Hotpoint DLB3900S Installation instructions

How to get the best born
Your
Contents
Appliance Registration
2
Automatic Dmin~
8
Care and Cleaning
11
Consumer Services
15
Cycle Settings
7
Dryer Exhaust
11
Energy-Saving Tips
5
Fabric and Drying Guide
10
Important Phone Numbers 15
fiits Drying Tips
8, 13
Light Bulb Replacement
11
Lint Filter
7, 11
Loading
7,9
Model and Serial Numbers 2
Operating the Dryer 6-8
Perrn. Press Drying Tips 8, 13, 14
Press Guard Feature
7
Problem Solver 12-14
Safety Instructions
3-5
Signal
7,8
Sorting
7,9
Storing Dryer
11
Timed Drying
8
User Maintenance Instructions 11
Warranty
Back Cover
GE Answer Center@
800.626.2000
Diner
d
Use and Care
of Models
DB3900S
DU3980S
DB3800S
DU3880S
Dm3600s
DU3680S
DB3400S
DU3480S

~LP US,~LP YOU...
Read this book carefully.
It is intended to help you
operate and maintain your
new dryer properly.
Keep it handy for answers to
your questions.
If you don’t understand something
or need more help, write (include
your phone number):
Consumer Affairs
Hotpoint
Appliance Park
Louisville, KY 40225
Save time and money.
Before you request service . . .
check the Problem Solver
section. It lists causes of minor
operating problems that you can
correct yourself.
If you received a
damaged dryer...
Immediately contact the dealer (or
builder) that sold you the dryer.
Write down the model
and serial numbers.
You’ll find them on a label on the
front of the dryer behind the door.
These numbers are also on the
Consumer Product Ownership
Registration Card that came with
your dryer. Before sending in
this card, please write these
numbers here:
Model Number
Serial Number
Use these numbers in any
correspondence or service
calls concerning your dryer.
WA~NG: For your safety the information in this manual must be followed to rnirdmize
the risk of fim or explosion or to prevent property damage, person~ injury or loss of life.
—Do not store or use gasoline or other
● Immediately call your gas supplier from a
flammable vapom and liquids in the
neighbor’s phone. Follow the gas supplier’s
vicinity of this or any other apptiance.
instrudions,
—-T TO DO IF YOU S~LL GAS
● If you mrmot reach your gas suppliert
o Do not try to tight any app~nce.
WM the fire department.
* Do not touch any eledrid switih;
—Instigation and service must be performed
do
not use any phone in your building.
by a qti~ed insta~er, service agency or
the gas suppfier.
● Clear the room, butiding or area of
I
dl wcupants.
I
All drying instruction terms in this book conform to the Care
Labeling Rule established by the Federal Trade Commission, January 1984.
If you need service
To obtain service, see the Consumer Services page
in the back of this book.
We’re proud of our service and want you to be
pleased. If for some reason you are not happy with the
service you receive, here are three steps to follow for
further help.
FIRST, contact the people who serviced your
appliance. Explain why you are not pleased. In most
cases, this will solve the problem.
NEXT, if you are still not pleased, write all the
details—including your phone number—to:
Manager, Consumer Relations
Hotpoint
Appliance Park
Louisville, KY 40225
FINALLY, if your problem is still not resolved, write:
Major Appliance Consumer Action Panel
20 North
Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
2

