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Clothes Dryer Troubleshooting

Clothes dryers are a popular modern convenience found in most homes or apartment buildings. Government statistics indicate that upwards of 92% of households have a dryer on the premises, with most apartment complexes and unequipped houses having access to communal dryer facilities, often on-site. Dryers are considered to largely be reliable and dependable, with failure rates of less than .1% according to statistics provided by the major manufacturers, GE and Maytag. However, as a single dryer may be used hundreds or even thousands of times per year, it is inevitable that they will break down. Fortunately, the most common problems are quickly and easily diagnosed and repaired without the assistance of a technician with these clothes dryer troubleshooting tips.

Troubleshooting: Exhaust Pipe Clog

The most common cause of clothes dryer failure is a clog in the exhaust pipe. As it is impossible for the lint filter to collect all of the lint exiting the system, clogs in the exhaust pipe are inevitable if it is not routinely cleaned. These clogs result in the system being unable to vent the moist, hot air coming from the wet clothes, which often causes safety devices to trigger within the machine and shut it down until proper airflow can be obtained. This can also happen if the lint filter itself has become filled, so it is important to empty the lint filter after each use if possible.

Troubleshooting: Belts and Heating Elements

In general, the removal of lint is enough to restart the clothes dryer, however there may still be problems. Most problems related to a lack of heat or improper tumbling can be fixed by changing the settings, but if this does not solve the problem, then it may be necessary to examine the fuses, belt and heating element present inside the device. Horizontal dryers invariably wear out their tumbling belt, especially if used to frequently run wet, heavy loads such as bed sheets and towels. This is easily replaced. The heating element is generally more complicated, although some models have a heating element, which may be unplugged and easily removed.

Time to Call a Repairman

Repairs extending beyond the belt and heating element must generally be conducted by a licensed repair company or by the company that produced the dryer in order to maintain the machine's warranty. It is important to always unplug a dryer before attempting to conduct repairs in order to prevent electrical shock, and if a dryer cannot be easily unplugged, the circuit breaker should be toggled in order to prevent power from being delivered to the room where the dryer is installed.