Dishonerable dryer too hot. Vent not plugged. - The Laundry Appliance Repair Forum - Do-It-Yourself Appliance Repair Help - ApplianceGuru.com: The Samurai Appliance Repair Forums

ApplianceGuru.com: The Samurai Appliance Repair Forums Home

ApplianceGuru.com: The Samurai Appliance Repair Forums > Do-It-Yourself Appliance Repair Help > The Laundry Appliance Repair Forum > Dishonerable dryer too hot. Vent not plugged.

Find Appliance Parts & Diagrams Here

Enter a model number, part number, type of appliance, brand, or even a part description.

365-day return policy on all parts ordered through this site!

Moderated by: RegUS_PatOff, BrntToast, appl.tech.29501

Search Our Sites for More Info!

Page: 1 2

New Topic

Printer Friendly

Dishonerable dryer too hot. Vent not plugged.

Rate Topic

Author	Post

Posted: Sun Jul 17th, 2005 07:23 pm

Quote

1^st Post

TL
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sun Jul 17th, 2005
Location:	Seattle, USA
Posts:	17
Flavorite Brew:	Alaskan Amber.
Status:	Offline

Disobediant wife shrinks clothes. This is good when it is her clothes, but not good when it is my clothes. On threat of violence, wife now cleans lint filter regularly. Clothes still get small. Not good.

Six months go by. Wife goes on vacation and I must wash my own clothes. Now I decide to fix dryer!

I am not a samurai, but I am an engineer. I design airplanes: I should not fear a dryer!

I check duct. It is short and has only one bend. No lint in duct. I take apart dryer and find temp selector. I check against schematic inside dryer: should be, High> 10k ohms, Med = 6200 ohms, Low = 0 ohms. But low is > 10k ohms, also. I buy new temp switch, test good. But dishonerable dryer still dishonerably hot.

I take out operating (cycling) thermostat, and test with hair dryer. It switches off and on. I check thermostat heater, and it is good. I take out timer switch, test against confusing schematic. Seems good as well.

But dryer still dishonerably hot, EVEN IN FLUFF MODE. This engineer can read jet airplane schematics, and house wiring schematics, but Whirlpool has defeated me. I humbly seek guidance from the masters.

-TL

Quote

Posted: Sun Jul 17th, 2005 08:28 pm

Quote

2^nd Post

nickfixit
Fellow, Academy of Sublime Masters of Appliantology

Joined:	Tue Apr 26th, 2005
Location:	Luna Pier, USA
Posts:	1520
Flavorite Brew:	Samuel Adams
Status:	Offline

Gas or electric?

Replace the operating thermostat, it may be working outside it's designed temp range.

If it's electric, make sure the element isn't grounded out inside it's case.

Nick

____________________
" Giving numerical data to Sears management is like giving a monkey a machine gun. No one knows for certain what will happen, but you can be sure of two things... It will be real messy, and only the monkey will be unharmed"

Quote

Posted: Sun Jul 17th, 2005 09:09 pm

Quote

3^rd Post

TL
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sun Jul 17th, 2005
Location:	Seattle, USA
Posts:	17
Flavorite Brew:	Alaskan Amber.
Status:	Offline

Good idea!
I will check, but according to the schematic, one end of the heater is connected to ground through the motor switch. In other words, shorting to ground shouldn't do anything.

On the other hand, I'm not sure how much I trust the schematic that came with the dryer...

So far, I've been trouble-shooting by continuity, not voltage. I think I'm going to have to open this thing up with live 220v and poke around. If you hear sirens, my test probe shorted across two contacts.

-TL

Quote

Posted: Sun Jul 17th, 2005 10:12 pm

Quote

4^th Post

Pegi
Fellow, Academy of Sublime Masters of Appliantology

Joined:	Tue May 3rd, 2005
Location:	Wichita Falls, Texas USA
Posts:	13120
Flavorite Brew:	Sweet Iced Tea
Status:	Offline

The heating element is inside of a metal canister, if the element coil is touching this canister or the bracket it is strung in, the element would be grounded and would never shut off, even in air fluff as long as the timer was turned on and the dryer plugged in. You would be feeding 240 volts thru the whole dryer at all times, including the case as every safety in the dryer would be by-passed.....every thing in this dryer is 115 volts except for the heating element. Something has your heat circuit grounded, suspect the element first... Cute Doggie!!

____________________
To ask a question, use our new forums==> http://appliantology.org

365-Day No-Hassle Return Policy at RepairClinic!

