Dryer broken!! (1 Viewer)

[BrianB]

Ack, our tumble-dryer seems to have decided to stop heating the air in the drum, so our clothes aren't getting dried.

Bah.

Wife wants to buy a new dryer - something she's wanted for a while I'm of the opinion that it'd be better to figure out if this is likely to be a small repair or something that's likely to get repaired & break again soon...

Thoughts?

 

[Malcolm R]

If this is an electric dryer, did you check the fuse/breaker? I think they have separate circuits that control the tumbling and the heat. For a while, we kept blowing the fuse that controlled the heat.

 

[BrianB]

Yup, it's an electric...

 

[Craig Robertson]

i had an electric dryer that quit heating and just replaced the heating element and it worked fine.

 

[BrianB]

If it is the heating element, where do I buy a new one? And just as importantly, how difficult is it to replace?

 

[Brian Perry]

Same thing happened to me (no heat) and it turned out that the exhaust vent was clogged. Once I removed the lint that had been trapped, it worked fine.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

What brand is it? Kenmores, and probably other Sears brands, have the parts readily available. I helped my dad replace the heating element on our old Kenmore once and it was pretty easy. Look for the manufacturer's web site and hopefully you can find the manuals, parts lists, and order the parts.

 

[Philip_G]

check the yellow pages, I'm sure there are PLENTY of appliance parts houses local to you.

 

[Brian Mansure]

I replaced the heating element in my older Kenmore dryer for about 30 bucks and it took less then 20 mintues to switch out.

Really not that difficult of a job.

Good luck.

Brian

 

[Jordan_E]

Right, I replaced the heating element in our dryer and the wife thought I was the ultimate handyman . . . for about an hour! Ah, but it was a glorious time!

 

[Tim Fennell]

If you look inside the dryer you can sometimes see the element glowing. If you see it glowing chances are the element is okay and the dryer's vent tube is blocked. Also - make sure the tube isn't kinked behind the dryer. Every 90 degree bend in the tube is a 1/3 loss in efficiency. (Told to me by the dryer repairman)

Tim

 

[Joseph Young]

Intersting thread since this is exactly what is wrong with my dryer. My landlords were going to get the contractors to fix it, but that's obviously not going to happen anytime soon. Good to hear some of the advice on this thread, I may end up doing it myself and sending them the bill.

~j

 

[Craig Robertson]

i think i paid $7 for the element and took about 1/2 hour to replace. you can get generic elements at the hardware store.

 

[BrianB]

Hmmmm. Definitely not the breaker box.

Wife wants a new dryer. Bah.

 

[Malcolm R]

Wife wants a new dryer. Bah.

If she can afford one, using money that comes from her paycheck, more power to her.

 

[Bob Graz]

I had a blocked vent. Clothes weren't drying because the dryer was over heating and shutting down (gas dryer). I tried vacuuming the vent pipe but it still was clogged. I finally reached into the vent inside the wall (unfortunately the vent is on an inside wall, so it's a terrible design to begin with) as far as I could and pulled out a vacuum cleaner nozzle that had been at the bend inside the wall. Once I got that out and vacuumed the vent out as best I could I was good to go again. I recommend vacuuming the inside of the dryer and your vent at least 1/year. BTW way the dryer ran like new and clothes were done in 20 minutes. I don't know how much money I was wasting over time as the vent was clogging and drying times were extending to an hour or more before the vent just closed up and caused the dryer overheat problem.

 

[Matty P]

hmmmmm, this thread has cursed me! Our dryer also stopped drying last night. It's a whirlpool that we just bought 6 months ago so it's still under the full one year warranty and I have someone coming to check it out on Monday but I plan on checking the vent this weekend to see if that is the problem. Just unscrew the tube and see if it's clogged right? I think I can handle that.... :b

 

[EarleD]

I have a older electric dryer I'll give to anyone who wants it but you must pickit up.

It is in pretty good shape and works fine. The only reasons Im getting rid of it is my mother suprised my wife and I with a new one.

I friend of mine may pick it up this weekend, but its first come first serve. I need to get it out of my basement so that I can start my 2nd bathroom project.

 

[BrianB]

It was the heating element - had a nice big crack in one of the coils.

Got a replacement & installed it last night, following the instructions on the box & online... Fired it up once & got a distinct "burning" smell... And inside, the vent where the heat comes into the tumble dryer was /very/ warm to the touch.

So, what did I do wrong?

 

[Matty P]

interesting update on my dryer...we pulled the vent out to see if it was clogged and found it stuffed with leaves, branches, feathers and....5 robin eggs! It was packed full all the way from the wall up to the dryer itself. It seems a bird really enjoyed the location/heat of our vent...luckily we averted a possible fire and have installed a guard on the outside of the house to keep this from happening again...yikes!