Help me figure out how to fix a dryer.
To all of the wise and all knowing sages of the Breaktime World. My electric clothes dryer has broken.
Please steer me in the right direction to attempt to make repairs. Perhaps there is an appliance forum similar to Breaktime that can dispense the sagacious advice that is given here regularly.
Thanks in advance…
Replies
Several years ago I bought a book from Sears, one each for my washer, dryer, and fridge. They were detailed step-by-step repair manuals, well illustrated, with a trouble shooting guide. Contact your Sears parts store and see if they still sell them. Even though the books are aimed at Sears appliances, it covers all the basic stuff. And besides, Sears doesn't make appliances, so you might have a matching one anyway.
For a start, tell us what it doesn't do, and is it gas or electric...
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Edited 5/9/2004 10:55 pm ET by Ed Hilton
Rookie: Tell me what it does or doesn't do, and I'll tell you what to do to make it work. I nursed a Maytag along for 40 yrs; finally bought a new one just because my wife wanted a new one to match her new washer.
Under the right conditions, I might just steer you to Home DePot to buy a new one. (Boy, that should generate some great comments!)
Don
Well I didn't post the details cuz I figured that it wasn't realy a fine homebuilding kind of question but since you all want to help.
It is a Kenmore. It lets you choose between moisture sensing and timer drying. Usually use the moisture sensing thing that shuts it off when the clothes are dry. The last load that I did I set the time for 9o minutes to dry some of the DW's sweaters and it worked fine. The next morning I put the next load in and set it to dry on the moisture sensing cycle. Pushed the start button and it the drum started to rotate but when the start button is released the dryer doesn't tumble anymore.
I'm pretty handy with machines, have rebuilt an engine or two and this dryer was a pain the keister to install because the morn that built the house offset the vent in the wall about 12 inches to the left instead of the center so it took some funky angles to get it hooked up.
The only thing I did different from normal is to use timed drying instead of the moisture sensing cycle. The good news is that the Sears parts store is just down the street.
Thanks all of you and waiting for some things to check out.
What I'd check, in this order.
1. Wiring and connections from "settings" switch to humidistat... may have just jiggled loose, or perhaps shorted on something.
2. Humidistat is faulty... thinks there is little humidity (clothes dry), but that's not the case, right? :)
3. Settings switch... can't interpret what the humidistat is telling it...least likely considering symptoms
Ok guys, did I overlook anything?
PJ
Check that the switch that senses the door is closed is working.....
I'd have a look at the venting when you get the no-go figured out.
90 minutes would dry a swimming pool in my drier.
How many bends and kinks do you have in the vent tube?
Joe H
Have you tried it back on the timer setting? If it works on the timer then obviously the humidistat circuitry is going south. These (especially in Kenmores) are notoriously unreliable, but I've never worked on one to know how the sensor works.
If it doesn't work on either setting then the door switch is probably the problem.
It does not work on the timer setting either. The piping is as straight as possible with a straight tube running to a two elbows, none of that kinky flexi crap for me.
Do you suppose I could have burned something out by running for 90 minutes?
Edited 5/10/2004 12:33 pm ET by rookie
Like Dan said-sounds like door switch. Jump it and see if it works.
It won't be the door switch if the barrel start to roll and quits when he takes his finger off the start button. That's one of the problems that happens when we started using chip controlled stuff.Just one gate on board fails and you're down for the count.
is it possible it's a bum switch? when the dryer senses the clothes are dry it keeps tumbling for awhile (wrinkle saver) without heat, right? but if it won't even tumble as soon as you take your finger off the button it sounds to me like problem directly related to the switch.
m
Most (all?) dryers have a centrifugal switch that sounds like the problem in this case.
Any dryer I've ever used requires that you hold the button for a second until it spins up. You can also do things like open the door for a split second, then close it, and it keeps on running. Open the door for longer, and it stops even if you reclose the door.
From a Maytag manual:
"Some dryers have a start switch that opens one circuit and closes another when the start control is pushed in. The drive motor start winding is energized when the button is pushed in. A centrifugal switch in the motor energizes the run windings and de-energizes the start windings within one second of pushing the start control in."