WORTANT SAFEH ~STRUCTIONS
Read W imtmctiom before ushg tfis applimce.
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE
The California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic
Enforcement Act requires the governor of
California to publish a list of substances known
to the state to cause cancer, birth defects or other
reproductive harm and requires businesses to warn
customers of potential exposure to such substances.
Gas appliances can cause minor exposure
to four of these substances, namely benzene,
carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and soot,
caused primarily by the incomplete combustion
of natural gas or
LP fuels.
Properly adjusted dryers will minimize incomplete
combustion. Exposure to these substances can be
minimized further by properly venting the dryers
to the outdoors.
A
Warning—To reduce the risk of fire,
electric shock, or injury to persons
when using your appliance, follow basic
precautions, including the following:
● Use this appfiance only for its intended
purpose as described in this Use and Care Book.
o
● This dryer must be properly installed
‘g.,’< Q
<{~ ~ and located in accordance with the
=.-,, ,=
Instigation Instructions before it
is used, If you did not receive an Installation
Instructions sheet with your dryer, you can obtain
one by calling, toll free, the GE Answer Center”,
800.626.2000.
—Properly ground to conform with
all governing codes and ordinances.
Follow details in hstallation Instructions,
—Locate where the temperature is above 50°F.
(lO°C.) for satisfactory operation of the dryer
control system. Do not install or store the
dryer where it will be exposed to the weather.
—Connect to a properly rated, protected
and sized power supply circuit
to avoid
electrical overload.
* Do not repair or replace any
part of the appliance or attempt
any servicing unless specifically
recommended in this Use and Care Book or
in published user-repair instructions that you
understand and have the skills to carry out.
*
● When disconnecting this appliance
pull by the plug rather than the
cord
to avoid damage to the cord
or junction of cord and plug. Make sure that
the cord is located so that it will not be stepped
on, tripped over or otherwise subjected to
damage or stress.
To Minimize the Possibility
of a Fire Hazard
. Exhaust Duct+ee Installation Instructions.
Use otiy rigid metal or flexible metal 4“
diameter ductwork inside the dryer cabinet
or for exhausting to the outside.
USE OF
PLASTIC OR OTHER COMBUSTIBLE
DUCTWORK CAN CAUSE A ~RE.
PUNCTURED DUCTWORK CAN CAUSE
A FIRE IF ~ COLLAPSES OR BECOMES
OTHERWISE RESTRIC~D ~ USE OR
D~mG INSTALLATION.
. Do not dry articles containing rubber, plastic, or
similar materials (such as padded bras, tennis
shoes, galoshes, bath mats, rugs, bibs, baby pants,
plastic bags, etc.) as these materials may melt or
burn. Also, some rubber matetials, when heated,
can under certain circumstances produce fire by
spontaneous combustion.
● Do not store items that may burn or melt
(such as clothing, paper material, plastics
or plastic containers, etc.) on top of the dryer
during operation.
(continued next page)
—Exhausting to the outside is STRONGLY
RECOMMENDED
to prevent large amounts
of moisture and lint from being blown into the
room. Carefully follow the Exhausting Details
in the Installation Instructions.
3

u
!
● WORTANT SAmTY mSTRUCmONS
(continued)
. Garments labeled “Dry Away from Heat”
(such as life jackets containing Kapok)
must not be put in your dryer.
l’~
A
● Do not wash or dry articles
~)
that have been cleaned in,
washed in, soaked in, or spotted
with combustible or explosive
substances (such as wax, paint, gasoline,
degreasers, dry-cleaning solvents, kerosene,
etc.) which may ignite or explode. Do not add
these substances to the wash water. Do not use
these substances around your washer antior
dryer during operation.
● Any article on which you have used a cleaning
solvent, or which contains flammable materials
(such as cleaning cloths, mops, towels used in
beauty salons, restaurants or barber shops, etc.)
must not be placed in or near the dryer until
all
traces of these flammable liquids or solids and
their fumes have been removed. There are many
highly flammable items used in homes such as:
acetone, denatured alcohol, gasoline, kerosene,
some household cleaners, some spot removers,
turpentines, waxes, wax removers and products
containing petroleum distillates.
G
● Clean the lint filter before each load
‘,)==-<”’
to prevent lint accumulation inside
the dryer or in the room.
DO NOT
OPERATE THE DRYER WITHOUT THE
L~T
FILTER IN PLACE.
● Keep the area around and underneath your
appliances free from the accumulation of
combustible materials,
such as lint, paper, rags,
chemicals, etc.
● The interior of the machine and the exhaust
duct connection inside the dryer should be
cleaned periodically by a qualtiled individual.
To Minitize the Possibility of I@ury
● Never reach into the dryer while the
drum is moving.
Before loading, unloading
or adding clothes, wait until the drum has
completely stopped.
● Do not dry fiberglass articles in your dryer.
Skin irritation could result from the remaining
glass particles that may be picked up by clothing
during subsequent dryer uses.
4‘\
h
● The laundry process can reduce
the flame re%rdancy of fabrics.
~ / Toavoid sucharesult, thegarment
manufacturer’s care instructions
should be followed very carefully,
0 Close supervision is necessary
@
\
if this apptiance is used by or
f.
near chtidren. Do not allow
children to play inside, on, or
with this appliance or any discarded
apptiance. Dispose of discardd appliances and
shipping or packing materials properly. Before
discarding a dryer, or removing from service,
remove the door of the dryer compartment.
. Keep all laundry aids (such
as detergents, bleaches, fabric
w
softeners, etc.) out of the reach
n
of children, preferably in a locked
cabinet. Observe all warnings on
container labels to avoid personal injury.
● Keep the floor around your appliances clean
and dry to reduce the possibility of slipping.
● To minimize the possibility of electric
shock, unplug this appliance from the
power supply before attempting any
maintenance or cleaning (except the removal and
cleaning of the lint filter).
*
NOTE: Turning the Cycle Selector
knob to an 0~ position does NOT
disconnect the appliance from the
power supply.
● Do not tamper with the controls.
4

