Whirlpool/Kenmore HE Dryer Switch Corrosion

Last week my 1979 Whirlpool dryer stopped working. It needs a new motor (and belt and rollers). I was about to order these when I saw a free Kenmore HE4 dryer on Freecycle. I picked it up and brought it home. The previous owner said it worked the last time she tried it but that she had replaced both the washer and dryer when the washer failed and the dryer had been sitting around.

Plugged it in and of course it didn't work. After about an hour of being plugged in I heard it beeping and it started working. But there was something wrong as it never stopped beeping and kept changing the "finishing options" without any buttons being pressed.

Searched online and found that Whirlpool made a big design error on these machines. Moisture for the drying clothes gets into the switch contacts and corrodes them. One person in one forum realized the problem. The solution was to take out the PCBs with the switches and spray contact cleaner into them. This fixed it but of course it will have to be repeated in the future at some point.

Reply to
sms
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GET OUT NOW!! IT'S GOING TO BLOW.

Unplug it again for 5 minutes.

Okay so I was wrong. Sue me. Thanks for the tip.

Reply to
micky

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