Quote

Posted: Mon Jul 18th, 2005 07:46 am

Quote

5^th Post

TL
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sun Jul 17th, 2005
Location:	Seattle, USA
Posts:	17
Flavorite Brew:	Alaskan Amber.
Status:	Offline

Well, I've attached the alleged schematic I found inside the dryer. At first (thinking 110v) I thought that a shorted element couldn't generate any heat, because you would just connect the short to neutral.

But this is 220v, so connecting the short to neutral gets 110v whenever the timer is on! Ah! I see said the blind man, and he picked up his hammer and saw!

I will test for this ASAP. Danke!

And the dog pic is from a Basset rescue site. I used it because I live in Woodinville, WA, which has an annual Basset hound parade every April Fools day.

-TL

Attachment: alleged schematic.jpg (Downloaded 40 times)

Quote

Posted: Fri Jul 29th, 2005 07:33 am

Quote

6^th Post

TL
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sun Jul 17th, 2005
Location:	Seattle, USA
Posts:	17
Flavorite Brew:	Alaskan Amber.
Status:	Offline

Took a few days to get around to this, but it worked!

I took the heater apart and found one of the ceramic insulators had pivoted, allowing the coils to touch one of the supporting metals parts. I twisted the insulator straight, bent the tabs around the insulator to prevent it from rotating back, and ta-dah! Everything works! THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HELP!

Not too thrilled with the design tho. It seems to be poor design practice to have a circuit where a sagging heater coil can defeat all the safety devices preventing the heater coil from overheating. As a child, I was taught to never leave the house with an appliance running, and this certainly reinforces that advice. If we made jetliners like this, no one would fly. Of course, dryers don't cost $35 million & up, either.

-TL

Quote

Posted: Fri Jul 29th, 2005 07:40 am

Quote

7^th Post

exsearsguy

Joined:	Wed Apr 27th, 2005
Location:	Manchester, Tennessee USA
Posts:	314
Flavorite Brew:
Status:	Offline

I would strongly suggest you change this element. If it did this it will almost surely do it again. For safety's sake, DO IT.

Quote

Posted: Sun Apr 8th, 2007 06:16 pm

Quote

8^th Post

TL
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sun Jul 17th, 2005
Location:	Seattle, USA
Posts:	17
Flavorite Brew:	Alaskan Amber.
Status:	Offline

exsearsguy wrote: I would strongly suggest you change this element. If it did this it will almost surely do it again. For safety's sake, DO IT.
I did replace it.

And the dryer is again dishonerable! ARRGH!

I had the heater sitting on the shelf for almost half a year before I got around to installing it. After all, everything was working, right?

So I put the new heater in about a year ago and now the annoying wife* says the dryer has been overheating for months! We have new little 6 month old samurai. He keeps getter bigger - we don't need his clothes getting smaller!

Last month the washing machine drive coupler wore out, which was a quick fix. But this dryer thing is making me look bad. Wife actually wants me to call "real repairman" or buy new dryer.

Suggestions?
-TL

*Of course, wife might be annoying because yesterday morning a little old man backed broadside into her brand new Subaru (3 weeks old and 750 miles on the odometer). Crunch! It's my fault because I was sitting behind the wheel when he hit the car. And because I'm male.

Quote

Posted: Sun Apr 8th, 2007 07:08 pm

Quote

9^th Post

TL
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sun Jul 17th, 2005
Location:	Seattle, USA
Posts:	17
Flavorite Brew:	Alaskan Amber.
Status:	Offline

Quote

Posted: Sun Apr 8th, 2007 09:41 pm

Quote

10^th Post

AccApp
Fellow, Academy of Sublime Masters of Appliantology

Joined:	Sat Jun 3rd, 2006
Location:	Eatontown, New Jersey USA
Posts:	1788
Flavorite Brew:	Hoegaarden
Status:	Offline

Can we get a model number please?

____________________
"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

http://www.fixitnow.com/beerfund.htm

Quote

Posted: Sun Apr 8th, 2007 09:55 pm

Quote

11^th Post

KurtiusInterupptus

Joined:	Fri Jan 12th, 2007
Location:	Hickory, North Carolina USA
Posts:	459
Flavorite Brew:	Bud and free
Status:	Offline

LER7646EQ0 - I found this by dumb luck AccApp - he had penciled it in on the previous attached schematic...engineers!

