Estate Gas Dryer - Intermittently Stops, Then Won't Start

Estate Gas Dryer by Whirlpool, Model TGDS740PQ1

Dryer runs fine 95% of the time. Dried 6 loads, one right after the other, with no problems today.

The problem is that on rare occasions, it will stop before the drying cycle is over and I can't restart it right away. If I wait until it cools down and press the Start button it will start up and complete the cycle with no problems. However, if I press the Start button right after it shuts itself down, here's what happens:

With the timer control set to any of the heat cycles, (high heat auto, low heat auto or timed dry) I can hear a relay or solenoid actuate and i can hear a hum from the unit while I hold the switch in, but the motor doesn't start turning.

With the control set to the Air Fluff Only setting, there is no relay sound or humming, just a whole bunch of silence.

I did one more test: when the dryer was running properly and in the Cool Down period of High Heat Auto, I turned the timer control back into the area where the heat would be on. When I did this I heard the same relay sound that I hear when Start button is pressed but the unit doesn't start. A few seconds later I could hear the gas turn on.

I believe that there is a pair of solenoids for the gas valve. Is it possible that the noise I'm hearing is one solenoid activating but the other one hanging up and humming? But if that were the case, why wouldn't the motor start, especially in Air Fluff Only mode?

Darn, thought I figured it out while I was typing this, but now I'm not so sure.

Any idea what to look for? Thanks!

Reply to
DerbyDad03
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Maybe blocked airflow? Check the complete dryer vent exhaust system for lint build-up.

Reply to
Domicile Dude

First thing I would check:

Get your voltage tester, pull the plug of the dryer out from the receptacle= just enough so that you can get the voltage tester electrodes on to the bl= ades of the plug. Turn on the dryer and see what voltage you=92re getting w= hile the dryer is running. The voltage that you=92re getting at the recepta= cle may sometimes be too low and causing the motor to overheat and shut-dow= n. Are you having brown-outs where you are? Other things that can cause a motor to overheat are the drum binding or sti= cking, overloading the dryer, bearing on the motor being worn-out etc.=20

Reply to
recyclebinned

Sounds like there is an overheat cutout. Maybe it's overheating or maybe the cutout itself is faulty.

Is there a filter that may be blocked causing overheat

Reply to
harryagain

I just finished cleaning the entire exhaust system - interior ducting, exhaust hose and exterior vent.

As expected, there was lint in every place I checked/cleaned, but there didn't seem to be enough for a blockage. In any case, the air flow should be better than before.

Since the problem was very intermittent, I'll just have to wait and see.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

I just finished cleaning the entire exhaust system - interior ducting, exhaust hose and exterior vent.

As expected, there was lint in every place I checked/cleaned, but there didn't seem to be enough for a blockage. In any case, the air flow should be better than before.

Since the problem was very intermittent, I'll just have to wait and see.

Sounds like the motor overload (due to heat) Klixon is tripping. This takes time to reset as the motor must cool. Did you take air pressure to clean the motor. That solves problem some times. Retired appliance serviceman. WW

Reply to
WW

Hide quoted text -

I did not clean the motor itself, but I cleaned the entire exhaust system, even removing the internal ducting to get to the blower fins.

I'm assuming the clumps of lint that I found on the blower fins were the result of laying the unit face down and having debris fall out of the internal duct. The clumps weren't stuck to the fins, just lying on top of them.

If the shutdown problem occurs again, I'll attack the motor next.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

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