Repair Help: Dryer takes a long time to dry clothes

Straight from our Repair Forum:

Q:  I have a 12 y/o White Westinghouse gas dryer. It takes a very long time to dry clothes. I have checked the vent and vent tube and they are clear. The dryer/vent tube gets warm but not hot. I can hear the thermocoupler click and the burner lights up, though the "flame sound" doesn't seem to be as strong. Any ideas folks?

A: The complaint that a dryer takes too long to dry is most often caused by the dryer’s vent being blocked with lint. Dryers need to be properly vented or the moisture in the air can’t be carried away.

Perform the following:
1) Check and clean the lint trap.
2) Be sure the dryer isn’t pushed so close to the wall that it pinches off the airflow through the vent’s air duct hose.
3) Check the point where the air duct vents away from the house. Be sure plants, birds, or other objects have not blocked it. If the duct vents out the roof, it could easily be blocked with lint.
4) Disconnect the air duct hose from the back of the gas dryer and clean out built-up lint. For safety, first turn off the gas to the dryer, and then unplug the dryer; this means you will have to relight the pilot light (if the dryer has one) later; read your owner’s manual for proper relighting techniques.
5) If necessary, clean out the ductwork from the dryer to the exterior wall where it vents; this may involve disconnecting sections. One trick that sometimes makes this job easier (but only if the dryer duct is fastened firmly at all connection points) is to blow lint and debris through the duct and out the exterior wall vent using an electric leaf blower.
6) If the dryer still is taking too long to dry clothes, remove the lint filter and use a flashlight to check for internal clogs. Use your vacuum to suction out any blockages, if possible.
7) If the above steps don’t solve the problem, you may have a problem with your dryer’s heating element or thermostat.

Common Questions About Clothes Dryers

We often get alot of calls about problems with clothes dryers. Here are some of the most common questions we hear and some answers that may help:

Q: My dryer works fine for a few minutes and then shuts itself off like it overheated. Is this a heater problem, thermostat, or fuse?

A: It is possible that the dryer is overheating. Most dryers bring fresh air in through the front of the dryer. Make sure that there is nothing blocking the intake. Some dryers feature load detector sensors. If you have one and the dryer is tilted to the rear, the no-load sensor may turn the dryer off. The remedy for this problem is to make sure the dryer is level from front to back and from side to side. The redeeming value of this feature is that when it is working properly, you can save energy and reduce wear and tear to the dryer.

Q: Why does my dryer do nothing when I turn it on?

A: Plug something else into the same outlet. If it works, you know you have power to the dryer. If it doesn' t work, you'll need to check for any blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers. Electric dryers should have the wiring checked at the terminal block to make sure that the connection is good, or to verify that the connection is burnt out.

If the power is there, you will want to check the door switch, thermal fuse, thermostats, and start switch to see if one of these is faulty. Make sure that the control settings are appropriate, and that any buttons are fully depressed. Make sure that the start button has been fully pushed down or turned far enough to activate the dryer.

The door or lid switch performs two main functions. When the dryer door is open, it keeps the dryer from starting, and turns on the light. If the door switch is faulty, your dryer won't work, and you'll need to replace the switch. The door switch is located inside of your dryer's main housing right by the door frame. You'll probably need to access this switch through the top or front of your dryer.

There may also be a problem with the start switch. Test and replace if it is faulty.

Many dryers use what's called a thermal fuse. This is often mounted within the exhaust duct in the back panel. This fuse is about an inch long, and is usually found within a white plastic housing. Your dryer will not operate if this fuse is defective. You can test this fuse, and if faulty, replace it.

Most fuses have a thin wire that conducts electricity. When fuses blow, it means the wire is broken, they have no continuity and no power will flow through it. When this happens to the thermal fuse, your dryer either doesn't work at all, or it stops heating. Give your vent and heating system a visual check before you replace this fuse.

You will also want to test each thermostat to determine if any one is faulty. A bad thermostat may prevent your dryer from working at all.

To see more common questions about dryers, click here.

To read about how clothes dryers work, click here.

And finally, if you have a question that you haven't found the answer to, try posting in AP Wagner's Appliance Repair Forum. There are often several service guys on the boards that can help!

Use a Dryer Vent Alarm to Protect Your Home

It’s estimated that clothes dryers are the cause of over 15,000 fires every year. As lint builds up inside a dryer’s exhaust vent, a blockage can result in insufficient airflow, causing the dryer to overheat. This can ignite the lint and cause a fire.

A blockage or clog can also happen when lint get’s into your dryer venting system. This can cause your dryer to run longer, work harder and possibly overheat.

DrySafer is a Dryer Vent Alarm that helps detect insufficient airflow inside of your dryer’s exhaust ducts. It fits easily onto the back of your dryer and monitors your dryer’s airflow.

If the airflow in your dryer drops below a safe level, the dryer vent alarm will sound, alerting you to danger.

DrySafer is an added piece of mind to protect your home, pets and belongings.

For more information or to purchase about DrySafer, visit AP Wagner.com.