Dryer Maintenance

[Bruno]

Is there any maintenance required on a clothes dryer? I have a 2-year-old Kenmore. Sears want to sell me a service contract.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Aside from cleaning the lint filter and the vent piping, there reallyis none. The serivce contract would not cover the vent anyway.

Service contracts are very proftitable for the sellers. If yo were to set aside the money that contracts would cost for all your appliances, you'd have a better retirement as well as good running appliances. Very few people ever come out ahead on them. Ed [e-mail]

[Lost]

Edwin is right on the money. Service contracts are weighted highly in favor of the seller. They seldom pay for themselves. Besides, an electric clothes dryer is one of the simplest appliances made and most people could perform their own repairs with a quick trip to their Public Library to get a repair manual and spend a little time reading it.

[Bruno The Magnificent]

I was asking about regular maintenance. Apparently, apart from the obvious "clean the lint", there is no maintenance required!!!

So what in Martha's name does Sears do when they come over to perform "maintenance"???

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Clean the lint trap and count their money. Maybe check a drive belt. Ed

[Bruno The Magnificent]

Drive belt? Go on!

[jeff]

Hi,

Regular maintenace should be a good cleaning....venitng and vent hood every year and the inside of the dryer every 2-5 years depending on use. Not much that should be oiled in a dryer either!! JMO!!

jeff.

Appliance Repair Aid

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The motor turns the drum. There are different ways of doing this, but many have a belt. The motor has a pulley, the back of the drum has a pulley, between them is a belt, just like the fan belt on your car. I don't know how often they should be replaced, but mine is 22 years old and still works.

I did have a drum support replaced once. That was about $50 or so including labor. That is the total cost of repairs over the past 22 years. Add up the cost of a service policy for that long. My guess is that I could have bought a few brand new dryers in that time with the savings. .

For some more basic information, go to

They show some of the common parts that have to be replaced or maintained. Also check for much good info. Ed [e-mail]

[Stormin Mormon]

I was a sears guy in 1996, I say that with no pride.

My field was heating, AC, and water softeners. And refrigerators.

We'd go clean it out a little, and if it had a motor, maybe a drop of oil. Not much more. And you have to phone to request a maint check, they won't come out automatically.

Skip the MA.

[Stormin Mormon]

Drop or two of zoom spout on the motor berrngs. shot of silicone or something on the drum rollers (we hope something that won't attract dust). Silicone or teflon are good. Graphite also good.

[CBHvac]

Good.

You didnt learn much..

people could perform their own repairs with a quick trip to their