s Do not operate this appliance if it is damaged,
ma~unctionkg, partially disassembled, or has
missing or broken parts, including a damaged
cord or plug.
c Never climb on or stand on the dryer top.
o If yours is a gas dryer, it is equipped with an
automatic eleetric ignition and does not have
a pilot light.
DO NOT A~EMPT TO LIG~
WI~ A MATCH. Burns may result from having
your hand in the vicinity of the burner when the
automatic ignition may turn on.
Dryer-applied Fabric Softeners or
Anti-s@tic Conditioners
You may wish to soften your laundered
fabrics or reduce the static electricity in them.
We recommend you use either a fabric softener
in the wash cycle, according to the manufacturer’s
instructions for those products, or try a dryer-added
product for which the manufacturer gives written
assurance on the package that their product can be
safely used in your dryer.
Service or performance problems caused by
the use of these products are the responsibility
of the manufacturers of those products and are
not covered under the warranty of this appliance.
SAW T~SE
~STRUCTIONS
ENERGY-SAVING TWS
● Sort clothes by weight so you won’t have to run an extra cycle for
one or two heavier, slower-drying items.
● Do not overload your dryer. For efficient drying, clothes need
to tumble freely.
● Use Automatic Cycles whenever possible to help prevent overdying
and to save energy.
● Remove garments promptly at the end of the drying cycle and place
on hangers.
● Dry your clothes in consecutive loads. Using a “warm” dryer
will save energy.
● Clean the dryer lint filter each time you dry.
● Clean the dryer exhaust ducting at least once a year. A partially clogged
exhaust can lengthen drying time.
5

HOW TO OPEMTE YOUR DRYER
Features and appearances may vary slightly
WARNING—TO reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons when using your
appliance, read the IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS before operating this appliance.
DLB3900S and DLL3980S/DLB3800S and DLL3880S
DLB3600S and DLL3680S
DLB3400S and DLL3480S
6

Check the Lint Filter
Clean the lint filter each time the dryer is used. Always be sure the lint filter
is in place. Don’t use the dryer without it. See Care and Cleaning section.
Sort and Load the Clothes
Good sorting for the dryer begins at the washer. Generally, if clothes are
sorted correctly for washing, they’re sorted correctly for drying. See the
How to Sort the Clothes section. If you do mix various types of fabrics in
your load, set the controls for the lighter-weight fabrics and remove when
dry. Reset controls for the remaining heavier fabrics.
Set the COntrOls — Controls and features will vary from model to model
See the Suggesti Fabric and Drying Selections guide.
@ Drying Selections.
Select the proper heat for your load.
Should be used with cycles indicated ●
Automatic
DvinE
Automatic
Perm. Press and Timed
Seiec~ons Regular cycle Knits Cycles
Cycles
Cottons
High Heat
●●
Perrn. Press
Medium Heat
I I
●
I
●
I
Fluff
No Heat
●
Knits~elicates
● ●
Low Heat
I
t ,I
I
*Fluff-No Heat option can be used with an automatic cycle, but for
best performance it is recommended to be used with a timed cycle.
NOTE: Drying times will vary according to the
type of heat used (electric, natural gas or LP gas),
size of load, types of fabrics, wetness of clothes,
and condition of exhaust ducts.
Press Guard feature.
Turn the Press Guard cycle indicator to YES and
the Cycle Selector knob to Optional Press Guard.
This feature will minimize wrinkles set in the
clothes. The Press Guard feature provides
approximately one hour of no-heat tumbling
after the clothes are dry.
Use your Signal to remind you to remove clothes.
See Signal section.
Cycle Selector.
Turn the Cycle Selector to the desired cycle setting.
The selector may be turned in either direction.
Signal.
Set this signal, if desired, to remind you to
remove clothes from the dryer when the cycle
ends. See the Signal section.
Start Knob.
Turn the Start knob to start the dryer. (Opening
the door during operation stops the dryer. To
restart, close the door and turn the Start knob.)
7