____________________
As every cockroach knows , thriving on poisons is the secret of success.

Quote

Posted: Mon Apr 9th, 2007 01:13 am

Quote

12^th Post

AccApp
Fellow, Academy of Sublime Masters of Appliantology

Joined:	Sat Jun 3rd, 2006
Location:	Eatontown, New Jersey USA
Posts:	1788
Flavorite Brew:	Hoegaarden
Status:	Offline

I would first check the resistance of the thermostat heater, the two violet wires go into it. Wouldn't hurt to check the temp selector switch. Oh, who am I kidding?! I would just replace the operating thermostat.

____________________
"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

http://www.fixitnow.com/beerfund.htm

Quote

Posted: Mon Apr 9th, 2007 01:45 am

Quote

13^th Post

TL
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sun Jul 17th, 2005
Location:	Seattle, USA
Posts:	17
Flavorite Brew:	Alaskan Amber.
Status:	Offline

AccApp wrote: I would first check the resistance of the thermostat heater, the two violet wires go into it. Wouldn't hurt to check the temp selector switch. Oh, who am I kidding?! I would just replace the operating thermostat.
Thermostat heater = 6.9 k ohm. Just checked that. It's within the permitted range.

I'll buy or order one tomorrow.

And KurtiusInterupptis: For why the "engineers!" comment? You wouldn't have any applicances to fix if there weren't any engineers to design them wrong.

-TL

Quote

Posted: Mon Apr 9th, 2007 02:33 am

Quote

14^th Post

AccApp
Fellow, Academy of Sublime Masters of Appliantology

Joined:	Sat Jun 3rd, 2006
Location:	Eatontown, New Jersey USA
Posts:	1788
Flavorite Brew:	Hoegaarden
Status:	Offline

Did you check the temp selector switch?

____________________
"When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

http://www.fixitnow.com/beerfund.htm

Quote

Posted: Mon Apr 9th, 2007 03:42 am

Quote

15^th Post

TL
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sun Jul 17th, 2005
Location:	Seattle, USA
Posts:	17
Flavorite Brew:	Alaskan Amber.
Status:	Offline

The temp selector is brand new!
After all, I replaced it only 2 years ago.

-TL

Quote

Posted: Thu Apr 12th, 2007 12:47 am

Quote

16^th Post

BrntToast
Fellow, Academy of Sublime Masters of Appliantology

Joined:	Wed Mar 14th, 2007
Location:	Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
Posts:	1088
Flavorite Brew:	MGD
Status:	Offline

you say you cleaned the vent recently, did the cleaning include checking to make sure the flap on the vent hood on the exterior of your home is opening fully, or a plugged screen covering the vent on the outside of the house

____________________
The only stupid question is the one not asked
hope i've been helpfull, if you wish to buy Brnt beer kick here

http://brnttoast.googlepages.com/home

feel free to prvt msg frigidaire questions my way
(i dont log in every day)

Quote

Posted: Fri Apr 13th, 2007 12:21 am

Quote

17^th Post

KurtiusInterupptus

Joined:	Fri Jan 12th, 2007
Location:	Hickory, North Carolina USA
Posts:	459
Flavorite Brew:	Bud and free
Status:	Offline

Whoa there parder... didn't mean to offend yo delicate professional sensibility's - any professional technician who has had the pleasure of servicing in the home of a PE understood and appreciated the humor conveyed in that post. In other words - It's a joke ,so you can retract the claws- please continue to churn out new appliances so I may continue be gainfully employed

____________________
As every cockroach knows , thriving on poisons is the secret of success.

Quote

Posted: Fri Apr 13th, 2007 08:03 am

Quote

18^th Post

ecnailppa
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sat Mar 3rd, 2007
Location:	Indianapolis, Indiana USA
Posts:	14
Flavorite Brew:	corona
Status:	Offline

I know you said you cleaned the vent and all but this sounds like an air flow problem to me, especially with all the measurements on the operating thermostats and timing the elements cycling. You also said something about a young Samurai. Young Samurais have been known to get up in the middle of the night and place their socks into appliances to distract their parents. Most of them go directly to the washer and put socks in the pump, however you seem to have a young samurai with imagination, one who undoubtedly seeks fulfillment on the higher plane of contorted parents.
Since you have been into the back of the dryer (often) you should be familiar with the brownish-black tunnel that runs from the top (lint trap) down to the blower. You may as well remove this and inspect it for missing socks or other possible blockage. There are about 4 screws attaching it to the blower housing and 2 at the top where the lint trap lid is. Look down inside the blower housing as well, sometimes there is an abundance of lint that can build up there, especially if the lint screen has pealed lint off before it came out for cleaning.

