywood about two feet wide and three feet long to place under the rear legs of the washing machine.)

Cat

 

[SlickTony]

I remember those transformers when I lived in Iran. We had three--one dedicated to the fridge, and two others that we used for the vacuum and the stereo. Each was hand-made by an electrician in a hole-in-the-wall shop.