Before You Troubleshoot Your Dryer

Before trying anything else to troubleshoot a dryer problem, clean the vent completely.

This is from personal experience in do-it-yourself dryer appliance repair.

The problem was a gas dryer whose flame kept going out, turned off by the thermostat.  If you know appliance repair well, you already see where this is going, don’t you?  I bought a new sensor.  I declined to buy a new regulator because it was too expensive.  I blamed the regulator for the flame that curved upwards and tripped the thermostat.  I figured that it was broken and let too much gas through.

Don’t outsmart yourself like I did.  Do this one thing before troubleshooting:  Clear the airway.  Clean everything that the vented air from the dryer passes through.  Make sure that the hose runs as straight as possible, with gradual bends.  Check that the hose has no kinks in it and did not get crushed. Take the through-the-wall vent out and actually clean it.  Make certain that the flap over the vent moves freely.  Also make sure that it closes when the dryer is turned off.

That is where I finally found the malfunction.  I had gone over the vent outlet before.  I had reached inside it from both ends.  It seemed clean. When I took it apart I found a wad of lint that I couldn’t reach or see until I took it apart.  This came after the old dryer broke and I bought a new one.  The new one didn’t dry the clothes either, until I actually took the vent outlet apart and cleaned it.

This was not a repair problem.  It was a maintenance problem.  The flame has to have enough air flow to burn right.  If you have wet warm clothing after an hour of drying, you need more air flow to remove water vapor.  Before doing anything else, clean the lint trap.  Then clean and inspect the dryer’s entire ventilation system.  It’s a good idea to do this at least once a year, to keep your dryer running smoothly.

Fred’s appliance can help you find the part you need.  They also have technicians who can service your appliance in your home in several counties near Madison Ohio.