____________________
Joe
Starr Appliance
1521 N. Emerson Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46219

Quote

Posted: Fri Apr 13th, 2007 09:57 am

Quote

19^th Post

Trying to help
Fellow, Academy of Sublime Masters of Appliantology

Joined:	Fri Oct 21st, 2005
Location:	Georgia USA
Posts:	2390
Flavorite Brew:	Moosehead,Bud,Bombay Sapphire
Status:	Offline

Oh, and when the dryer is set to "Low Delicate Medium Rare" the heater coil visibly cycles roughly every 55 seconds. The temp (measured with a very reliable $1.99 oven thermometer), is ~150 deg F.

When the dryer is set to "High Heavy Flame Broil", I watched the heater until I got bored and started to drift off, nearly drooling into the 220V circuit. It took a whole 85 seconds ( 1:25 ). Oven thermometer reads ~175 deg F.
We are looking for average temps, not high points. The difference on many dryers between Regular and Low can be a difference of as low as 10-12 degrees and be considered normal on a properly vented unit. If you are averaging 155-160 ish on regular, and a lower temp then that on Medium and a lower temp then that on low, your are probably within specs. Delicate is not just a breath of warm air. It usually will have an average of 135-145 depending on make and model. Some units will offer a ultra care selection which might go as low as 120-125 degree average, but this is achieved via a different t-stat, or a thermistor and board combo. I have never seen temps much different from what I have listed on units using a t-stat and bias heater like your system. Problem with the thermometer you purchased is it will probably not react quick enough to accurately show you the temp swing.

____________________
If we saved YOU Beer $$ today, please make a donation to our beer fund by clicking the link below to help keep this site going. I charge $135.95 PLUS PARTS to do this repair!$! http://fixitnow.com/beerfund.htm

Quote

Posted: Sun Apr 15th, 2007 03:34 am

Quote

20^th Post

TL
Senior Apprentice Appliantologist

Joined:	Sun Jul 17th, 2005
Location:	Seattle, USA
Posts:	17
Flavorite Brew:	Alaskan Amber.
Status:	Offline

Trying to help wrote: Oh, and when the dryer is set to "Low Delicate" ...the temp ... is ~150 deg F.

When the dryer is set to "High Heavy Flame Broil"... Oven thermometer reads ~175 deg F.
(1) We are looking for average temps, not high points.
...
(2) If you are averaging 155-160 ish on regular, and a lower temp then that on Medium and a lower temp then that on low, your are probably within specs.

(1) Over thermometers are not known for fast response. I consider the temps shown to be averages.

(2) Ah, but I am getting 150-ish on Low, not regular.

Voltage to the bias heater is 0 on high, ~67 Vac on Med, and ~115 on High. So the temp selector is good.

But check this out: this thermostat is stamped "150F - 25". Which implies to me that it is 150 degs with the bias heater OFF, and roughly 25 deg F cooler with the bias heater ON.
I'm getting 150 deg F with the bias heater ON, and roughly 175 deg F with it off.

So I did some pondering. Since everything generally flows from a single root failure, I figure the order of events was:

3 years ago the temp selector failed so that the heater always ran on high.
After a year of that, the heater wires sagged a little and shorted to the case and now it was on high even on fluff mode.
So I replaced the temp selector (verified bad) and fixed the heater (verified bad) which I eventually relaced on the advice of "Sublime Master" exsearsguy.
So now I'm wondering if maybe around the same time, the bimetallic thingy in the thermostat got permanently bent from the overheating, and now it reads wrong.

Counterindications to this theory: The dryer worked for about a year after I replaced the temp selector and bent the heater wires back into the right shape. But even master AccApp suggested changing the cycling thermostat, so I did.

No change. Verra mysterious.

-TL

Quote

Current time is 05:48 am	Page: 1 2
ApplianceGuru.com: The Samurai Appliance Repair Forums > Do-It-Yourself Appliance Repair Help > The Laundry Appliance Repair Forum > Dishonerable dryer too hot. Vent not plugged.	Top

Find Appliance Parts & Diagrams Here

Enter a model number, part number, type of appliance, brand, or even a part description.

365-day return policy on all parts ordered through this site!

Your Sometimes-Lucid Host:

"If I can't help you fix your appliance and make you 100% satisfied, I will come to your home and slice open my belly, spilling my steaming entrails onto your floor."