GE GFDR480 (01) PDF Document

To quickly start your GE GFDR480 dryer, follow these steps:

1. Press the Power button. If the screen is dark, a press of the Power button will “wake up” the display.

2. Select a dry cycle. Defaults are set for each cycle, but these can be changed.

3. Press the Start/Pause button.

The dry cycle on your GE GFDR480 controls the length and tumble speed of the drying process. The chart below will help you match the dry setting with your laundry loads.

You can customize your drying cycles on the GE GFDR480 using the following settings:

Add Time: Press to add time to the Steam Dewrinkle, Warm Up, Air Fluff, or Time Dry cycles.

Dry Temp: You can change the temperature of your dry cycle.

Sensor Dry Level: The sensor continuously monitors the amount of moisture in the load. When the moisture in your clothes reaches your selected dry level, the dryer will stop. NOTE: Sensor dry Level only works with Cottons, Normal, Active Wear, Delicates, Speed Dry, Bulky, Towels/Sheets, Sanitize and Steam Dewrinkle cycles.

The My Cycle feature allows you to set up your favorite combination of settings and save them for one-touch recall. These custom settings can be set while a cycle is in progress.

To store a My Cycle combination of settings:

1. Select your drying cycle.

2. Change Temp and Level settings to fit your needs.

3. Select any drying options you want.

4. Press and hold the My Cycle button for 3 seconds to store your selection. A beep will sound and the button will light up.

To recall your stored My Cycle combination:

Press the MY CYCLE button before drying a load.

To change your stored My Cycle combination:

Repeat steps 1–4.

• Steam Refresh Cycle: For slightly wrinkled dry garments. Significantly reduces wrinkles on up to 5 garments. After the cycle, the unit will beep and display “0:00.” If the door is not opened, the dryer will continue to tumble for 30 minutes.
• Detangle (on some models): Activates reverse tumbling to reduce tangling, dry more evenly, and improve drying times. Typical loads such as bed and bath mixed loads benefit from this capability. When the dryer reverses direction, there will be a slight pause and sound change; this is normal.
• eDry: Reduces the total energy consumption of specific dryer cycles by adjusting certain heat settings. NOTE: Cycle times will change when e-Dry is selected. This can be used with Cottons, Normal, Active Wear, Delicates, Speed Dry, Bulky, Towels-Sheets, Sanitize and Steam Dewrinkle.
• Extended Tumble: Minimizes wrinkles by adding approximately 60 minutes of no-heat tumbling after clothes are dry. The beeper will sound every five minutes as a reminder to remove the clothes.
• Damp Alert: This option causes the dryer to beep when clothes have dried to a damp level. Remove items that you wish to hang dry. The Damp Alert will only beep when this option is selected. Removing clothes when they are damp can reduce the need to iron some items.

Use the Delay Dry feature to delay the start of your dryer.

1. Choose your dry cycle and any options.

2. Press Delay Dry. You can change the delay time in 1 hour increments, using the Delay Dry button.

3. Press the Start/Pause button to start the countdown.

NOTE: If the door is opened while the dryer is in Delay Dry, the countdown time will not restart unless the door is closed and the Start/Pause button has been pressed again.

• Light (on some models): Press the button to turn on the light in the dryer. Press it again to turn the light off. This only controls the light when the door is shut. The light will turn off by itself after one minute when the door is shut.
• Volume: Alerts you that the cycle is complete. Press Volume to select low, medium or high volume, or to turn the beeper off.
• Lock Control: You can lock the controls to prevent any selections from being made. To lock or unlock the dryer controls, press and hold the Lock Control button for 3 seconds. The indicator light above the button will illuminate when the controls are locked. The Power button can still be used when the machine is locked.
• eMonitor (on some models): The eMonitor lights display the relative energy use of your selected cycle and options. They are provided as an energy guide and range from Good (1 light) to Better (5 lights).
• Clean Filter Message: This message is a reminder and does not always appear when the filter needs cleaning. The filter should be cleaned after every drying cycle. This message will disappear after the Start/Pause button is pressed.
• Display: Displays the approximate time remaining until the end of the cycle. As the cycle begins, you will see an initial approximate total cycle time. Then lights will “race” in the display. This means the dryer is continuously monitoring the amount of moisture in the load. The lights will continue until the dryer senses a low level of moisture, at which point it will calculate and display the approximate time remaining.

