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Whirlpool Electric Dryer Problem

Hello,

I have an electric dryer that is about 7 years old. I'm a beginner and no nothing about repairs or problems, but I did a little research online.

Here is the problem:

  1. Dryer starts and runs fine for 15 minutes then shuts down (probably a safety mechanism)..

  1. If I wait 30-60 minutes the dryer will startup on it's own again (if it still had time left for drying)

  2. There is an electrical/rubber burning type smell coming from the dryer.

Here is what's been done:

I had a friend take the dryer apart and oil the motor parts that needed it. This worked for about 1 month and now it's doing the same thing. He also cleaned out the lint in the dryer.

Here's what I think is the problem and I just want some confirmation:

The dryer motor is heating up because the bearings are bad. This caused the safety to kick in and the machine to stop. Once the motor cools down, it will then restart and continue heating. It appears to be a bad motor that needs to be replaced. The motor cost $100.00 - the friend will install it for $20.00 and the dryer cost $350.00 brand new.

Two Questions:

Does it sound like the motor?

Should I repair or just replace the dryer (I don't have a lot of money but also do not want to repair it again in another 6 months because of a another problem)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Hoopster

Reply to
Hoopster
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Den Tue, 12 Jul 2005 19:03:52 -0700. skrev Hoopster:

Hi

Perhaps a thermal fuse.

The thermal fuse had cooled down.

Indicates that heater element is ok.

Not nessecarily. Are you able to spin the motor by hand? If yes it's likely to be ok.

My bet is on restricted airflow. Are you 200% shure that all filters are ok?

What happens if you tests it without filters?

Any sharp bends to airhoses? Any birds nest in the air outlet?

How is the fan driven? A loose fan belt? How are the bearings in the fan?

Happy hunting.

--
Med venlig hilsen

Christian Treldal
Reply to
Christian Treldal

Make sure you fully clean out the exhaust vent. This includes the chambers inside the dryer as this is where lint will accumulate. On most Whirlpool dryers, you can pop off the front panel at the bottom and remove some screws to open up the entire vent tube. Make sure it is clean in the dryer from the lint filter to the exhaust pipe. Also make sure the vent tube and any vent cover in your home is clear and free of sharp bends. This sounds like a venting issue and the dryer is overheating.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Shuman

Just a thought.... when the dryer shuts down, are you doing anything like unplugging it for cool down, readjusting the timer or anything? I'm wondering "IF" maybe there may be a soft spot in the timer to cause it to shut down, once the timer elapses past that spot, it allows the dryer to come back to life. I've heard of some weird things with timers in the past.

clf

Reply to
clfe

Hello - new problem... The filters and air outlet are fine. The dryer stopped in the middle of drying. I then pushed the start button and just heard a humming sound. Does that sound like the motor?

If it is the motor - can a friend with average dryer knowledge easily repair it? If so, would it be safe to run if he didn't put the right wires back on the new motor?

Reply to
Hoopster

In my experience the motors very rarely fail, though you could remove it and spin it by hand to see if the bearings are ok. If it has a resettable thermal protector, monitor voltage across that when it shuts down and see if it's because that's opened.

Reply to
James Sweet

Are you sure the pigtail connections are tight in the back of the dryer? On my unit, each is held in with a hex screw. They've worked loose after a long while. An intermittent connection on one, would do it. The "hum" could have been the timer or the motor. Try adjusting the timer switch to see if it makes any difference when the machine stops.

Reply to
clfe

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