Electric dryer doesn’t dry towels well anymore...diagnosis variable

[Sundancefisher]

Have a 2001 kenmore HE3 Elite electric dryer. Done a few repairs myself

Plastic Door handle broke. Repair guy tried crazy glue as repair would be $300ish. Bought the $80 part and did it myself.

Then it stopped drying about 10 years ago. Replaced the moisture sensor. $3.17 part. Worked

Then it started squealing about 4 years ago. Replaced all rollers and belts. $44

Then heat completely died. Replaced the heater coil and thermal fuses. $120ish

Now the towels won’t fully dry. Takes 3 goes. Still heat.

Read online that bounce fabric sheets coat your clothes but also your dryer. Site suggested cleaning moisture sensor with rubbing alcohol once a month. Also cleaning lint trap screen.

So l gave it a try. Amazing how small the pour spaces were in the mesh screening. I used some rubbing alcohol to loosen but found the mr clean eraser sponge helped also. Used both on the moisture sensor.

Now drying some towels. Anyone else find this happened and fixed this way?

Cheers

Sun

[CaberTosser]

My bet is the blower wheel is likely plugged with lint, that or the exhaust duct or exhaust flapper is plugged/stuck. I’ve cleaned all of the above before, in addition to u screwing the lint trap housing and vacuuming that and other internal ducting on the machine

[bobtodrick]

It’s 20 years old. New washers start at $450 (which it sounds like you’ve spent on repairs). Might be time to bite the bullet.
As old as it is you’re going to spend $75 (or whatever) on repairs... and six months down the road something else craps out.

[bloopbloob]

It's probably just full of stunted perch

[omega50]

Simple Fix
Don't dry towels

Is there a timed dry setting that bypasses the moisture sensor settings?
I kept my old dryer running for a few extra years with the Fly Lady Dryer Lint Kit.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by bloopbloob

It's probably just full of stunted perch

Last time I cleaned out the insides I found lots of stuff...just no perch. Maybe a few got in there.

[Sundancefisher]

Hmmm. Dried a bit better but still a few towels with a little dampness

Have to look into cabers ideas.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

It’s 20 years old. New washers start at $450 (which it sounds like you’ve spent on repairs). Might be time to bite the bullet.
As old as it is you’re going to spend $75 (or whatever) on repairs... and six months down the road something else craps out.

It was a $800-900 dryer... fixing myself has been at a fraction of a repair guy. Plus I get personal satisfaction learning about the innards and fixing them.

Relatively speaking I have saved money and kept an appliance out of the landfill for 11 years from first breakdown.

I get frustrated that large appliances have become throw away versus repair due to costs and quality of product.

I have to think outside of major electrical or control panel problems I should be able to repair for ever.

[MyAlberta]

First things first. Turn it on and check the airflow out the exhaust grill. Plugged lint trap, bent exhaust hose, confined exterior grill. Pulled a lint ball out of the grill a few years back.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by MyAlberta

First things first. Turn it on and check the airflow out the exhaust grill. Plugged lint trap, bent exhaust hose, confined exterior grill. Pulled a lint ball out of the grill a few years back.

How do you check airflow?

Lint trap is clean
Hose is not kinked
Every time I have checked the hose it was fine
The plastic flaps /grill were smashed by hail. Could be a mouse nest?

[MyAlberta]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

How do you check airflow?

Lint trap is clean
Hose is not kinked
Every time I have checked the hose it was fine
The plastic flaps /grill were smashed by hail. Could be a mouse nest?

A machine with low airflow will typically run hotter. I just put my hand close to the grill and feel for air. It should be a good blow, as subjective as that is.

[amosfella]

Originally Posted by MyAlberta

A machine with low airflow will typically run hotter. I just put my hand close to the grill and feel for air. It should be a good blow, as subjective as that is.

While it can run hotter, it cannot vent the moisture, so just keeps on 'shuffling' it around.

