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14 Oct 05 - 04:52 PM (#1583285) Subject: BS: dryer won't heat From: GUEST,mg My old dryer has quit heating and it might be hard to replace it cheaply here...anyone know anything? An element that can be cheaply replaced? Or should I just get a new old one? I would but the appliance place is no longer... mg |
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14 Oct 05 - 05:06 PM (#1583290) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: robomatic First make sure nothing is wrong with your power. Since you say 'element' you are implying and I am inferring that you have an electric dryer. If so, make sure there is nothing wrong with the electricity. Electric dryers in the States utilize a 240 Volt circuit made up from a double breaker. In older houses, the double breaker may not be mechanically connected and so it is 'possible' there are two breakers serving the dryer and one of them has tripped. Thus you get the dryer to turn but not enough heat. If you are living in a house and all other circuits are normal, it is possible you've got a bad element. First see if there are any 'fix-it' folks in your vicinity, there are still some folks who will tell you what it takes to do the whole fix (they'll go through the trouble of looking up and providing the parts from a pile of partials). Otherwise you'd need to use the make and model of your machine to look up a replacement, and if you can't make the replacement yourself, you're probably better off with a 'new' old dryer (but less old) that you know works. |
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14 Oct 05 - 05:08 PM (#1583291) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull maybe its busted? |
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14 Oct 05 - 05:14 PM (#1583295) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: wysiwyg I had the same question about our old dishwasher. We rent, so we didn't want to pay for a new built-in. I found a serviceman in the local ad paper and got him over for an estimate. He seemed quite ethical to me and was totally relaxed about my haging out while he looked and tested. The estimate was quite surprisingly reasonable, so I had him go ahead.... a few hours and about 35 bucks later, I had not only a working DW new but a new element for the unworking upper oven and an evaluation of the electric cooktop's ongoing ills. He used a combination of new and used parts, just like a good car tinker will if he can do that for you safely. So look around and see if you can find someone reputable. Ask friends and neighbors, and realtors, who they use. ~Susan |
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14 Oct 05 - 05:19 PM (#1583299) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: WFDU - Ron Olesko Are you sure it's not heating? We had a problem with our dryer where the clothes remained wet. Turned out that the dryer vent was blocked. |
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14 Oct 05 - 05:52 PM (#1583318) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: Peace We are called to about two dryer fires each year. Get it checked by someone who knows what he/she's doin'. You can find good, working used dryers in the newspaper. Sometimes people are willing to let one go for nowt if you can arrange for it to be picked up. |
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14 Oct 05 - 05:57 PM (#1583321) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: jeffp I replaced the motor in my dryer and it wasn't too bad a job. In the process I had to expose the heating element. It was easier to get to than the motor. www.repairguru.com is just one of many sites where you can get assistance diagnosing and repairing your dryer. I saved a couple hundred dollars by doing it myself. Definitely check your vent and lint trap first. Good luck and have fun. It's not that hard to do. Remember to unplug it before doing any disassembly! |
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14 Oct 05 - 06:04 PM (#1583323) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: number 6 Ccheck out the exahaust pipe for any obstructions. sIx |
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14 Oct 05 - 06:20 PM (#1583335) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: bobad I have a dryer in my shed that came with the house when we bought it. We got rid of it and use a clothesline. Friendlier to the earth and the clothes both. |
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14 Oct 05 - 06:38 PM (#1583346) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: jeffp In our community you can't have a clothesline. You can drape stuff over your balcony railing, though. Go figure. |
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14 Oct 05 - 06:43 PM (#1583350) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: JohnInKansas As indicated by several people, it can be hard to tell if the heater has burned out or if an exhaust vent is blocked. Most US installations for electric clothes dryers us a "flexible duct" connection between the dryer and the wall that can be easily disconnected. The dryer can then be run briefly, discharging into the room, to see if the outlet air warms up. Cleaning the "thru the wall" ductwork may be as simple as ramming a broom handle through if it's a straight-through, but if there are bends inside the wall it can require more sophisticated methods and can be difficult and time consuming. A kinked/collapsed flex duct is fairly common as well. A new duct, with clamps, shouldn't be more than about $10 (US) if