Words of warning - gas clothes driers

Simon & Nicky

Bronze
Feb 3, 2004
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www.simon-hall.co.uk
I placed a post asking for info on gas driers. We found a good one (GE) in Radiocentro in Santiago. On close inspection I noticed a small sticker inside the door stating that it needed to be converted to run on bottled gas (LP). The salesman looked at the sticker, scratched his head and declared that nobody had ever complained before and that it would be fine to plumb it straight to LP.

Once I had got the thing delivered to Sosua I settled down with the installation manual and this time I found further instructions declaring that both the valve and burner assembly needed to be changed if I wanted to run it on bottled gas. Rather than continue with the installation I emailed a friend who is a licenced gas fitter. Here is his reply:

Hi Simon, My Dearest friend -- PLEASE DO NOT bodge up a bottle of LPG onto a regulator and pipe it up to the gas tumble drier. It is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. LPG runs at 37mb. Natural gas runs at 21mb.They are two completely different animals. Propane is heavier than air whilst NG is lighter than air. You will make your lovely wife a very sad widow if you mess with this. In the manufacturers instructions there will be a list of injector sizes for Natural gas and for propane or butane. Let me know the injector size for propane or butane and I will endeavour to get them for you. The regulators are readily available out there in the DR.The information you have quoted from GE will be of little help to my man in Brighouse, but give him injector sizes and Bingo we are home and dry. Pleased you enjoyed the cake --- live a little longer -- DONT MESS WITH GAS. Trev.

So there you have it - I've been done! I'll need to buy a whole new set of internals for my brand new drier but please, please, please, if you have one of these rigged up by a Dominican gasman switch it off and run!


Simon
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
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Was the warning sticker in English or Spanish?

(Not that Spanish would make that much difference to the many people here who are functionally illiterate.)

So many products sold in the DR, food, electro-domestics, and other stuff, are labelled only in English. I often wonder how the ordinary consumer copes, and how many of them are injured, poisoned or killed because of this.
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
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yahoomail.com
You might as well turn off your "electric" as well!

Since virtually nothing is "grounded" here.Ground fault interruptors are unheard of! An no liability for negligence! :cry: This is "Africa West" don't forget!
 

Snuffy

Bronze
May 3, 2002
1,462
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Simon...

I would do some more research. I am sure someone on here has purchased one of these in the past. Give this some time to be seen. If you give me the location where purchased and model number...I will go discuss it with the managers. Here in this country...as you well know...things are not always done per instructions. They could rig up a horse to run that drier.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
another candidate for the Paraguayan Navy award...

There is a consumer protection association here. I know because I've seen it mentioned in the media.

I guess it's about as busy as the Dominican post office.
 

sweetdbt

Bronze
Sep 17, 2004
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Snuffy said:
I would do some more research. I am sure someone on here has purchased one of these in the past. Give this some time to be seen. If you give me the location where purchased and model number...I will go discuss it with the managers. Here in this country...as you well know...things are not always done per instructions. They could rig up a horse to run that drier.

I agree that it would be worthwhile to check into this further before investing a lot of $ in new parts. I know a lot of things in the DR don't make sense, but why would they be selling a product which can only be safely used w/natural gas in a country where natural gas is virtually, if not totally unavailable? If your friend is right and this is extremely dangerous, where are all the news reports about exploding dryers? I'm sure you're not the first to buy one. I wouldn't be surprised if the modifications were already made. Since the warning is in English, it's quite possible a Dominican doing the work wouldn't have known it should have been removed.

Obviously, I'm not suggesting you hook it up and use it until you're totally satisfied it's safe.
 

cork

New member
Aug 23, 2003
248
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LP gas dryer

Simon,

The only thing to replace is the orifice. The diameter of the hole in the orifice is calibrated for the type of gas. LP is different than Natural. The part cost about fifteen dollars here in the US and I have to have them on my equipment as we who live in the third world of America, (Missouri) don't have Natural gas yet.

The part screws into the end of the gas line at the point where the gas enters the burner. If that is an American brand the installation instruction to convert to LP gas are on the websites.

cork
 

Buck69

Member
Jul 29, 2004
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solder the orfice hole with lead solder. then drill a hole 1/2 the diameter that it was for natural gas and it will work fine.
 

Gregg

New member
Apr 26, 2004
176
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orfice change only

not a big deal to change. they cost less than $10. some appliances even come with the extra LP orfice to change over. should take an experienced person about 10 minutes to do.

inconvenient but shouldn't be a show stopper.
 

Simon & Nicky

Bronze
Feb 3, 2004
655
14
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www.simon-hall.co.uk
Don't make me laugh!

You guys have lived in the DR for too long! It's like the guy who tried to repair my wheel and was about to toss away the extra little pile of nuts and bolts that just didn't seem to matter much!

Go take a look at the geappliances.com parts site.GE Appliances Parts

Highlight "repair part"

Select "laundry"

Up pops a little box for the model number. Enter dbxr463gd1ww

The screen will refresh - confirm the model number with a click.

Now you have a choice of input boxes. In the bottom box enter the part number which is we25x0217

click on gas valve and burner assembly

Voila - a picture of the item - All 17 pieces, including electrical parts.

I will say it again. If you have recently bought a gas dryer be very, very careful before you use it. I would recommend that you get a fully qualified-in-the-USA, registered expert to come and take a careful look. I personally do not believe that simply changing the orifice would be enough otherwise the manufacturer would surely supply both.

Why would my good friend tell me that it needs more than an orifice change? He's been a gas fitter all his life and I can assure you that he knows exactly what he's talking about. - I trust him (as it happens, with my life)!

- Look, it's an easy choice right? I'm just warning you good people to be careful.


Simon
 

Gregg

New member
Apr 26, 2004
176
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mea culpa

i stand (sit) corrected Simon. talking through my hat. let us know how it goes.

Simon & Nicky said:
You guys have lived in the DR for too long! It's like the guy who tried to repair my wheel and was about to toss away the extra little pile of nuts and bolts that just didn't seem to matter much!

Go take a look at the geappliances.com parts site.GE Appliances Parts

Highlight "repair part"

Select "laundry"

Up pops a little box for the model number. Enter dbxr463gd1ww

The screen will refresh - confirm the model number with a click.

Now you have a choice of input boxes. In the bottom box enter the part number which is we25x0217

click on gas valve and burner assembly

Voila - a picture of the item - All 17 pieces, including electrical parts.

I will say it again. If you have recently bought a gas dryer be very, very careful before you use it. I would recommend that you get a fully qualified-in-the-USA, registered expert to come and take a careful look. I personally do not believe that simply changing the orifice would be enough otherwise the manufacturer would surely supply both.

Why would my good friend tell me that it needs more than an orifice change? He's been a gas fitter all his life and I can assure you that he knows exactly what he's talking about. - I trust him (as it happens, with my life)!

- Look, it's an easy choice right? I'm just warning you good people to be careful.


Simon