Dryer Repair

DRYER REPAIR service requests we receive most are:

1. Dryer not heating.
2. Dryer drum not turning.
3. Dryer won’t start.
4. Dryer takes too long to dry.
5. Dryer noisy.

SOLUTIONS to when dryer not drying the most common causes are:

1. A thermal fuse needs to be replaced. The thermal fuse is an extra safety feature built into most modern dryers. Safety thermostats and cycle thermostats have been a feature of dryers pretty much since they were first introduced. Thermal fuse are more recent. A thermal fuse can go for the following reasons:- No reason at all just went.
   – Air flow problems either inside the dryer or external at venting leading outside.
   – Dryer was overheating due to cycle thermostat failure.

   Solution is to replace the thermal fuse and risk blowing new fuse by then testing to see if it still overheats.  Or temporarily connect the 2 wires together that were attached to the thermal fuse (thus bi-passing the thermal fuse) then run the dryer to test if it is overheating. To do this you can disconnect the dryer venting, connect a temperature tester to the vent at back of the dryer. If the temperature of the air leaving the dryer goes over 150 degrees F. go ahead and also replace any cycle thermostats you can find. Also make sure from outside the house while the dryer is running you can feel a substantial amount of air flow coming outside. If air flow seems weak get your venting cleaned or replaced.

2. If you suspect that the element is shot and you have a meter (with the power off or dryer unplugged) you can check for an ohms reading by placing your leads where the wires attach to the element. Should be between 10 and 30 ohms. The other way to check is by removing the element from the housing and inspect closely for a broken element coil. If there is no break there is nothing wrong with the element. Solution the element coil can be purchased separately or sometimes it can only be purchased with the housing.
3. Burnt wiring or a faulty cycle thermostat can also be why the dryer won’t heat. Inspect all wiring closely if wiring is okay check all thermostats for continuity, they should all have a closed circuit which means you should get a reading.
4. Proper power is not coming to the dryer. Often times finding that the motor is running makes it logical to think “okay we got power so its’s not the breaker panel”. This is not always correct. The dryer motor can run on 120 volts, but the element requires 240 volts to heat properly. By physically flipping the breaker to off and then firmly pushing it back to the on position most times this will reset the breaker inside if this is the problem. Alternately if you have a meter you can also check at the 220 dryer outlet by placing your leads into the 2 flat terminal receptacles and take a reading. If you don’t have 220 coming to the dryer a certified electrician should inspect to see if the problem is with the receptacle box or with the breaker panel itself.

SOLUTIONS to when the dryer drum not turning, the most common causes are:

1. A broken belt. Reach in and turn the drum, if it seems to turn very easily and you can’t seem to hear the sound of the motor turning then chances are the belt just needs to be replaced.
2. If you hear a loud humming sound and it doesn’t sound like the motor has begun to run then chances are your motor is seized and needs to be replaced.
3. Another cause of motor humming, sometimes someone (usually a younger child) may have removed the lint screen and dropped a pencil, a crayon or a toy down into the motor blower wheel housing area. If this has happened the motor may be okay and the item just needs to be removed.
4. Sometimes a blower wheel is actually broken in pieces and the motor is trying to run but can’t as a result. In this case just the blower wheel needs to be replaced. On some models the blower wheel can not be purchased by itself but can only be bought with the motor and housing attached all in one piece.

SOLUTIONS to when dryer takes too long to dry the most common causes are:

1. Venting is dirty and is slowing down the air flow causing the dryer to short cycle on the thermostats. Solution is to clean or replace the venting. If you are not sure that this is the cause you can test dry a load with the venting disconnected (as long as it is an electric dryer this is perfectly safe) If the clothes dry properly in reasonable time with venting disconnected now you know for sure that the venting was the problem. Note ** A gas dryer should not be run without the venting attached as a faulty burner can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
2. Particularly with Maytag dryer repairs although the dryer is very well made they can develop a problem with the blower wheel slipping on the shaft. The shaft on the motor is hardened steel, the blower wheel is only plastic. If the D shape of the blower wheel becomes rounded then the resulting slipping will slow the airflow and the dryer will also short cycle on the heat. Solution of course is to replace the blower wheel.
3. Sometimes an element can be shorting to ground on the element housing. This can result in only part of the element working, creating the resulting not enough heat. Of course replacing the element coil will solve this problem.
4. Another problem occurs with timers in G.E. dryers not heating, and less often in Whirlpool dryers not heating, and sometimes in Frigidaire dryers not heating. Problems with contacts going bad in the timer can make this dryer no heat issue seem to come and go which is referred to as intermittent. For this repair it is likely best to have a professional appliance repairman confirm the diagnosis before replacing the part which cannot be returned once installed.

SOLUTIONS to when dryer is noisy the most common causes are:

Most dryers are designed in 1 of 2 ways. The drum either rides on drum rollers or drum glides or a combination of both. Virtually all dryers have an idler wheel and a blower wheel. The idler wheel keeps tension on the belt so that the belt holds firm to the drum as it is powered by the motor. Since there are so many different dryers both in models and brands it would be very difficult to in a practical way describe in detail the steps required to solve these noise problems.

So here are some general pointers:

1. Drum rollers can usually be removed and oiled if they are stiff to turn or squeaking. If they wobble when rocked from side to side the bearing is worn and the roller should be replaced.
2. With idler wheels the same applies as to rollers, but there are many of the newer idler wheels that seem to have a lesser quality bearing and the idler wheel and arm should be replaced instead of chancing on just oiling it. It often takes too much time to take apart and reassemble some of the newer style dryers to deal with a $20 part starting to squeak or seize up again 3 weeks later.
3. Blower wheels can break, or start slipping and cause noise, but as discussed earlier they are sometimes only available in one piece with the motor and housing included.
4. Noise can also come from the shaft and bearing at the back of the drum on some models. (mostly in Frigidaire and G.E. designs) To inspect these parts the drum would need to be removed and the parts visually inspected.
5. A rumbling noise or rattle noise when the motor is starting or while it is running can be caused by noisy motor bearings. In this case the motor should be replaced if the dryer otherwise is in good condition and not too old. On some models the motors are too expensive to be practical to replace. Sometimes when a dryer motor is seized or stiff the motor can be removed and the bearings oiled will buy more time with the motor.
6. When glides are worn it is important to replace them before more damage to other support pieces occurs. Glides should always be replaced and lubricating is never a solution or required.

We hope that some of this information will have been helpful to our customers, and if you still need additional help please call 204-772-2020 for service if needed, or email us at service@citywideappliance.ca to request a service appointment.

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