needed. Also a possibility, although probably fairly unlikely, is that your breaker has tripped one side of the 220 volt circuit. The motor often runs off 110 V, using only one side of the circuit; but the heater is commonly 220 V. If you can identify an appropriate replacement part, most US electric dryers I've seen permit very simple replacement of the heating element. There's often a "raised shroud" on the back, and removing a half-dozen sheetmetal screws gets you to it. The last one I replaced was a bit under $40 (US) for the part, new, but that was a while back. With a manufacturer's name, model number, and serial number, any decent appliance repair shop should be able to find a replacement part for you. The heating element is a common replacement, and a good service person can probably find a "generic" part even for something very old and no longer manufactured. If you should decide to poke around inside, UNPLUG THE DRYER BEFORE REMOVING ANY FASTENERS. Turning it "Off" does NOT make it safe to open anything up. John |
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14 Oct 05 - 07:57 PM (#1583403) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: gnu Peace said, "We are called to about two dryer fires each year." What is the cause of these tragedies? |
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14 Oct 05 - 08:16 PM (#1583416) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: WFDU - Ron Olesko I'm betting it is lint fire. We ALMOST had one. My wife smelled something burning and shut it off and called the fire department. They found lint in the duct work. We had it replaced with a metal duct which apparently doesn't attract as much static electricity - or so we were told. I'm not a scientist! :) |
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14 Oct 05 - 08:20 PM (#1583419) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: number 6 "We are called to about two dryer fires each year." What is the cause of these tragedies? I'll bet my bippy it's a blocked exhaust vent or the lint trap. sIx |
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14 Oct 05 - 11:14 PM (#1583473) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: JohnInKansas The most common dryer fires probably are in the "trap," which generally is nothing more than a framed bit of window screen that slides into a slot in the dryer itself. I've been trying for years to train everyone in the household that you always check the screen every time you're ready to start the dryer - each and every load. The flexible hose used to connect to the duct that carries exhaust air outside often leaks a bit also, so "behind the dryer" there is often a significant build up of lint. Some recommend just replacing the hose every year or so - just on principle - and of course an annual "vacuuming" behind the dryer is an oft-neglected good practice. Most of the ducts that are installed in the wall will have at least a louvred "bird guard" or sometimes a magnetically latched "door" at the outlet, and lint may build up there, or may accumulate, especially at any bends, anywhere in the duct. Especially in the spring while it's still cool, you may occasionally find a bird nest in a duct if the guards don't work properly; and the nest is an automatic accumulator for additional and sometimes very large plugs of lint. Lint burns (smolders) at fairly low ignition temperatures - especially if there's a good draft of air blowing over it. Ignition is most likely at the heater itself, but lint particles ignited there can lodge and start a smoldering fire anywhere there's an accumulation, when they're blown downwind in the duct. Annual cleaning highly recommended. John |
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15 Oct 05 - 10:52 AM (#1583589) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: gnu I am wondering if these are related to the use of plastic vent pipes. |
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15 Oct 05 - 02:59 PM (#1583703) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: mg Thanks everyone. What i will probably do is give this one away to someone who can fix it and just get another used one and make sure the hoses are all clean....I found out mine goes at a 90 degree turn I hink so that is not good. mg |
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15 Oct 05 - 03:06 PM (#1583707) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: Peace "I'll bet my bippy it's a blocked exhaust vent or the lint trap." Usually, sIx. Vents. People don't clean them--and as posted above, it's no biggie to clean them. Takes 15 minutes on a bad day. However, unplug the danged machine FIRST, or we'll be coming to do CPR or get yer heart back in rhythm. Another cause is belts breaking and the motor getting overheated: bearings failing, etc. People often overload their dryers and overwork the motors. Clothes dry faster if there's fewer of them in the dryer at one time. Some folks put bath towels and sweaters in with cottons and then wonder why it takes over an hour to get the load dry when if they dried them separately, it would take a total of 45 minutes. Go figger. |
