Dryer only running on 120v


  #1  
Old 01-27-23, 09:29 PM
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Dryer only showing wattage on one leg

We have a Samsung dryer, 2017 model I think. DV42H5200EP/A3. It's definitely not been a smooth sailing machine.
Most recently, a couple of months ago the drum was locking up. Bought a new motor, new belts, and new felt.
It seems to dry fine, rarely do things come out wet and then it's usually just things like missed rolled up sleeves and such. Things not out of the ordinary.
I got an iotawatt and noticed that only one leg of the circuit is showing any activity. Around 2.25kW when drying.
I am monitoring both hot legs as well as both mains and can confirm that only one main jumps up the 2.25kW also. Ruling out a bad CT.
I pulled the dryer out and checked that voltage is present on both legs at the plug (3 prong). I haven't checked true voltage values with a multimeter but could.

Is a dryer wired such that all 120v loads and one element are on one leg and just the other element is on the other leg?
So perhaps that lone element went out?
Or is there just one element and I am going off the wrong assumption of what I am seeing?

It was kicked off this morning (Normal, high temp, auto-sensing) and ran for 48 minutes which doesn't strike me as unusually long but I've never really paid attention to know what it would have been 6 months, a year, or 5 years ago.
 

Last edited by kramttocs; 01-27-23 at 09:54 PM.
  #2  
Old 01-27-23, 09:46 PM
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Just did some diagram searching. Door sticker shows 5400W but the diagrams I see for it appear to just have one element.
 
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Old 01-28-23, 02:25 AM
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Below is a link to a manual which includes info on like units with 2 elements your will basically be the same.
DV42H5000GW:A3 - Google Drive

The elements are in parallel across the 240 volts not 120 volts.
 
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Old 01-28-23, 07:47 AM
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Thanks manden.
My wiring of the elements was a bad assumption.
Still trying to figure out what I am seeing from the electrical usage monitor.

Looks like both legs are getting voltage inside the unit since it is heating up.
Why am I not seeing wattage on one leg? I was expecting them to be showing mostly the same with one of them having more for the 120v components.



 
  #5  
Old 01-28-23, 08:10 AM
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I may be missing something here.

Have you checked the elements for resistance to be sure the elements are OK?

 
  #6  
Old 01-28-23, 08:37 AM
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I am likely not explaining it well.
Let me try again and see if this graph helps

I have energy clamps inside the breaker box on the mains and both conductors for the dryer.
What I am seeing when running a load is that only one leg of the dryer is reporting anything (with one exception seen below).

The lack of blue (dryer 1) and corresponding yellow for the Main2 is what I am trying to figure out. There is that one spike of blue that I do not know what made that happen.
The behavior shown in the graph is me testing it so doing various load options on the dryer for example the long green plateau at first was just a tumble cycle unheated.
Ignoring that blue spike (and maybe I shouldn't be), I would expect the blue and green to line up for the most part.
Even on the chance that the dryer 1 sensor is bad, the yellow main should also be picking up activity and it isn't . The green and the red match in a way like I'd expect.


I just kicked off a high temp timed cycle. Not enough time for a graph to generate but here is the live view:


You can see how Main_1 and Dryer_2 show similar activity but Dryer_1 and Main_2 do not.

No, I haven't taken the dryer apart to do any tests on the elements as I was hoping to get some understanding if what I am seeing indicates a problem or if I am looking at it wrong. If that's the next step though, I can do it.
Thanks
 
  #7  
Old 01-28-23, 09:29 AM
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I would check the CTs of the power usage monitor and make sure you have them the correct way. If you have a CT installed backward it will not correctly read the current. I have even had to reverse the orientation of a CT contrary to what the arrow indicates on the CT in order for it to read correctly.
 
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Old 01-28-23, 09:38 AM
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That was my first thought as well (after thinking ill thoughts about the dryer). But with the Main not showing it on that leg either, I feel confident to rule that out.
 
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Old 01-28-23, 10:34 AM
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You might have to change the main CT as well.
 
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Old 01-28-23, 11:21 AM
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I won't completely rule that out but the main CT for that leg reflects changes in other circuits correctly.
 
  #11  
Old 01-31-23, 05:30 AM
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Took the dryer part and found a broken element being grounded to a well-cooked casing.




 
 

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