Although you can’t beat the fresh smell of clothes that have been hung outside to dry, you also cannot beat the softness of laundry, especially towels that have been dried in a clothes tumble dryer. It’s a kind of trade-off.
However, not many of us these days have the luxury of waiting around for clothes to dry on a washing line. We need those shorts now, so we toss them into the dryer.
There are basically two main types of clothes dryer, and one of those two types can use either electricity or gas to heat the laundry. The conventional type of dryer which blasts hot air through the laundry and carries the moist air out through a vent, is generally thought to be far more efficient than the “condenser” type.
Condenser dryers heat the laundry and then use a system to cool the moist air (using water, would you believe) to turn the steamy air back into water, which is then pumped out through the drain hose. This type of dryer is designed to be used in confined locations where it’s not really possible to vent the hot air to the outside.
These are the most commonly required dryer repairs we carry out, (NB they are sometimes called tumble dryers):
1) THERE IS AN UNUSUAL NOISE COMING FROM THE DRYER
a) This could be caused by the drum seal, which would probably need to be replaced
b) The drum bearing may have failed or be starting to fail. This would need to be replaced if economically viable.
c) There could be a foreign object in the drum that was inadvertently put into the machine. i.e. coins etc.
2) THE DRYER DOES NOT HEAT UP
a) This could be the thermal fuse at fault
b) The heater element might need to be replaced (electric dryers – regular and condenser)
c) Gas system may not have ignited (gas dryer)
3) THE DRYER SEEMS TO BE WORKING AND HEATING BUT THE CLOTHES ARE NOT DRYING OR ARE TAKING LONGER TO DRY.
a) By far the most common reason for this is because the lint filter is completely clogged, and the owner has never cleaned it or has forgotten to clean it for a long time. This restricts the flow of air that is necessary to carry the moist air away from the machine.
b) If this is happening on a condenser dryer, it could be because something is wrong with the cold water inlet. Cold water is required to cool the moist air and thereby condense it back into to water so that it can be pumped out. If there is no cold water coming in, then there is nothing to remove the moisture from the laundry.
4) THE DRUM IS NOT TURNING BUT SOUNDS LIKE THE MOTOR IS RUNNING
a) The drive belt is likely to have either broken or come off. On gas dryers, it is possible that your laundry could become scorched through being heated and not tumbled.
CAUTION: If your GAS DRYER is getting hot but the drum is not turning, this is a FIRE HAZARD. Turn it off IMMEDIATELY and call a technician.
5) THE DRYER IS GETTING HOT BUT THE DRUM IS NOT TURNING
a) This is likely to be because the motor is faulty or has failed, or a drive belt has come off or broken. Turn off the machine and call for a technician.
6) THE DRYER WON'T START OR TURN ON
a) A faulty door switch could be the fault here. Or possibly the timer/program mechanism. Check that the door is properly closed and there is nothing in the way. Also check that the program selector is in the correct position and not in between "clicks". And, of course, check that there is power coming from the outlet.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR DRYER VENT CLEAR OF LINT AS A MATTER OF SAFETY. A BLOCKED DRYER VENT IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD!
This is not a complete list of faults that occur with clothes dryers. If you have a fault that is not listed here and you require some further information about a possible clothes dryer repair, give us a call at Frederick Appliance Services on (301) 683-5959 for help and advice.