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15 Oct 05 - 03:52 PM (#1583731) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: JohnInKansas In most areas there are "dealers" who specialize in used appliances. Some of these people are unlikely to be members of the "Better Business Bureau" so you have to ask around a bit to find out if they're reliable (or even competent, in some cases). If you can find one that has a fairly good reputation you might be able to get him to take the old one so you don't have to mess with it. You're not likely to get much if any "trade in value" for it, but bulky stuff like dryers are something of a nuisance to try to find someone who wants to provide a home for one - especially one needing repairs. Most more "establishment" dealers may have used/repo/trade-in appliances; but some don't bother with them unless they're "exceptionally clean," and for one of these their prices won't be rock bottom. Any established dealer should be willing to dispose of your old one for you, and unless you already know someone who really wants your old one, I'd suggest working the removal of the old one into the deal to get the replacement. Local conditions can affect what's best; but if it doesn't work, and you don't want to fix it, you're probably best off to look for the simplest way of getting it off your homestead. John |
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16 Oct 05 - 05:42 AM (#1583978) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: Sandra in Sydney Different problem, with mine this morning, it just stopped! Fortunately the load was almost dry, and my kind neighbour dried my remaining wash, the sheets & towels & he even folded them!! Tomorrow I'll call the appliance repairman & I do hope he hasn't retired cos I'm unlikely to find another bloke who gives similar old-fashioned service. But the moral of my story is modern machinery. My first drier lasted 17 years & worked reliabily till the day it died, after a small hiccup at 1 year when I had to remove some felted fluff that had got caught outside the lint filter; my second went 8 years without repairs till it also died; & this one was bought January 2004. All machines were new, & I don't think this one will last even 4 years. Sometimes I wish we had a yard & clothes lines. cynical sandra in sydney |
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16 Oct 05 - 06:23 AM (#1583991) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: JohnInKansas Sandra - I had a very troublesome clothes dryer that I purchased new in 1964. It immediately developed an extremely annoying "whine" that emanated directly from my ex-wife. She was convinced that there was something terribly wrong with the dryer, so we called in a service person - who made the roughly 200 mile round trip "service call" and was unable to find anything wrong with the dryer. The annoying whine persisted until I made the same 200 mile trip to the nearest city large enough to find a new drive belt for the dryer. (about $7.00 US) The annoying whine immediately ceased and all was peace and goodness. Money had been spent, so the problem was gone. (Similar noises persisted related to other "problems" so I eventually replaced the ex-wife.) In 1991, the original drive belt finally broke, so I installed the "new" belt, which had been safely stored, unopened, for 27 years. My new trophy bride was not impressed at all that I already had the belt. She was immensely impressed that I knew exactly where it was - and that the original receipt was still attached. The dryer worked fine with the new belt, and was sold almost immediately so that new bride could have a new matched set - washer and dryer. But nothing lasts like the old ones. John |
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16 Oct 05 - 09:24 AM (#1584051) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: The Fooles Troupe ... including the brides... |
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17 Oct 05 - 02:41 AM (#1584418) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: NH Dave My experience has been that its almost as expensive to get a repair man to come out and fix a tumble dryer as it is to buy a good used one. BUT, if you feel that you are handy with tools AND the dryer has a wiring diagram in the Users Guide which you still have, or on the back of the cabinetry, which is a bit harder to lose, you can at least check some of the suggestions that have been made here. If you're stranded between a plugged vent or a burned out/broken heater element, try removing the far end of the vent tubing from the wall fixture, and see if air is flowing out of the tubing. If there's a lot of lint in the tubing, you can place a couple of long stockings inside one another, and tie the open end of these stockings over the end of the tubing, to catch any more lint. If air, and even more so warm air is blowing out of the tube, the problem is probably in the venting kit from the wall to the outside. Additionally you can frequently see the reflected glow of the heater elements by looking through the odd hole in the rear of the dryer. If you've decided that it is a defective heater wire, these can be purchased inexpensively from a store that sells and repairs your brand of dryer, at least in the US. Britain has some odd safety laws regarding folks doing repairs such as this, especially on gas driers, and many shops won't, by law, sell you the repair bits that you may need to get the thing working properly again. It isn't difficult work restringing a heater wire, but it does require you disassemble the dryer a bit, after disconnecting if from the power source. Of course, it you decide to buy a used dryer, perhaps your local shop will give you some off on the next dryer, for the old one, against the newer one. At least this way you won't have to haul it to the dump or landfill. Many shops take older stuff in on trade, fix them up during slack periods, and resell them to someone else with similar problems. Good luck, Dave |
