My sister's Kenmore Dryer MN 110.76902690 makes a buzzing noise (much like an electric buzzer) when I press the start button.
There is a decal on the door that says the dryer will make a noise (unspecified) if you try to start it and the lint trap is full. The lint trap isn't full, but, looking into the cavity it goes in, there is a lot of lint that has escaped past the lint trap over the years. I tried to get it out and could only get some of it.
The dryer won't start, noise is there.
Is it likely that even with the trap clean, there is enough lint in the ductway that the sensor is showing a full filter? Can I clean this part of the duct easily?
The noise is a buzzing, and I wouldn't consider it a stuck motor noise, but could this be it?
Possible, I don't know enough. But, would those explain the "buzzer" I hear when I push start? Does Kenmore (Whirlpool) have that kind of "warning"?
I tried calling a troubleshooting Kenmore line, but they want you to have a warranty to talk to you. Also, they want you to buy a part and try it to see if that fixes it, and if not, buy another part.
Tomorrow, I'll try to see if I can tell where the buzzer is coming from. If it's a signal buzzer that will tell me one thing, if it's coming from a part, that's something else.
If the dryer is supposed to "make a noise" when it loses air floe due to lint buildup, and you were only able to get some of it out of the internal ductwork, I suggest that you take the back and top off and clean out all of the ductwork.
I've done it numerous times over the year to various models of dryers. It's basically just manual labor and whether it solves the current problem or not, It should be done anyway.
Does it also say it won't run? If not the decal, what does the owners manual say. If you can't find t he manual for this one, look for a Whirlpool model from the same period with roughly the same lint stuff. Does the dryer run? I have a kenmore dryer, 36 years old, and you can still dry clothes while the dryer whistle whistles. It's just a reminder and it probably does a real bad job of collecting lint once it's all covered over.
I'm pretty sure that's as important as the lint on the filter.
Wire coat hanger bent into a hook? Vacuum cleaner with the upholstery attaachment (the flat one, thought that's not very long compared to my Kenmore lint filter. Still, put the thing in the hole where the lint filter comes out of and wrap towells or something around it to fill the rest of the openilng, so it will have to suck from somewhere else Take off the covers etc. until you can go directly to the lint and remove it that way.
Did you run it with the lint fitter full, or not all the way in?
repairclinic.com has some really good troubleshooting techniques and videos. I recently used their videos to narrow down a problem with my dryer to the exact component in less than a 1/2 hour. All it took was a meter and some basic tools.
While they may not have a video specifically for your model, the ones they have can often be used as reference.
Thanks everyone, I'm about to try again today. Unfortunately, the rain we need is here this week and will (for various reasons) make working on the unit a bit more difficult. I should be able to narrow down the cause or at least the area.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I followed some and have a conclusion, I think and will run it by the group:
Kenmore Dryer converted for propane----
From the front panel, with it off -
I took the "cover" off of the exhaust duct (where the lint filter lives) and down at the bottom (where it exhausts into the squirrel cage fan) it was packed with lint. So much so that it was caked in the corners. I took the loose stuff out and washed the cover, and put it back on. No Joy, however, still the buzzing noise and the dryer doesn't start.
However, with the front panel off, I could tell (I think) where the buzzing was coming from when I pushed the start button. It's from the squirrel cage blower that exhausts the air from the dryer to the outside. This sounds like an easy fix, but I thought I'd come here.
So - - -
I don't see an easy way to get at the bolts or screws holding the motor and squirrel cage in place. Is this something that is easy to do if the dryer is on its back? Quite easy to lower it on its back in the laundry area and then I won't have to take it outside to give me more room.
I assume these motors are common and any electrical supply store would have one in stock. Any other suggestions? I don't want to wait for one to be shipped.
2.1 With the dryer on its back, it should be easier to verify that it's this motor assembly.
Thanks to all that helped, except for those that I called on the help desks who ignored the fact that there was noise and kept suggesting that I just replace parts until it was solved. I assume that they, like most others, have a script they follow and haven't any real knowledge.
I don't know, having looked yet. This motor and squirrel cage fan is right at the front of the unit so I'd think it would be easier from there rather than the back. I'll look the next time I'm working on it.
I tried to take the back off this morning, and ran into problems. I removed all of the screws that looked to be holding the back on, but then it wouldn't come off easily. It did look to be held on by spot welds as well as the screws, but there is no good way to tell if this is correct. In any event, I didn't want to force it and so left it alone until I could find out what to do.
So, is it usually easy to take the back off? It's a Kenmore, and is several years old. There is no access through the bottom as well, and the front access panel doesn't look to give me enough access to remove the unit, but I'll look again.
Someone gave me a site with repair procedures, so I'll look there, but wanted to ask here as well for general advice and help from someone who has opened up a dryer to replace parts. I had expected it to be easier than it turns out to be.
I'm at that point now, but as I said in a previous post, I can't seem to get access to the parts to test them. It's difficult (absent force) to get the back off, and I don't see a good way to find the parts mentioned in the troubleshooting guide to test them.
If you try turning the drum by hand while pushing the start button, will th e motor keep it going? If so, probably a solenoid. If lint is the problem y ou may need to clean the whole exhaust area. Dryers collect lots of lint. R epairclinic.com has a generic video showing how to disassemble a dryer--the top comes off, then the front.
I solved the problem by throwing money at it. I found out it was the motor, and a new one would be $160 + shipping, + a wait. I bought a new one for 20% off and then my discount on top of that. Makes it more expensive than repairing the old one, but it got done in a day and now everything works.
It wasn't the lint, even after I cleaned everything out, (not much in the exhaust duct), dryer still didn't work, but I could see enough to check the motor, and that's what it was.
Thanks for all the help, and thanks to the video, and instructions, I know how to access the innards of a dryer. Putting the drum back was harder than it probably is for someone who has done one before, but I was successful. The reason the drum was out is I had to convert the dryer to propane.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.