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Electric Dryer Problem

360 Views 16 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  Danaus29
I moved my dryer a few feet from where it had been sitting and put a new, longer exhaust hose on it. Nothing else changed. When I turned it on, it made a pounding noise somewhat similar to the noise it makes when you put a pair of tennis shoes in the dryer.

I researched online, and the most likely problem was the drum rollers. I replaced both of them, the shafts seemed OK, and reassembled the dryer. It still made a slight noise - thump ......thump on each rotation. The dryer heated up, but at the end of the dry cycle, the clothes were still damp.

A new belt and idler pulley came with the roller kit, so I took the dryer apart and replaced the belt and idler pulley. Still have the same problem. It still makes a slight noise (that I can live with), but I put a damp rag in the dryer and it was still damp after a full cycle.

I used an infrared thermometer and the temperature at the outside exhaust when the dryer was running was around 150 F and inside the dryer was close to the same.

The first time I took the dryer apart, I found a screw laying in the bottom of the dryer. This was a screw that must have been in my pocket and somehow made it out of the drum. There is a possibility it had gotten jammed someplace and that is what caused the loud noise, or maybe not.

What might cause it to not completely dry clothes when it was working fine a few days ago? The lint trap is clean, the exhaust hose is clean, and I vacuumed the inside of the dryer. I'm guessing there is a temperature sensor.

ETA: I see there is a moisture sensor but I can't tell what happens when it fails. It appears when it fails it doesn't sense the clothes is dry and continues to run.
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Did you use a rigid hose or one of those springy coiled wire plastic hoses?

Is it level? Did you knock something off balance?
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Does it have good air flow? If the air flow is reduced the thermal controls will (should) keep the unit from overheating. If the fan housing is thin fiber it may have collapsed a bit and is hitting the fan. If the thumping is fast paced I'd check that fan for any rubbing. There is a soft, flat seal, usually a felted material around the cabinet and door seal. Make sure it's not damaged. There might also be a weight-metal strapped in the bottom of the cabinet. Make sure it's still tight and can't shift.
There's a chance you might have dislodged a piece of hard lint or debris that fell into the fan. That's a long shot, but it could happen. I once fixed a dryer that wasn't drying well by removing a Starling's nest from the exhaust, so it could be nest debris that fell inside the fan.
You're sure the belt is running flat on the drum, the drive pulley and the idler pulley? Some idler pulleys have weird ways of being attached so make sure the idler mount is solid and not moving.
That's about all I can think of right now.
PS. There is one other thing to check. Make sure all four of the levelers are all tight on the floor. If one is light it can let the unit exaggerate any bouncing.
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I would start by check the piping to the outside for an obstruction.
Does it have good air flow?
Did you use a rigid hose or one of those springy coiled wire plastic hoses?

Is it level? Did you knock something off balance?
I would start by check the piping to the outside for an obstruction.
It may have been the hose. I replaced a 4' hose that was too short with an 8' hose that was too long, so I cut about 2" off. Dried some sheets and they dried OK, but I noticed several fluctuations in temperature, the blower seemed to fluctuate in strength, and it didn't seem the dryer was going to stop on its own.

I managed to damage the front panel clips, so until I get replacements (hopefully tomorrow), this project is on hold.
I agree maybe the vent hose. But also make sure it's level, moving it a few feet in my house would probably mess up the leveling on it because my floors aren't totally level.
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Check or replace the thermostat.
I had problems with leveling in my basement. Our solution was to set the dryer up on cinderblocks then level it. The floor is a bit wavy and bumping the dryer just an inch messed up the level.

Newer dryers have a warning that their warranty is void if you use one of those plastic Slinky spring type vent hoses. It took longer to install the rigid vent than it did to set up the dryer.

One more thought, did you clean out the vent exhaust? If that is plugged the dryer won't dry properly.
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What might cause it to not completely dry clothes when it was working fine a few days ago? The lint trap is clean, the exhaust hose is clean, and I vacuumed the inside of the dryer. I'm guessing there is a temperature sensor.
As Danaus said, check your hose, tube and the vent coming out of the house for lint clogging. I know you said they were clean, but double check. You might be surprised.

Also, your dryer should have adjustable feet on each corner. They screw either up or down depending on what is needed. You might not be able to rock your dryer noticeably, but it doesn't take much.
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The vent goes directly through the exterior wall of the house, so there is only about 8" of exhaust pipe plus a brand new exhaust hose. It is clear and I can feel the hot air blowing out the exhaust outside. The dryer is level and there is no shaking when the dryer is running.
The vent goes directly through the exterior wall of the house, so there is only about 8" of exhaust pipe plus a brand new exhaust hose. It is clear and I can feel the hot air blowing out the exhaust outside. The dryer is level and there is no shaking when the dryer is running.
When you put the new belt on is it tracking the same as before? Did you install it the correct side to the drum?
Are you using the timed setting or the moisture sensor setting? Your sensor could have gone bad, as a coincidence to the banging.
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Are you using the timed setting or the moisture sensor setting? Your sensor could have gone bad, as a coincidence to the banging.
That's what that is? Now I know why sometimes the almost dry item is not totally dry.
I know several people who had a moisture sensor go out on their dryer. The dryer runs but doesn't get as hot and the clothes are still damp.
How old is the dryer? If moving it a few feet caused this much of a problem, I would get rid of it before it burns the house down.
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Dryer is working fine. I think the initial noise problem was caused by the wood screw that must have caused the tub to not rotate normally. I think just taking the tub out and putting it back in solved the problem. All the parts I replaced didn't appear defective, except for the 2 front clips which wouldn't have caused the noise.

The heating problem was because the hose was too long and had too many bends in it. I shortened it by cutting about 20" off and then compressed it to minimum length after it was installed. I ran 2 batches through the dryer this morning, one timed and the other using the moisture sensor. Both were thoroughly dry.

One thing I did learn about my dryer is if I use the moisture sensing cycle on low heat, it won't completely dry heavy clothes like sweat pants or large bath towels, but on high heat it does.
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I'm glad you figured it out.
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