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17 Oct 05 - 03:42 AM (#1584426) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: mandotim Another possibility; most of these machines have a bimetallic strip-type thermostat, just above the heating element. These eventually burn out, and fail to the 'open' position; so the element no longer heats up. Check it; if the contacts are burned, this is probably the cause, and costs a few pennies to replace. Tim from Bit on the Side |
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17 Oct 05 - 04:51 AM (#1584462) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: The Fooles Troupe I've always been fond of a Bit on the Side... er... |
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17 Oct 05 - 08:59 AM (#1584572) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: Sandra in Sydney My marvellous repairman is still in business, with a slight change of business name (he's using the second part of his former business name), & suggested pressing the red button cos it had probably overheated. He also said to call him if that wasn't the problem, I said I'd call tomorrow, but he said it was ok to call him at home. He also said there probably wasn't enough air circulating in the room, which would be why it overheated. I hope he is still in business the next time an electrical appliance misbehaves. The last time I called him to fix the freezer, he said to call him when I needed to buy any other applicance & he would advise me, and it's not like I've given him zillions of $$$$$'s in business, he's just a good old-fashioned tradesman. sandra |
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17 Oct 05 - 11:45 AM (#1584658) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: open mike it is not a gas dryer , then? |
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18 Oct 05 - 09:30 AM (#1585260) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: Sandra in Sydney we are an all electric building. I've never seen gas driers, but then it's been decades since I've been to the Gas company's showroom, in fact it's been two & a half decades since I've used a gas stove. sandra |
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19 Oct 05 - 01:28 AM (#1585937) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: open mike when ever there is a power outage i am so glad i cook with gas. i used to have a gas refridgerator and gas lamps in my house, too. it must be a drag to not have water, if you need to use a pump to pump it, when the electricity goes out.. |
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19 Oct 05 - 01:33 AM (#1585939) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: GUEST put a match to it |
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19 Oct 05 - 09:20 AM (#1586140) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: Sandra in Sydney open mike - I was visiting friends in Adelaide (South Australia) back in the late 80's, a few years after devestating bushfires. My friends took me for a ride in the Hills & pointed out a ruin where the owner told them he'd be ok in any fire - he had a pump & swimming pool. Unfortunately the electricity supply was an early casualty of the fires, and I think the bloke might have died, too, certainly folks were killed in those fires. sandra |
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19 Oct 05 - 11:21 AM (#1586222) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: Ebbie I manage some rentals and I have a great washer/dryer repairman. He'll come (no monitoring needed), fix it, report back to me and send me the bill, usually the same day I call him. Probably everybody knows this and uses the little trick I figured out one day: When I am in a hurry to get my clothes dried I add a couple of clean, dry, thirsty towels to the load. It gets done in jig time. |
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20 Oct 05 - 10:43 AM (#1586990) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: GUEST,leeneia No, Ebbie, I didn't know that. Thanks for the tip! Peace, thanks for the nudge about cleaning out lint. I looked into the area behind our lint trap and found a thick, mysterious accumulation which vacuumed out. I saved it to show to my husband, tell him it was forensic fuzz. We are both going to keep an eye out for what caused that. (It hasn't happened before in quite a few years.) |
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20 Oct 05 - 04:02 PM (#1587194) Subject: RE: BS: dryer won't heat From: JohnInKansas Ebbie / leeneia - The trick of putting a towel or two in with a load is often recommended with "delicates" that you don't want to get too dry. The towel will suck up enough moisture from the clothes to keep humid air in the dryer, but it takes a very long time to get the towel completely dry, so you don't run the risk of overheating stuff that might set in wrinkles. Used for this purpose, a couple of "hand towels" is usually recommended, since large "bath size" towels might be heavy enough to tangle with your fragile stuff. Despite warnings from the domestic consultants, many people "overdry" clothes in the dryer. When the last of the water is gone from the clothes, there's no more evaporation to cool the heated air that's being blown through, so the effective air temperature in the drum may rise, sometimes fairly abruptly, at the end of the drying cycle, and can set wrinkles in clothing with high synthetic content. The common recommendation is to remove "delicates" while still slightly damp and hang them to let the wrinkles fall out. A towel or two makes the timing a little less critical. John |