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Appliance Tip of the Week...
Dryer Heating Poorly
A tip on what to look for with a poor heating dryer....
Poor air flow is a very common trouble maker for slow to dry or poor heat complaints. Just sticking your hand under the vent hood and saying "I feel air" is not enough. Always check/change/shorten the venting and vent hood first, then check air flow in your dryer. The dryer is full of air vents and ducts that must be cleaned/checked as well. They could be in the door, on the back of the inside of the drum. A loose or clogged fan blower can also effect air flow. Poor/loose/worn drum seals will stop proper air flow as well.
I was on a service call and found this problem...even after I suggested the customer check the venting/dryer air ducts/lint filter before we look at the dryer. "Everything is good" is what they told me..... guess again.....this is what I found.....
Not much air flow through that grill. Looks to be approx 1/2 plugged :-(
Noisy Dryer
My dryer is making a noise, should I fix it now? Or can I put this off until it "really" breaks?
I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard this!!
I went on a service call and found an extreme case of "putting it off" until it "really" breaks.
The front glides where worn out on this dryer, the customer kept using the dryer. The drum started to wear into the support for the front glides, the customer kept on using the dryer. The drum started to grind through the front of the dryer, the drum actually ground a hole into the door and once the drum dropped enough, it actually ground a hole in the side of the cabinet.
At what point do you think..."I may have a problem"?...the screeching noises, the fact the drum is falling out of the front of the dryer!
Fix the trouble maker when it begins to give you problems...an ounce of prevention can stop a pound of cure.
The customer had to replace this 6 year old dryer because they thought the terrible noises would "go away"
Dryer Lint Filter Tip
We always clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes....or so we thought we did. The appliance tech told us that he wanted to show us something. He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. Now, this thing is like a mesh-I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like - WELL......the hot water just lay on top of the mesh!!! It didn't go through it at all!!! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what can burn out the heating unit or cause longer than normal drying times. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time ( and to keep your electric bill lower ) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush ( or other brush ) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that???!!!! Learn something new everyday!
Note: We went to dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. Sure enough, the water collected in a puddle, nothing went through screen! And this was after I used the vacuum cleaner hose on it! So I turned on the hot water and took a little detergent and a nylon brush and gave it a little scrub I had it done in 30 seconds. I then ran the water over the screen and what a difference the water just gushed through it with no puddle at all and this time!
Dryer Repair and Maintenance Parts
Related Linksjeff sr.
Dryer Heating Poorly
A tip on what to look for with a poor heating dryer....
Poor air flow is a very common trouble maker for slow to dry or poor heat complaints. Just sticking your hand under the vent hood and saying "I feel air" is not enough. Always check/change/shorten the venting and vent hood first, then check air flow in your dryer. The dryer is full of air vents and ducts that must be cleaned/checked as well. They could be in the door, on the back of the inside of the drum. A loose or clogged fan blower can also effect air flow. Poor/loose/worn drum seals will stop proper air flow as well.
I was on a service call and found this problem...even after I suggested the customer check the venting/dryer air ducts/lint filter before we look at the dryer. "Everything is good" is what they told me..... guess again.....this is what I found.....
Not much air flow through that grill. Looks to be approx 1/2 plugged :-(
Noisy Dryer
My dryer is making a noise, should I fix it now? Or can I put this off until it "really" breaks?
I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard this!!
I went on a service call and found an extreme case of "putting it off" until it "really" breaks.
The front glides where worn out on this dryer, the customer kept using the dryer. The drum started to wear into the support for the front glides, the customer kept on using the dryer. The drum started to grind through the front of the dryer, the drum actually ground a hole into the door and once the drum dropped enough, it actually ground a hole in the side of the cabinet.
At what point do you think..."I may have a problem"?...the screeching noises, the fact the drum is falling out of the front of the dryer!
Fix the trouble maker when it begins to give you problems...an ounce of prevention can stop a pound of cure.
The customer had to replace this 6 year old dryer because they thought the terrible noises would "go away"
Dryer Lint Filter Tip
We always clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes....or so we thought we did. The appliance tech told us that he wanted to show us something. He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. Now, this thing is like a mesh-I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like - WELL......the hot water just lay on top of the mesh!!! It didn't go through it at all!!! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what can burn out the heating unit or cause longer than normal drying times. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time ( and to keep your electric bill lower ) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush ( or other brush ) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that???!!!! Learn something new everyday!
Note: We went to dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. Sure enough, the water collected in a puddle, nothing went through screen! And this was after I used the vacuum cleaner hose on it! So I turned on the hot water and took a little detergent and a nylon brush and gave it a little scrub I had it done in 30 seconds. I then ran the water over the screen and what a difference the water just gushed through it with no puddle at all and this time!
Dryer Repair and Maintenance Parts
Related Linksjeff sr.