I'll bet your dryer runs as long as you hold down the button. If this is the case, you're on the trail.
Pete
I've had a beauty that ya held the door button on, and spin the drum while holding the start button..taped the door button and kick started the ho everytime it was full of wet clothes..semi dry spun stuff sometimes worked without the kickstart..just remeber which way to spin it...lol
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Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Rookie: OK, you have a sensor problem. Follow Occam's Razor - check the simplist things first. Our Maytag did this to us once upon a time. Turned out to be some kinda mildly conductive crud shorting out the sensor coils. Scraped it off & never had another day's problem. Check that before you spring for a new PC board. Then check all the wiring from the sensor to the PC board. Look for shorts and opens. Look for crud on the contact side of the PC board. That can screw them up something fierce. The LAST thing to check is the board, itself. Find an appliance parts store - they still have the boooks mentioned in other comments. Being a Kenmore, it will have some decent troubleshooting tips in the generic books. It was probably made by GE/Hotpoint or Whirlpool, anyway, so any book covering those two should help.
Good luck.
DonThe GlassMasterworks - If it scratches, I etch it!
C'mon, we're good, but you got to give a little more info than just "My dryers broke".
I bet if you describe, as exactly as you can, what happens when you push go, someone will know what to do.
It's plugged in, right? Breakers are good (and on), right? Heat doesn't come on? Drum goes round, or not?
Does it go "zip" when it moves,
and "bop" when it stops,
and "whirr" when it stands still?
I never knew just what it was...
And I guess you Never will!View Image
There are only maybe 5 things that can go wrong with an electric dryer:
1) Belt broke.
2) Timer broke.
3) The little skate wheels the drum rides on are worn out.
4) The heating element's burned out.
5) Can't remember #5.
So maybe a description of the problem would allow someone to guess at a solution for you.
A couple of more.
Bad motor, bad safety switch, open over temp or fusable link.
And then there is always the possibility that the breaker is tripped or other supply problems.
Or the short wire from the sensor to the heat element burns through ($2.00 fix common to Maytags).
Do a search, and find sites like http://www.fixitnow.com and http://www.repairclinic.com and find trouble-shooting guides and manuals for most appliances..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
There are only maybe 5 things that can go wrong with an electric dryer:
Can't remember #5.
The light won't come on
The door fell off
Gord
#18. Lint trap on fire
Heh Heh Heh
Thats pretty good... One of the best ones I ever saw was a homeowner who stuffed the hose into the return air as some sort of heat reclaiming unit. It may have worked had he changed the furnace filter...daily....Gord
Gentlemen,
It appears that it may be something called an even heat control board. Look like a piece of cake to replace but Sears wants $143.00 fushung dollars for the part. Sheees wonder if all of the boards have been shipped to Iraq? Seem skinds pricing to me.
You could save a few bucks......how about 30' of rope strung up in the backyard?
You can use the fence too.....you'll be amazed at how clean the fence gets after a few loads.
Have a beer.....Fix the dryer in the fall....Gord
Go googling = appliance parts kenmore
Lots of hits for after-market parts.
I recently bought an igniter for our gas stove for $18. Sears wanted $94 for the same critter.
Good luck.
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
Excellent suggestion Goldhiller. I'm going to find the manual I need first and trouble shoot all electrical first but I did talk to a guy at one of the sites suggested and he said he was betting on the board and he calls himself the appliance samurai so who knows.....Now where is that multimter hiding at?
How come you can't buy anything with just an On/Off switch?
Every f-ing thing on the planet has to have a dozen setting that no one needs?
I want the Luddite model, and I want it in white.
Joe H
It goes w/o saying, but there's a lot of well meaning but totally wrong advice available on the web. I had a thermostat question a while ago on another board and some of the stuff I got was completely false.
Before you buy that $140 board, take Don's good advice and make a list of what the dryer does and does not do. For example:
- It turns over when you push the button. That pretty much rules out the door switch.
