Electric dryer not getting hot enough?

[milli...]

Hi. I have a Whirlpool electric clothes dryer (LEB6000PQ1). Lately the clothes have taken 2 cycles on *high* heat to dry. I thought the exhaust duct was maybe full of lint so I cleaned out the whole thing, but same result: clothes aren't drying as usual. Then i took my contactless thermometer and realized the exhaust duct just as it exits the dryer is around 85F. I recall it was typically much higher, maybe 120+F, such that i was unable to hold my hand on the exhaust duct because it was too hot.. Any suggestions on what this lukewarm behavior might be? What's best way to diagnose? Suggestions appreciated. Thanks Theodore

[Bob F]

Did you clean out all the air passages within the dryer? You can blow it out, using an air compressor, or leaf blower (do it outside), or maybe suck it out with a big shop vac.

Or, the heater coil could be bad or a switch contact bad, limiting it to a low heat mode. Or, you could have just set it to low heat and forgotten.

[micky]

You covered it all. As an aside, high heat ruins elastic and maybe the cloth too. I always used the lowest heat setting there was, other than plain air, although it seemed pretty hot to me. If I ever fix the dryer, I should measure the temp like the OP did.

[Thomas]

Check your breakers. Dryers are 240 volt. 120 each side of the 3 prong plug. Breaker might be 2 "tied" together in the box with one tripped but not seen since it is with the other one.

[JRB Ware]

Ben's Appliances repair video