GE BJLR473ET, BJLR473GT Owner’s Manual

Models: BJLR473ET BJLR473GT

Dryer

Owner’s Manual

Important Safety Information

Operating Instructions

The Controls on Your Dryer
Other Dryer Features

Helpful Information

Specialized Fabric Guide
Loading Suggestions
Care of Product

If Something Goes Wrong

3

8

11

15

Before You Call For Service
Venting the Dryer
RCA Service Numbers
Warranty, Back Cover

Welcome

Welcome to the RCA family. We’re
proud of our quality products and
we believe in dependable service.
You’ll see it in this easy-to-use
manual and you’ll hear it in the
friendly voices of our customer
service department.

Best of all, you’ll experience
these values each time you do
the laundry. That’s important,
because your new dryer will be
part of your family for a long time.

Start Here!

Before
using
your
dryer

Staple your receipt to the inside back
cover of this manual.

Write down the model and serial
numbers here.

on the front of the dryer behind
the door.

Model number

Serial number

Date of purchase

They are on the label

Need Help?

Help us
help you

2

Before you call for service,
there are a few things you can
do to help us serve you better.

Read this manual.

instructions to help you use and
maintain your dryer properly.

Save time and money.

section titled “If Something Goes
Wrong” before calling. This sec­tion was designed to solve common
problems you might encounter.

It contains

Check the

If you do need service, you can
relax knowing help is only a phone
call away. A list of toll-free customer
service numbers is included on the
inside back cover.

Important Safety Information

Read all safety information before using

WARNING:

followed to minimize the risk of fire or explosion or to prevent property
damage, personal injury or loss of life.

Do not store or use gasoline
or other flammable vapors
and liquids in the vicinity of
this or any other appliance.

Installation and service must
be performed by a qualified
installer, service agency or
the gas supplier.

For your safety the information in this manual must be

IF YOU SMELL GAS
1

Do not try to light any appliance.

2

Do not touch any electrical
switch; do not use any phone
in your building.

3

Clear the room, building or
area of all occupants.

4

Immediately call your gas
supplier from a neighbor’s
phone. Follow the gas
supplier’s instructions.

5

If you cannot reach your gas
supplier, call the fire department.

California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act

This 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 dryer to the outdoors.

3

Important Safety Information

Read all safety information before using

Warning

To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons
when using your appliance, follow basic precautions, including
the following sections.

Safety Precautions

• Use this appliance only for its

intended purpose as described
in this Owner’s Manual.

• This dryer must be properly

installed and located in
accordance with the Installation
Instructions before it is used.
If you did not receive an
Installation Instructions sheet
with your dryer, you can obtain
one by contacting the service
location nearest you.

— Properly ground to conform

with all governing codes and
ordinances. Follow details in
Installation Instructions.

— Install or store where the tempera-

ture is above 50°F. (10°C.). Do
not install 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.

— Gas dryers MUST be exhausted

to the outside. Carefully follow
the Exhausting details in the
Installation Instructions.

— Exhausting electric dryers 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.

• Do not repair or replace

any part of the appliance or
attempt any servicing unless
specifically recommended in this
Owner’s Manual 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.

4

• Exhaust Duct—See Installation

Instructions. Use only 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 FIRE.
PUNCTURED DUCTWORK
CAN CAUSE A FIRE IF IT COL­LAPSES OR BECOMES OTHER­WISE RESTRICTED IN USE OR
DURING 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, pillows, etc.) as
these materials may melt or
burn. Also, some rubber
materials, 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.

• Garments labeled “Dry Away

from Heat” or “Do not Tumble
Dry” (such as life jackets contain­ing Kapok) must not be put in
your dryer.

• 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,
oil, gasoline, degreasers,
cleaning
which may ignite or explode. Do
not add these substances to the
wash water. Do not use these
substances around your washer
and/or 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.

solvents, kerosene, etc.)

dry-

5

Important Safety Information

Read all safety information before using

• 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 LINT 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 qualified individual.

• 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.

• The laundry process can

reduce the flame retardancy
of fabrics. To avoid such a
result, the garment manufacturer’s
care instructions should be
followed very carefully.

• Close supervision is necessary

if this appliance is used by or
near children. Do not allow
children to play inside, on,
or with this appliance or any
discarded appliance. Dispose
of discarded 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
softeners, etc.) out of the reach
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
or disconnect the dryer at the
household distribution panel by
removing the fuse or switching
off the circuit breaker before
attempting any maintenance or
cleaning (except the removal and
cleaning of the lint filter).

• NOTE: Turning the Cycle

Selector knob to an OFF
position does NOT
disconnect the appliance
from the power supply.

6

• Do not tamper with the controls.

• Do not operate this appliance

if it is damaged, malfunctioning,
partially disassembled, or
has missing or broken parts,
including a damaged cord
or plug.

• Never climb on or stand on the

dryer top.

• If yours is a gas dryer, it is

equipped with an automatic
electric ignition and does not
have a pilot light. DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO LIGHT WITH
A MATCH. Burns may result
from having your hand in the
vicinity of the burner when the
automatic ignition may turn on.

• You may wish to soften your

laundered fabrics or reduce
the static electricity in them
by using dryer-applied fabric
softeners or an anti-static
conditioner. 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.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

7

The

Operating Instructions

controls
on your
dryer

START

START

4

COTTONS

HIGH HEAT

KNITS

DELICATES

LOW HEAT

FABRIC CARE

PERM. PRESS

2

MED. HEAT

FLUFF

NO HEAT

PRESS GUARD

OFF

SET

1

Clean the Lint Filter Fabric Care Selections

Clean the lint filter each time you use the dryer.
CAUTION:

Do not operate the dryer without the lint filter
in place.

8

2

Always follow Fabric Manufacturer’s Care Label or
instructions when laundering. Use this chart as a
general guide.

Drying Selections Usage

Cottons/High Heat

Perm. Press/Med. Heat

Knits Delicates/Low Heat

Fluff/No Heat

For regular to heavy cottons.

For synthetics, blends and items
labeled “permanent press.”

For delicates, synthetics and items
labeled “tumble dry low.”

For “fluffing” items without heat. Use
the Timed Dry cycle.