OPEMTmG ~STRUCTIONS
(continued)
signal. Operates with any cycle. (on models so equipped)
The signal control can be set anywhere between
OFF and LOUD, depending on the desired sound
n
.utor.@w
f%
level. The signal will sound just before the end of the
.0
.\
.0
cycle to remind you to remove the clothes.
●
.,”, ●
To stop the signal while sounding, turn the signal
D“”
control to OFF or advance the Cycle Selector to OFF.
The signal should always be used when drying
polyester knits or permanent press items which
should be removed as soon as the dryer stops to
help prevent setting of wrinkles.
Polyester Knits & Permanent Press Drying Tips
● DO NOT OVERLOAD— ● REMOVE CLOTHES ● PLACE ON HANGERS—
Garments being dried or PROMPTLY—To help prevent Permanent press and polyester
dewrinkled should tumble freely. wrinkling, remove clothes from knit garments look best if placed
the dryer promptly at the end of
on hangers after drying.
the drying cycles.
The Difference Between Auto Regular and Timed Regular Drying (on models so equipped)
Auto Regular Timed Regular
When using the Auto Regular Cycles, the dryer When using the Timed Cycles, you select the number
continually senses the temperature of the air in the of minutes you wish the dryer to run and it turns off at
dryer drum. Wet laundry keeps the air cool. When the end of this time period.
laundry is dry enough (and the drum air warm
enough) the heat turns off. When the air cools, the
heat turns back on. This off and on cycling may
happen a number of times (depending on the fabric,
load size and Cycle Selector setting). The Cycle
Selector advances (when the heat is
offl until it
automatically turns off the dryer.
Drying Selections Guide for the Automatic Cycles (on models so equipped—appearance may Vary)
Set to AUTO REGULAR
/
9-
wdnkl.
● For most normal loads.
Set toward More Dry
/
9, 70
mi”titi
● For loads that include heavy-
weight fabrics.
● If you desire to remove more
moisture from your normal load.
Set toward Less Dry
m
● For light weight fabric loads.
c If you desire to remove less
moisture from the load.
8

HOW TO SORT CLOTHES
Sort by Surface Texture
.
t
mm
.
LINT PRODUCERS—such as terry toweling and
Separate chenille—give up lint.
m
Lint o
m
Lint a
.,
m
~ Producers from
~m Collectors
LINT COLLECTORS—such as man-made fibers and
N
R
napped fabrics like velveteen and corduroy—attract
lint. These must be dried separately.
Sort by Fabric
construction together
whenever possible.
Sort by Color
Separate I ~
~ Whites n
m
m
nfrommrommfromm
m
Sort by Weight
Separate
For information on tumble drying extra large
items and different fabrics and loads, see the
Suggested Fabrics and Drying Selections guide.
HOW TO LOAD THE CLOTHES
Don’t overload your dryer.
Crowded loads don’t dry
efficiently and clothes may
be unnecessarily wrinkled.
Loads should look like this:
Drum with
th
Cottons & Linens Permanent Press Load
9

SUGGESTED FABNC
AND DRYING SELECTIONS
Cycle Suggested
Automatic Regular
Automatic Permanent
Press & Knits
Delicates
Timed
For Clothes Loa~abrics such as:
● Cottons and linens
● Down-filled garments, if machine
washing and drying is recommended
● Permanent press fabrics with cotton
● Synthetics
● Silks and wools
● Rayon and acetate
● Pillows*
● Blankets**
● Extra large items***
The terms High, Medium and Low Heat are those usually found on
fabric care labels. For best results, follow your specific fabric care label.
Drying Selection
High Heat
Medium Heat
Low Heat
High Heat
Medium Heat
Special Instructions
Refer to garment manufacturer’s care labels for more information.
*Pillows
**Blankets
***Extra Large Items—
Queen or King size
sheets; Blankets or
Spreads; Mattress
Covers~ads
10
Check ticking for holes or weak seams where feathers or filling could escape.
DRY ONLY ONE PILLOW AT A TIME. Set dryer for maximum time. Stop
dryer occasionally and shake pillow to redistribute filling for more even drying.
Check pillow at end of drying time—if not completely dry, return pillow to dryer
and reset for more drying time. Feather pillows dry very slowly and must be dried
completely to prevent mildew. DO NOT tumble dry pillows containing kapok.
Put 2 or 4 dry towels into the dryer; tumble dry for 5 minutes. Set timer for
20-25 minutes. DO NOT set control for more than 25 minutes. DRY ONLY
ONE BLANKET AT A TIME. Remove blanket at the end of the cycle and
block the blanket back to its original shape. Allow to dry thoroughly
before storing.
First setting—20 minutes; check and redistribute load. Then set timer for
15 minutes; check load again. Reset timer at 5 minute intervals, checking
after each 5 minutes to make sure that the articles do not fill the dryer drum:
many large articles, when wet, have ample room in the dryer, but as they
dry and fluff up, they may not have room to tumble. CAUTION: If large
items do not have room to tumble, the air flow may be blocked, which
could result in scorching your valuable items. NOTE: Mattress covers/pads
should be dried
alone.