Gas Clothes Dryer

I have a fairly new but very lightly used front loader Whirlpool Duet that has always served me well, but has gradually not dried as well as usual. Due to circumstances it uses a flex tube to vent. I removed it from the dryer and tried it, assuming there was a clog in the vent (although the vent does seem to push a lot of air). I got warm air, reconnected the vent and tried to dry a load, no luck. Removed the vent tube and cleaned it as best I could. This morning, it was able to dry a load.

Any suggestions for easy to use diagnostic choices? I dread paying for a service repair, but do want my dryer back in working form

Reply to
Malcom "Mal" Reynolds
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Lint build-up in dryer vents is the number one cause of poor dryer performance and dryer vent fires.

Sounds like your entire dryer vent system needs to be inspected and possibly cleaned.

Reply to
Corporate Slave #5012844592593

I think your diganostic choices include

1) Ask on the usenet group 2) web search for troubleshooting web sites 3) go to the library and borrow a book on clothes dryer repair 4) ask your friends and neighbors, or ask the guys at the hardware store

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Any suggestions for easy to use diagnostic choices?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Dryer vent is cheap. Rigid is far better than flex, but a bit more difficult to install. [code might require rigid]

Just replace the vent and be done with it before you burn your house down and have to kick yourself in the ass.

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"More than 15,000 home fires are started by dryer fires every year, usually from lint build-up,"

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

Can you verify that air is blowing freely from the vent OUTSIDE? If you can't get to the vent because it's up high, you don't have a ladder, etc, then I'd try running the dryer with the hose temporarily disconnected and see if dries clothes.

Reply to
trader4

Cleaning or replacing just the vent isn=92t going to cut it. Depending on h= ow and how much they are used they need to be taken apart and the insides n= eed to be cleaned every few years. Something the manufacturers wont tell yo= u. Some dryers like Speed Queen very easy or Maytag fairly easy to do.

Reply to
recyclebinned

how and how much they are used they need to be taken apart and the insides= need to be cleaned every few years. Something the manufacturers wont tell = you. Some dryers like Speed Queen very easy or Maytag fairly easy to do.- H= ide quoted text -

I've had about 30 years of dryer experience. With three dryers. And I've yet to take one apart to clean it.

Reply to
trader4

  1. Use a leaf blower connected to the inside of the house and blow out all the mung.
  2. If you have an air compressor and a air hose of sufficient length, get a special nozzle such as:
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    (There are probably cheaper alternatives, but this is the first one I found.)
Reply to
HeyBub

on how and how much they are used they need to be taken apart and the insid= es need to be cleaned every few years. Something the manufacturers wont tel= l you. Some dryers like Speed Queen very easy or Maytag fairly easy to do.-= Hide quoted text -

You won=92t need to service it as much if:

  1. Your vent is very short and you clean if often.
  2. You make sure the filter is very clean every time you use it.
  3. You replace the whole thing when it stops drying the clothes like it use= d to.
  4. You like to set your house on fire.=20
Reply to
recyclebinned

on how and how much they are used they need to be taken apart and the insid= es need to be cleaned every few years. Something the manufacturers wont tel= l you. Some dryers like Speed Queen very easy or Maytag fairly easy to do.-= Hide quoted text -

Lucky you.

I've had over 30 years of dryer experience and have taken different models apart to clean them, greatly improving their performance afterwards.

Just last August I posted about an Estate dryer that would shut down intermittently and require a cooling off period before it would restart. Cleaning the external ducting, including the exterior vent did not help. It was only after I opened it up and cleaned every nook, cranny and duct space that the problem went away.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

You may need to clean the internal ductwork and fan area, as well as the external vent, around the flap. Any place where there is a turn or obstruction is a place where lint can build up.

I have done this a few times with various dryers and it greatly improved their performance.

Last August I had an Estate dryer that would actually shut down and require a cooling off period before it would restart. Once I vacuumed out all of the internal ductwork, it worked fine and has been working for over 6 months.

We have 2 dogs and drying their blankets and pillows creates a lot of hair, dust and dander in the dryer.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

it's a possibility, but I'm very good about cleaning the dryer filter. when I disconnected and reconnected the vent, a lot of crap came out. A casual inspection of the vent pipe looked good and I pushed a long duster thru it

Reply to
Malcom "Mal" Reynolds

absolutely

If you can't get to the vent because it's

I ran the dryer empty and unattached and one time it would heat, the next it wouldn't

Reply to
Malcom "Mal" Reynolds

Mal,

Fairly new and not drying? I agree with the others that it may just need a good cleaning. YouTube has lots of diagnostic and repair vids, ic cleaning doesn't help. Might be a failing gas solenoid.

Dave M.

Reply to
David L. Martel

How "very good" are you? Have you washed your filter in warm soapy water lately?

It is especially important to do that if you use dryer softener sheets. They can cause a waxy buildup on the lint filter that will reduce air flow. Try running water through it. if it holds water, you have a build up of some kind.

Dryer sheets can also cause a build up on the moisture sensor and sensor screen screwing up the drying cycle.

See here, or lots of other sites that all basically say the same thing:

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I too am "very good" about cleaning my lint filter. I even hung a reminder sign on the dryer that had to be moved before you could open the door to ensure that everyone else in my house was "very good" about cleaning the filter. Regardless, there will still be lint that finds it's way into the internal ductwork and restrict airflow.

Trust me...I've been there numerous times.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

I have seen various (and intermittant) symptoms ranging from long dry times to complete shut downs due to lint buildup in the internal ductwork.

Do yourself a favor and clean them. It can't hurt and very well may solve your problem. If it doesn't, the cleaning will still have been a good idea and one more thing to check off of the list.

Other than finding an actual blown component, you have no way of knowing if lint buildup is the problem except by going through the exercise of cleaning the internal ductwork.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Check air trap outside the house and then the pipe between the dryer and the outside That needs to be cleaned out yearly Lint is the #1 cause of fires related to dryers. (I always save the lint and take it along for camping trips as a fire starter)

Reply to
Attila Iskander

12:33=EF=BF=BDam, "Malcom \"Mal\" Reynolds" > wrote: > > I have a fairly new but very lightly used front loader Whirl= pool Duet > > that has always served me well, but has gradually not dried a= s well as > > usual. Due to circumstances it uses a flex tube to vent. I re= moved it > > from the dryer and tried it, assuming there was a clog in the = vent > > (although the vent does seem to push a lot of air). I got warm air= , > > reconnected the vent and tried to dry a load, no luck. Removed the ve= nt > > tube and cleaned it as best I could. This morning, it was able to dr= y a > > load. > > > > Any suggestions for easy to use diagnostic choices? I= dread paying for a > > service repair, but do want my dryer back in workin= g form > > Can you verify that air is blowing freely from the vent > OUTSID= E? absolutely If you can't get to the vent because it's > up high, you don'= t have a ladder, etc, then I'd try running > the dryer with the hose tempor= arily disconnected and > see if dries clothes. I ran the dryer empty and un= attached and one time it would heat, the next it wouldn't

Many have a thermal switch in the air stream designed to prevent it from ge= tting too hot. Also there is often a thermal fusable safety as well. Typi= cally the fusable is a one shot deal, when it goes you have to replace it. = If there is a thermal switch as well it will be set to turn off at a lower= temp. The parts are usually pretty cheap if it seems to be turning the he= at off prematurely. Make sure it's clean like the others have pointed out.

Reply to
jamesgang

It's a gas dryer? Should you be running it unvented?

Reply to
Hench

only for a short while to test it

Reply to
Malcom "Mal" Reynolds

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