[CaberTosser]

One thing to do is to always hard pipe a dryer exhaust, never use a plastic flex. The ridges in aluminum flexes offer lots of spots for lint to accumulate so they’re a bit less desirable too. The joints should be taped with a foil tape and don’t use screws as those are a lint catch.

I’ve always used gas dryers, they’re superior to electric for a number of reasons. First is that the energy is cheaper, second is less static electricity due to moisture always being part of the combustion exhaust, third is kind of related to the second as they ‘refresh’ better when you want to de-wrinkle a load of laundry that’s been sitting, again due to having some moisture present in the exhaust.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

It’s 20 years old. New washers start at $450 (which it sounds like you’ve spent on repairs). Might be time to bite the bullet.
As old as it is you’re going to spend $75 (or whatever) on repairs... and six months down the road something else craps out.

Yup, Downer being replacement will be crap and not nearly last as long. The Consumer oriented society at work.

Grizz

[bobtodrick]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Yup, Downer being replacement will be crap and not nearly last as long. The Consumer oriented society at work.

Grizz

I will agree with you there. Recent had my furnace checked...a twenty year old Carrier that got a clean bill of health. Thought about putting in a more efficient model but the technician said:
A) in a 100 yr old house it’s so leaky it wouldn’t really save me anything, and
B) my 20 year old furnace might very well outlast a new one 😕
Just sounds like the dryer in question has hit the point where you might spend money and time repairing and have something else go in a month.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

How do you check airflow?

Lint trap is clean
Hose is not kinked
Every time I have checked the hose it was fine
The plastic flaps /grill were smashed by hail. Could be a mouse nest?

Run the dryer without the vent hose attached.

When you say the trap is clean, did you remove the back panel and clean the trap housing/exhaust housing, as per Caber's suggestion?

Open up the dryer from the back and vacuum everything.
Remove the internal housing and vacuum again.
You would be amazed as to what gets past the trap and into the housing.
I recently had the same issue and this was the solution.
And I made about $5 in change, screws, ear plugs, and a very dry Elk hair fly.

Then vacuum out the exhaust line to the outside house vent.

[urban rednek]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

The plastic flaps /grill were smashed by hail. Could be a mouse nest?

Could also be a bird nest in the vent pipe, they will access any protected location they can find.
If you have good air flow at the exhaust vent, it may be the moisture sensor is kaput again. Any problems drying other clothing?

[KGB]

In my 20 years in appliance industry, this is the most common problem with the dryer. Here is step by step check list.
1. Remove the vent from the back of the dryer and run the dryer, with towels, let it vent into the room. If the towels are dry in one cycle- you dryer venting is plugged with derbies. It could be full of lint or even a squirrel or bird nest. Call the furnace cleaner guy to blow your interior dryer vent or do it yourself. Remember, if your vent is too long, you will need the professional to do that.
2. If problem persists, it is most likely your high limit thermostat that needs to be replaced.
3. Before replacing the high limit thermostat, make sure your heating element comes on. The Kenmore models could use the double spiral element. Meaning that there are two heating spirals, one for the gentle cycle and one for the full heat. You may only have the gentle cycle part working.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Ours did that same thing and it ended up being the outside vent cap screen was plugged solid and didn't allow the hi temp to stay on long so once it was cleaned it worked fine.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by KGB

In my 20 years in appliance industry, this is the most common problem with the dryer. Here is step by step check list.
1. Remove the vent from the back of the dryer and run the dryer, with towels, let it vent into the room. If the towels are dry in one cycle- you dryer venting is plugged with derbies. It could be full of lint or even a squirrel or bird nest. Call the furnace cleaner guy to blow your interior dryer vent or do it yourself. Remember, if your vent is too long, you will need the professional to do that.
2. If problem persists, it is most likely your high limit thermostat that needs to be replaced.
3. Before replacing the high limit thermostat, make sure your heating element comes on. The Kenmore models could use the double spiral element. Meaning that there are two heating spirals, one for the gentle cycle and one for the full heat. You may only have the gentle cycle part working.

