Common dryer problems and how to fix them yourself
Dryers are a time-saving appliance that gives us the comforting feeling of dry and warm clothes, and it’s especially necessary when the weather is cold. The winter months make air drying clothes almost impossible and having your dryer act up can surely be a headache. So, here are some easy fixes for your most common dryer problems.
The dryer is not fully drying your clothes
It can be so annoying to get back to damp clothes after a dryer cycle has run. Sometimes these can be due to overloading the dryer or wetter than normal clothes. But if you have this as a recurring problem there are other things you can check out.
You should probably be doing this every six months or so.
Your duct could be clogged or damaged
This prevents the hot air flow and causes the dryer to work at less capacity. Clean out your dryer duct for more airflow, plus it also helps prevent fires and bad smells
Or there could be a heating element broken or damaged
Heating elements are responsible for fully drying your clothes and can become less effective over time. The good news is, you can easily change them yourself.
What do you need to do?
- Check your appliance manual and identify where the heating elements are, usually, they are behind the back panel
- Write down the parts you need and order genuine replacement parts
- Once you get the heating element replacement, turn off the dryer, unplug the appliance, and replace the piece
- Try your dryer cycle again
- Make sure you also clean your filter and compartment where the heating element is
A drum that doesn’t spin
The spinning action of your drum is what ensures an even dry load every cycle, when the drums don’t spin clothes can’t dry properly.
There could be an object in the way of the drum
The first thing you need to do is check the inside of the dryer drum for any object that could be preventing it from spinning. Something could have come loose from your clothes and affected the drum.
Clear and remove any debris or blockage to the drum.
Your drum belt could need a replacement
Drum belts are what’s responsible for the drum spinning easily and with use they can become deteriorated and stop working.
It can be easy repairs depending on your level of comfort with DIY work. But you can always call Maydone experts to repair your dryer for you.
How to replace a dryer drum belt?
- Always start by unplugging the appliance.
- Remove the rear panel of the dryer, and find the old belt to check to see if it looks workable. If you need to replace it, get your model down and order one from the hardware store.
- To replace the belt you need to take careful notice of how the old belt is placed, we recommend taking pictures and videos for reference.
- Place the new drum belt in the same way the old one was.
- Try a new cycle
If the new belt doesn’t fix the drum issue you could be looking at a problem with the motor or idler pulley.
Your dryer is very loud
Some noise is acceptable with this appliance, after all, we are dealing with wet clothes and a spinning drum. However, there are things you can do to prevent a disrupting noise from coming from your dryer.
What can cause a loud dryer and how to fix it?
- If the noise you are hearing is squeaky → It’s your drum bearings, check for loose parts or whether you need to fully replace them
- If the noise you are hearing is a thumping noise → That could be the rubbers on the drum roll, clean and check them for replacement
- If the noise you are hearing is a metal scrapping metal → That’s probably your dryer’s gliders, you can use a mat under them or replace them with newer ones