Fixing a Dryer

As my beloved mentioned in an earlier post, I was indeed up until 2:30am the other morning diagnosing the dryer’s problem. [My wife's words were all too kind. I am undeserving of such a loving spouse]. No sooner had she told me the clothes dryer wasn’t working, I instantly responded “Call a repairman.” This is totally unlike me and even caught Sharon off guard. Normally I’d at least try to find out what the problem is before bringing in the calvary. My fear was that I assumed it would have something to do with electricity, and still not having found a solution for my scooter’s electrical woes I didn’t want to have anything to do with that appliance. However, my wonderful spouse gave me the reassurance I needed to at least try.

It turns out the dryer is probably one of the simplest home appliances you can fix. Probably the most common problem that occurs with a dryer is that it still runs but there’s no heat. I gathered quite a bit of information from a few sites (namely here and here) so I compiled the steps I followed here for anyone’s future need:

1. Check your service panel. See if the circuit breaker for the dryer has been tripped. A dryer typically runs on 240 volts so it’ll be operating on a dual-breaker. Make sure both are positioned on. It was suggested flipping them both on and off a few times to make sure they’re reset. The dryer’s motor can run on only 1 circuit, but the heating element requires both.
2. Check your receptacle. If both circuit-breakers are on check that you are in fact getting 240 volts at the outlet. At this point, I highly recommend getting a multimeter, particularly one with a beeping continuity tester. This is a handy inexpensive device you can get at Fry’s or Radio Shack. If you’re only getting 120 volts at the receptacle you probably have a faulty breaker.
3. Check the air flow. Turn the dryer on to a setting without heat and head outside to the vent. Make sure there is good airflow. If not, the dryer may in fact be able to produce heat but there’s no where to move it. This could cause a fire. Clean out the exhaust vents immediately. You should do this anyway while you’re at it.
4. Test electrical components. Now comes the fun stuff. Unplug the dryer. You’ll need to locate, disconnect, and test a few items for continuity using your multimeter. This page pretty much lists all the potential culprits. I suggest try locating a parts diagram for your dryer. Luckily Sears Parts Direct had mine online which made locating and testing the components a snap. You can also test a part by bypassing it and see if the dryer heats up. If it does, do not continue operating it with the bypass.
5. Once you find the defective part, get the part number from your diagram, open your Yellow Pages to “Appliances – Parts and Service” and start calling around. You’ll save a few bucks on shipping if you can find the part locally.
6. Replace your part and run the dryer for a few minutes without any load.

In our case it was the thermal cut-off. The continuity test failed and sure enough the heating element lit up when the cut-off was bypassed. I found the part (also packaged with a new thermostat) for $25 at Appliance Associates. Who knows how much I saved by not calling the repairman. Good thing my wife still has faith in me.