Always follow the fabric manufacturer’s care label when laundering.

Sorting and Loading Hints

As a general rule, if clothes are sorted properly for the washer, they are sorted properly for the dryer. Also, try to sort items according to size. For example, do not dry a sheet with socks or other small items.

Do not add fabric softener sheets once the load has become warm as they may cause fabric softener stains.

Do not overload. This wastes energy and causes wrinkling.

A handy drying rack may be used for drying delicate items such as washable sweaters. Place items flat on the drying rack and block items as needed. Dry with low heat.

To install the drying rack, extend it into the dryer drum. Rest the front two legs on the front angled ledge and then rest the rear two legs on the rear angled edge.

NOTES:

The drying rack is designed for use with the Time Dry cycles. Use with sensor cycles may result in damp items or extended cycle times.

Do not use this drying rack when there are other clothes in the dryer that are not placed on the rack.

• The Exterior: Wipe or dust any spills or washing compounds with a damp cloth. Dryer control panel and finishes may be damaged by some laundry pretreatment soil and stain remover products. Apply these products away from the dryer.
• The Lint Filter: Clean the lint filter before each use. Pull out the lint filter, moisten your fingers, and remove the captured lint. Once clean, slide the filter back into position. Have a qualified technician vacuum the lint from the dryer once a year. NEVER OPERATE THE DRYER WITHOUT ITS FILTER IN PLACE.
• Stainless Steel: To clean stainless steel surfaces use a damp cloth with a mild, non-abrasive cleaner suitable for stainless steel surfaces. Remove the cleaner residue and then dry with a clean cloth. If the dryer drum should be scratched or dented during normal use, the drum will not rust or corrode.
• Dryer Interior and Duct: The interior of the appliance and exhaust duct should be cleaned once a year by qualified service personnel.
• The Exhaust Duct: Inspect and clean the exhaust ducting at least once a year to prevent clogging.
• The Exhaust Hood: Check with a mirror that the inside flaps of the hood move freely when operating. Make sure that there is no wildlife nesting inside the duct or hood.

If your GE GFDR480 is shaking or making noise, it could be due to the following:

• Some shaking/noise is normal.
• Dryer may be sitting unevenly. To fix this, move the dryer to an even floor space, or adjust leveling legs as necessary until it is even.

If your clothes are taking too long to dry in your GE GFDR480, check the following possible causes and solutions:

• Improper or obstructed ducting: Check the Installation Instructions to ensure the dryer venting is correct. Make sure ducting is clean, free of kinks, unobstructed, and that the outside wall damper operates easily.
• Improper sorting: Separate heavy items from lightweight items. A well-sorted washer load is a well-sorted dryer load.
• Large loads of heavy fabrics: Large, heavy fabrics contain more moisture and take longer to dry. Separate them into smaller loads to speed up drying time.
• Controls improperly set: Match control settings to the load you are drying.
• Lint filter is full: Clean the lint filter before every load.
• Blown fuses or tripped circuit breaker: Replace fuses or reset circuit breakers. Since most dryers use 2 fuses/breakers, make sure both are operating.
• Overloading/combining loads: Do not put more than one washer load in the dryer at a time.
• Underloading: If you are drying only one or two items, add a few more items to ensure proper tumbling.

If your load is still damp, consider these causes:

• Load consists of a mixture of heavy and light fabrics: When combining heavy and light fabrics in a load, choose More Dry.
• Exhaust system is blocked: Inspect and clean the exhaust system.

If the control buttons on your GE GFDR480 are not responding, check the following:

• Controls accidentally put in service mode: Press Start/Pause.
• Controls accidentally put in lock mode: Hold the Lock Control button for 3 seconds to unlock the dryer.
• Controls performed an incorrect operation: Reset the in-house breaker.