- The problem happens in either humidity or time mode. That suggests something basic rather than the humidstat (could be a board, hopefuly not).
I doubt your 90 minute run had anything to do with the problem. After all, the dryer is supposed to be capable of this. Based on the symptoms that you've provided, my money's still on the centrifugal switch, though it may be a pain to get to if it's inside the motor.
Very unlikely to cause the symptoms you describe, but you did check that both fuses were good, right?
Let us know what it turns out to be!
Pete
the obvious one..open door kill switch.
edit. I shoulda kept readin..mybad
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Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Edited 5/10/2004 6:30 pm ET by SPHERE
Yes. It's called Readers Digest Fix - It Yourself manual. You can pick this up in most box stores or book stores .
I have one and it's a great refernce tool.
just another day in paradise
G.E. Ely Construction
Ocracoke,NC
I've used this guy's service a couple of times when I was stuck, and I think it's worth the $$. Plus, he is very fair and reasonable on the time.
Work: 888-490-1393
E-Mail: http://www.appliancehelp.com
Note:
$13.95 for 15 minutes, then $7.00 per additional 15 minutes
Pete Duffy, Handyman
Umpteen trouble-shooting guides free for the reading on the internet; manuals for just about every appliance still in use too; and most appliances aren't much more than a switch, a relay, and a motor. And you're paying a guy $14.00 for 15 minutes of advice over the phone ?
P.T. Barnum was right..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Yeah, and worth every penny . The online troubleshooting sites that I found were about as helpful as the owners manual that tells you to check to see if the machine is plugged in.
Once you fill him on the problem and on what you have done so far, and what your skills are, this guy understands how much knowledge you have and doesn't waste any of your time.
Well worth the $15, considering a repair visit starts at about $70 for some guy in a truck to pull in your driveway. And if he only talks to you for 10 minutes and you have to try some of his suggestions, he'll let you call him back and still have that 5 minutes left. I've never had him take longer than that to troubleshoot a problem and tell me what needs to be done.
As part of my handyman service business, appliance repair comes in sometimes, but not regularly, so it's a nice benefit to have this guy's knowledge and availability if I ever get stuck at a client's laundry room.
If you have any "Free" sites to offer with enough information to be helpful, please post them. Thanks.Pete Duffy, Handyman
I already posted 2 sites earlier (these do assume that you can read a meter). Here's a quick sequence http://www.applianceaid.com/test_with_ohmmeter.html.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Not a bad site, but not as in-depth as is needed for more than a basic repair. A good first step, so keep the number for the appliance help line handy.
Also, if you're at a customer, it's difficult to ask, "Hey, can I borrow your computer?" to get the needed info. This other guy is a phone call away (and most of us have cell phones.)
Tried the ohmmeter on my dryer, but didn't get anywhere. Maybe because it's gas? <g>
I'm done with this topic.Pete Duffy, Handyman
Guys, guys, I'm not trying to start a war here. I haven't had a chance to check anything out yet. busy with work. However the help and leads I've gotten so far have been great. You guys are a font of knowledge and are for sure saving me the cost of the service call. Should I need the board (it looks that way so far but I'm gonna check everything else first) I found it on the net for around $100.00.
I'll probably get to it on Thursday and let you all know how it worked out.
Big thank you to Sonny Lykos for the web site addresses to get me started.
Oh Pete, I can't believe you said this... Tried the ohmmeter on my dryer, but didn't get anywhere. Maybe because it's gas? Does that mean that gas makes the drum turn?
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
Or is the ohmmeter gas powered, and he didn't have any gas to run it?
The appliance help is worth a pretty penny for sure. Sometimes it's just a $3.- part that made that person throw the appliance out at the street. Picked up a perfectly good washer and dryer a few years ago at the side of the road. Family move east from Ca. and the moving company damaged the goods. They got new appliances, I replaced the broken knobs and sold them for a nice easy profit. More recently got a microwave that only needed a replacement fuse. Another easy $35.- profit. Just 'cause I can, and keeps them out of the landfill for a few more years.