"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
04/28/2016 at 18:11 • Filed to: None
0
27|
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
04/28/2016 at 18:11 • Filed to: None | 0
| 27 |
I’m sure some of you remember the issues I’ve had with my dryer this week. But here’s a quick recap, because my problems continue unabated. The other night, it wasn’t heating. No big deal, I’ve fixed this before. Tore the dryer down, checked all thermostats, and they all checked out. Checked the heating element: A-OK. So I looked elsewhere. The dryer duct was horribly clogged with lint. Hadn’t been cleaned in years. So I spent all day Monday cleaning it out. After cleaning it, I blew down it with a leaf blower, and my son said he could feel air coming out. So, I figured that the duct got clogged, the element got too hot, and the thermostat did its job, and shut it down. So, I put the dryer back together again, ran it briefly to see that the element was heating up (it was) and put some wet clothes in it. Then it stopped heating. So today, I took it apart again, and discovered that the over temp sensor had blown. That’s odd, it checked out fine yesterday. So I went out and bought another one (it’s a kit, with two different sensors, costing $50). Installed the new sensor, it heated for 5 minutes, and now won’t heat again. I’m sure it’s the over temp sensor again.
Anybody have any suggestions? This is a dead simple machine. I’m at a loss.
$kaycog
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 18:19 |
|
Sorry to hear you’re still having troubles. Clothesline?
vondon302
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 18:20 |
|
Damn this is turning into a horror story. I’m at a loss. My dryer is 19 years old never had a problem. Good luck man.
Urambo Tauro
> vondon302
04/28/2016 at 18:28 |
|
[oops wrong reply button] [edited]
|
Urambo Tauro
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 18:29 |
|
After seeing your earlier posts, I was sure that this would solve the problem. It made so much sense.
Is there any chance that there’s still an airflow problem? Perhaps a restriction within the dryer or a failing blower?
|
ttyymmnn
> Urambo Tauro
04/28/2016 at 18:36 |
|
I hadn’t thought about a failing blower. And I’m starting to suspect that there really is still a clog somewhere, because of the way this is going down. 1) All dryer parts check out. 2) Clean out vent. 3) Dryer starts to heat, then fails to. 4) Replace broken thermostat, same result as step 3. I was so certain that the vent is clear that I didn’t check it before I installed the new part, but there was a little voice in the back of my mind telling me that I should. I guess that’s my next step. Or, my next step is to go to Sears and buy a new W/D set. I’ve gotten 14 years out of this one. I guess that’s not too shabby.
Brian, The Life of
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 18:41 |
|
Dumb question: Is the amount of air coming out of the dryer vent (outside) normal? If it was restricted, I imagine that would be obvious.
Steve in Manhattan
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 18:43 |
|
The Maytag repairman isn’t going to help here. Shoot it, put it out of its misery. Kenmore is pretty good, from what I hear. Bosch, higher end. And Whirlpool - I like their logo.
TheRevanchist
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 18:45 |
|
I don’t know, but maybe the answer can be found here?
http://www.partselect.com/Repair/Dryer/N…
|
Urambo Tauro
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 18:45 |
|
I’m not actually familiar with clothes dryers, so I’m approaching this from the perspective of how a furnace works. Naturally, airflow is the first thing I that comes to mind regarding an overheat condition.
A thermostat... that makes sense. If it’s not regulating temperature properly, that could be causing it to overheat.
|
ttyymmnn
> Brian, The Life of
04/28/2016 at 18:45 |
|
The vent exits through the roof. The vent pipe takes a 90º vertical turn as it enters the wall, goes up to the attic, then angles over to a hole in the roof. I suppose it would make sense to run the dryer and see if I can feel air coming out of the pipe in the attic (I can remove the angled section of pipe and have a straight shot down to the dryer). If I can’t feel any air, it’s either another clog, or a bad blower motor. After blowing $50 on the new thermostats, I’m kicking myself for not making certain that the airflow is good. I just assumed it would be.
|
ttyymmnn
> Urambo Tauro
04/28/2016 at 18:47 |
|
Yes, the overheat sensor is clearly doing its job.
|
ttyymmnn
> TheRevanchist
04/28/2016 at 18:47 |
|
I’ll check it out. Thanks.
|
Urambo Tauro
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 18:50 |
|
Yeah, that overheat sensor getting tripped is just a symptom. The way I see it, it’s got to come down to one of two things: Either it’s getting too hot in the first place, or its method of cooling is at fault.
cuts_off_prius
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 18:58 |
|
Sorry to be off-topic, but I think this is how it sounds like to non-car people when you describe the issues you’re having with your car.
Toby F., Manager
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 19:00 |
|
Is the dryer itself free of clogged lint?
|
ttyymmnn
> Toby F., Manager
04/28/2016 at 19:04 |
|
AFAIK. I checked it out as part of the duct cleaning process. There is a 4" dia pipe coming off the blower, and it is clear.
|
ttyymmnn
> cuts_off_prius
04/28/2016 at 19:05 |
|
No problem. I’m a musician by training, who is trying to save money by doing as many home repairs as I can. I’ve fixed this thing twice before, but it’s kicking my ass this time.
|
ttyymmnn
> Urambo Tauro
04/28/2016 at 19:07 |
|
I agree. I have to double check the cooling aspect, but I’m not sure what might make the element overheat on its own. Unless it’s getting too much power or something. I also need to check that the blower is blowing, but it runs off the same motor that turns the drum, and the drum is turning.
Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 19:14 |
|
The over temp sensor is shorted and not grounded to the ground?
|
ttyymmnn
> Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
04/28/2016 at 19:24 |
|
That’s possible, and I’m no electrician. But AFAIK, there has been no change in the wiring. All I’ve done is unplug/replug the thermostat. Everything else in the dryer seems to be working fine.
I’m washing clothes now, and then taking them up to the laundromat. I’m going to put this thing on the back burner for a couple of days, then come back to it next week and check out the airflow.
Or go to Sears and buy a new W/D.
shop-teacher
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 20:10 |
|
The ground could have come lose, or a wire gotten fretted over years of moving/vibrating.
|
ttyymmnn
> shop-teacher
04/28/2016 at 20:30 |
|
True. I’ll check that out. Thanks.
|
shop-teacher
> ttyymmnn
04/28/2016 at 22:26 |
|
No problem, good luck!
NJAnon
> ttyymmnn
04/29/2016 at 16:36 |
|
How old is the dryer?
|
ttyymmnn
> NJAnon
04/29/2016 at 16:54 |
|
About 13 years.
|
NJAnon
> ttyymmnn
04/29/2016 at 18:37 |
|
Well it may be time to lay it to rest. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Just let it know “you did good, now go into the light”.
|
ttyymmnn
> NJAnon
04/29/2016 at 18:49 |
|
Exactly. We’ve got a little extra money, and we will likely sink it into a new, more powerful W/D set that can handle the laundry of a household of five. As the designated laundry guy, I’d love being able to do fewer loads.