GE GFDS370 (01) PDF Document

To quickly start a cycle on your GE GFDS370 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 settings can be changed.

3. Press the Start/Pause button.

The dry cycle on your GE GFDS370 dryer controls the length and tumble speed of the drying process. Use the chart below to match the dry setting with your laundry loads.

You can change the temperature of your dry cycle using the Dry Temp button on your GE GFDS370 dryer. The available options are:

High: For regular to heavy cottons.

Medium: For synthetics, blends and items labeled Permanent Press.

Low: For delicates, synthetics and items labeled Tumble Dry Low.

Extra Low: For lingerie and special-care fabrics.

No Heat: This option may only be used with Air Fluff, in which items are tumbled without heat.

The sensor on your GE GFDS370 dryer 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 available dryness levels are:

Extra Dry: Use for heavy-duty fabrics or items that should be very dry, such as towels.

More Dry: Use for heavy or mixed type of fabrics.

Dry: Use for normal dryness level suitable for most loads. This is the preferred cycle for energy saving.

Less Dry: Use for lighter fabric (ideal for ironing).

Damp: For leaving items partially damp.

The My Cycle feature on your GE GFDS370 dryer allows you to set up your favorite combination of settings and save them for one-touch recall.

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.

Your GE GFDS370 dryer includes several special options to enhance your drying cycles:

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 unit is not turned off or 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 mixed bed and bath items benefit from this feature.

eDry: Reduces the total energy consumption of specific dryer cycles by adjusting certain heat settings. 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.

Delay Dry: Use this to delay the start of your dryer. You can change the delay time in 1-hour increments using the Delay Dry button and then press Start/Pause to begin the countdown.

Your GE GFDS370 dryer has several control and display features:

Light: 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 Power button can still be used when the machine is locked.

eMonitor: The eMonitor lights display the relative energy use of your selected cycle and options. They range from Good (1 light) to Better (5 lights). Cycle time, dryness level, temperature, and tumble options can affect your energy efficiency.

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. The 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 total cycle time. Then lights will “race” in the display, indicating the dryer is monitoring moisture. Once a low level of moisture is sensed, the dryer will calculate and display the approximate remaining time.

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.

• 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 the dryer. This wastes energy and causes wrinkling.

A handy drying rack (on some models) may be used for drying delicate items such as washable sweaters. Place items flat on the drying rack to dry with low heat.

To install the drying rack:

Extend the drying rack 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. 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.

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. A partially clogged exhaust can lengthen the drying time.

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 (birds, insects, etc.) nesting inside the duct or hood.

Some shaking or noise is normal. However, if the dryer is sitting unevenly, you should move the dryer to an even floor space or adjust the leveling legs as necessary until it is even.

If your clothes are taking too long to dry, consider the following causes and solutions:

• Improper or obstructed ducting: Check the Installation Instructions to ensure the dryer venting is correct. Make sure the ducting is clean, free of kinks, and unobstructed. Also, check if 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 the 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, check these possible 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 are unresponsive, try 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 dryer doesn’t start, consider these possibilities:

• 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. 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.

This is normal. The estimated time may change when a smaller load than usual is drying.

If your dryer 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 the 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 (gas models only): Refill or replace the tank. The dryer should heat when utility service is restored.

Drying time can vary for a couple of reasons:

• Type of heat: Drying time will vary according to the type of heat used (electric vs. gas). If you recently changed from one to the other, the drying time could be different.

• Type of load and drying conditions: The load size, types of fabric, wetness of clothes, and the length and condition of the exhaust system will affect drying times.

If your clothes are still wet and the dryer shuts off after a short time, consider these factors:

• The door was opened mid-cycle: A dry cycle must be reselected each time a new load is put in.

• 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.

To reduce wrinkles, try these suggestions:

• 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.

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 in a particular item, do not machine wash or tumble dry it.

Greasy spots can be caused by a few issues:

• Improper use of fabric softener: Follow the directions on the fabric softener package.

• Drying dirty items with clean ones: Use your dryer to dry only clean items. Dirty items can stain clean items and the dryer.

• Clothes were not completely clean: Sometimes stains that cannot be seen when the clothes are wet appear after drying. Use proper washing procedures before drying.

Excess lint can be caused by the following:

• Lint filter is full: Clean the lint screen before each load.

• Improper sorting: Sort lint producers (like chenille) from lint collectors (like corduroy).

• Static electricity can attract lint: See suggestions for static issues.

• Overloading: Separate large loads into smaller ones.

• Paper, tissue, etc., left in pockets: Empty all pockets before laundering clothes.

Static can be caused by several factors. Here are some solutions:

• 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.

This can happen when the dryness monitor senses that the body of the clothes is dry but thicker parts like collars are not. Choose Speed Dry or Time Dry to dry damp collars and waistbands. In the future, when drying a load with these types of items, choose More Dry.

If there are too many garments in the load, they may not de-wrinkle effectively. Load fewer garments and manually increase the time for the steam cycle.

This happens if the Ext Tumble option was selected. This feature continues to tumble the clothes without heat to prevent wrinkles. Ensure the Ext Tumble option is not selected if you do not want this feature. For the Steam Refresh cycle, Ext Tumble will automatically be turned on and cannot be turned off.