If your GE GFDR480 dryer does not start, here are some possible causes and what to do:

• Control panel is “asleep”: This is normal. Press Power to activate the control panel.
• Dryer is unplugged: Make sure the dryer plug is pushed completely into the outlet.
• Fuse is blown/circuit breaker is tripped: Check the building’s fuse/circuit breaker box and replace the fuse or reset the breaker. NOTE: Electric dryers use two fuses or breakers.
• Dryer was accidentally paused when starting Delay Dry: If the light on the Start/Pause button is flashing, the dryer is paused. Press Start/Pause to restart the countdown.

If your GE GFDR480 tumbles but does not heat, check the following:

• Fuse is blown/circuit breaker is tripped: Check the building’s fuse/circuit breaker box and replace both fuses or reset both breakers. Your dryer may tumble if only one fuse is blown or one breaker is tripped.
• Gas service is off (gas models only): Make sure gas shutoff at the dryer and the main shutoff are fully open.
• LP gas supply tank is empty or there has been a utility interruption of natural gas (gas models only): Refill or replace the tank. The dryer should heat when utility service is restored.

If your clothes are still wet after a short cycle, it could be due to these reasons:

• The door was opened mid-cycle: A dry cycle must be reselected each time a new load is put in.
• The load was removed and a new load was put in without selecting a new cycle: You must select a new cycle for the new load.
• Small load: When drying 3 items or less, choose Speed Dry or Time Dry.
• Load was already dry except for collars and waistbands: Choose Speed Dry or Time Dry to dry damp collars and waistbands. In the future, when drying a load with collars and waistbands, choose More Dry.
• Dryer is not level: Move the dryer to an even floor space or adjust leveling legs as necessary until even.

If your clothes come out of the GE GFDR480 wrinkled, consider the following:

• Overdrying: Select a shorter drying time. Remove items while they still hold a slight amount of moisture by selecting a Less Dry or Damp setting.
• Letting items sit in dryer after cycle ends: Remove items when the cycle ends and fold or hang them immediately, or use the Ext Tumble option.
• Overloading: Separate large loads into smaller ones.

Clothes shrink:

Some fabrics will naturally shrink when washed. To avoid shrinkage, follow garment care labels exactly. Some items may be pressed back into shape after drying. If you are concerned about shrinkage, do not machine wash or tumble dry the item.

Greasy spots on clothes:

This may be due to improper use of fabric softener; follow the directions on the package. Also, only dry clean items. Dirty items can stain clean items and the dryer. Sometimes stains not visible when wet appear after drying; use proper washing procedures before drying.

Lint on clothes:

This can be caused by a full lint filter (clean it before each load), improper sorting (sort lint producers from lint collectors), static electricity, or overloading (separate large loads into smaller ones). Also, ensure you empty all pockets before laundering clothes.

If you experience static, it could be for the following reasons:

• No fabric softener was used: Try a fabric softener.
• Overdrying: Try a fabric softener and adjust the setting to Less Dry or Damp.
• Synthetics, permanent press and blends can cause static: Try a fabric softener.

Small amount of water on floor in front of dryer: This can be due to an inadequate load size for the selected steam cycle, causing excess steam to condense and leak. If using the Steam Dewrinkle cycle, manually reduce the cycle time. If using the Steam Refresh cycle, add more garments to the load.

Water on floor in back of dryer: This could be a loose water hose connection to the valve (tighten connection) or a missing rubber washer at the connection with the valve (install the rubber washer provided with the hose).

Dryer makes water noises: It’s normal for the water valve to be open filling the steam generator or for the steam generator to be dispensing steam into the drum.

Water drips from door when opened after a Steam Cycle: This is normal, as steam condenses on the inner door.

Cannot see steam at any time during cycle: The steam nozzle might be clogged with debris from your water supply. A nozzle replacement kit may be required.

Garments still wrinkled after steam cycle: The load may have too many garments. Load fewer garments or manually increase the time.

If your GE GFDR480 continues to run after the cycle is complete, the Ext Tumble option was likely selected. Ensure this option is not selected. For the Steam Refresh cycle, Ext Tumble will automatically be turned on and cannot be turned off.