Good ideas

[Sundancefisher]

Tried all the tips and replaced the sensor. Dry sensor system still works poorly. Dryer still dries.. just need to use the extra time button.

Yesterday the dryer started smelling burnt, and motor seemed to stop working and made a whirring noise.

Took the bottom off and it was full of lint again. Vacuum sucked out some that looked burned. Used compressed air and cleaned it all out.

Put it back together and turned it on. Started working again.

Reminder to everyone to clean out the lint in the bottom of your dryer.

[omega50]

I purchased a dryer cleaning kit about 5 years ago.
Attachments that fit your existing vacuum.

http://shop.flylady.net/p/%28DLK%29

[Big Racks]

Had the same issue with towels in our dryer in the house we just bought. We had the furnace, ducts and dryer vents cleaned prior to moving in, so wasn't sure what the issue was. Seemed to be shutting itself down well before the towels were dry, and when the laundry door was closed it was getting very humid in there. Cursory inspection showed the outside vents were free of debris. Called the furnace company back as I'd heard quite often they will charge for some services, like dryer duct cleaning, as an add on, while actually performing them can be hit and miss. To their credit they sent someone right out. Turned out the painters we had come in and paint the house interior while it was empty had pulled the washer and dryer out to paint, had either disconnected the rigid metal vent pipe INSIDE the machine intentionally to move it or just pulled it out causing it to disconnect inside without knowing it, and then failed to reattach it when moving it back in, so it was basically venting mostly back into itself, with a very light flow making it's way outside. Easy fix, but what a pita.

[Jays toyz]

Test exhaust at dryer and outside wall. If it's good at the dryer but weak at the wall,. It could be a lint build up n the duct and often a bird nest.
I have also found that condition when scent beads are added to the dryer instead of the washer. Coating the mesh of the lint screen in a wax.. run it under hot hot water and a use a scrub brush.

[LeroyvdH]

Good advice. I have a lab cross a true hair factory. Once every 2 -3 months I clean out the dryer.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by Jays toyz

Test exhaust at dryer and outside wall. If it's good at the dryer but weak at the wall,. It could be a lint build up n the duct and often a bird nest.
I have also found that condition when scent beads are added to the dryer instead of the washer. Coating the mesh of the lint screen in a wax.. run it under hot hot water and a use a scrub brush.

There is a pretty strong blow of humid air coming out the back of the dryer vent outside. Maybe I should take the back off next and see what the vent looks like where it connects to the hose.

[marky_mark]

Originally Posted by bobtodrick

It’s 20 years old. New washers start at $450 (which it sounds like you’ve spent on repairs). Might be time to bite the bullet.
As old as it is you’re going to spend $75 (or whatever) on repairs... and six months down the road something else craps out.

Bingo

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by marky_mark

Bingo

It is pretty much there now. Got 20 years out of these two appliances. Parts haven’t been that expensive compared to buying new...but still...worried that the motors will be next.

I changed out the dryer vent hose and made sure the inside was all clean and a strong current of air. May still just be a faulty moisture sensor. Takes me a careful 2 hours to dismantle and replace and put back together. But the part is only $3.17...so maybe one more go. It still dries...just not automatically. Those darn sensors get coated with the anti static sheet chemical and eventually stop working.

[Stinky Buffalo]

My moisture sensors went years ago. I’ve tried cleaning them, but they just won’t work.

I’m just too cheap to replace them, especially factoring in that they won’t last long anyhow.

Been using the time-dry, has been working well for us.

On a side note, once I found a sock pushed deep into the exhaust, beyond the lint trap. Thankfully the temperature limiter kept it from causing a burnout/fire.


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[CaberTosser]

Just a tip for anyone cleaning out blower wheels, I find that a shop vac paired with an old paint brush in the other hand is excellent for getting things cleaned up, the bristles being long enough to poke between the vanes but too soft to damage anything.