My least favorite appliances in my home are my washer & dryer. I loath doing laundry. If I could hire someone to do anything for me it would be my family’s laundry. When either appliance gives me a warning that something is wrong or just doesn’t work at all, I used to be left wondering, well what does that mean? The frustration would build as I tried to figure it out. With this handy dryer repair guide, it comes much easier.
LINT SCREEN INDICATOR LIGHT
The control panel has an indicator light “Check Lint” or “Check Lint Screen” to remind you to clean the lint screen before each load. It is normal for the light to be on or flashing before the cycle starts. The indicator light will turn off once the door is opened or a cycle is started. This does not need any dryer repair.
DRYER WONT START
You push the start button-and nothing happens. First, make sure the door is shut tight. If the dryer still doesn’t start, there are several possible reasons, from a door switch that’s not recognizing that the door is closed to a failure in the main electronic control board. A broken power cord, failed push-to-start switch or a bad timer can also prevent the dryer from starting. Some dryers use a motor relay to control the drive motor so a broken motor relay can prevent the dryer from starting.
If you hear the motor running but the drum doesn’t turn, you likely need to replace the drive belt. Some dryers use a belt switch to keep the drive motor from running so you might not hear the motor run when the drive belt breaks. A failed drive motor will also prevent the dryer from starting.
In electric dryers, a blown thermal fuse can keep the dryer from starting. Follow the tips in this electric dryer won’t start troubleshooting video to figure out the problem.
Although a blown thermal fuse won’t prevent most gas dryers from starting, all of the other failures mentioned above will prevent the motor from running. Watch our gas dryer won’t start troubleshooting video for tips to get your gas dryer going again. so in this case you must need dryer repair services.
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DRYER MAKING NOISE OR VIBRATING
The dryer making rattling noise while tumbling often means that a hard object is clanging around inside the drum–the zipper on a sweatshirt, change left in a pocket, your phone. If the contents of the drum check out okay, then a bad drum support roller could be causing a thumping noise. A damaged idler pulley, idler pulley bracket or idler pulley tension spring could also cause a loud noise such as banging or squealing.
If you hear the dryer making a loud rattling noise while tumbling, check the blower fan blade. A scraping noise can indicate damage to the drum glide bearing or felt drum seal. Suspect the drive motor if you hear a buzzing or whining noise while the dryer runs.
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DRYER WON’T HEAT
When you find the air in your gas dryer not heating up, the culprit could be the timer or electronic control board that controls the heat. A bad heater relay, blown thermal cut-off fuse, faulty thermistor, broken operating thermostat or failed high-limit thermostat can also prevent the dryer from heating. In most gas dryers, a blown thermal fuse will prevent the burner from working.
Additional failures in a gas dryer not heating up could be bad gas valve coils, a failed igniter or a faulty flame sensor.
In an electric dryer, a tripped circuit breaker can prevent the dryer from heating even though the motor runs.
Sometimes the root cause of heating problems is lack of dryer maintenance. Failing to clean lint out of the exhaust system of your dryer can cause the dryer to overheat and blow a fuse so the electric or gas dryer won’t heat up at all. Regular dryer preventive maintenance keeps the dryer operating efficiently and helps avoid heating problems.
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DRYER NOT DRYING CLOTHES
It’s not unusual for heavier items like jeans or towels to have a few damp patches when the drying cycle ends, especially in a mixed load of light and heavy fabrics. But if the whole load is still wet, you need to figure out why and do some dryer repair and maintenance.
First, try these two dryer repair simple fixes:
- Remove lint from the vent tube and exhaust duct. Lint cuts down the air flowing through the dryer, so clothes take longer to dry (lint is also a fire hazard). We recommend cleaning out your vent hose monthly and cleaning your dryer vent duct yearly. This should be done by a professional cleaning service. Get a quote now!
- If you use fabric softener, follow the steps in Sears’ video to remove fabric softener buildup on the dryer lint screen.
If your clothes are still coming out wet, check the dryer’s heating system. A broken heater relay, failed timer, faulty operating thermostat, bad thermistor, blown thermal cut-off fuse or failed electronic control board can prevent an electric or gas dryer from heating.
- Follow the tips in the Sears’ troubleshooting video to determine why your electric dryer won’t heat.
- Follow the steps in Sears’ troubleshooting video to figure out why a gas dryer isn’t heating. Besides the reasons listed above, the problem could be a blown thermal fuse, failed gas valve coils, a bad flame sensor, or a broken igniter.
