Basic repairs of a clothes dryer focus primarily on improving air flow.
A clothes dryer is simply a machine that circulates heated air through your wet clothes in a process that evaporates the moisture. Problems that arise from this process often deal with inadequate air flow as well as faulty sealing around the various parts of the dryer. Just about anyone can easily repair these problems. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Pull out the lint screen and inspect it for a buildup of lint particles. A dryer that is suddenly taking too long to dry clothes is often the result of a buildup of lint that serves to clog proper air flow.
2. Inspect the air ducts if the lint screen is clean. Use a vacuum to suck up lint from the ducts. Check for any vent ducts that have a turn of 90 degrees or more. A bend in the vent duct can trap both water and lint and result in an inefficient drying process. Straighten out the vent ducts so that you can create a completely straight pathway as much as possible.
3. Inspect the door sealing for signs of damage, cracking or looseness. Pry off the old seal and remove the adhesive left behind with mineral spirits. Apply a new replacement seal around the door and press it with a putty knife. Use special heat-resistant RTV silicone adhesive that is usually sold with the seal to adhere it to the surface.
4. Remove the front door of the dryer. Squeeze the catch using a pair of needle-nose pliers. Use the pliers to remove any tabs that might be attached. Push the catch free and remove the strike by squeezing it and pulling it out. Replace with a new door catch and reassemble.
5. Use a VOM (volt-ohm-milliammeter) set on RX1 to test the door switch. Disconnect the leads and touch the probe to the terminals. Look for a reading of zero when the door is closed and infinity when the door is open. Look for reverse readings on the light terminals if the switch is wired to a light.
6. Remove the screws holding a defective door switch in place. Lift the switch out from the dryer. If you have trouble, use a screwdriver to pry out the switch. Replace the defective switch with an exact matching duplicate and reassemble.
7. Adjust the air shutter on a gas-powered dryer. Look at the burner flame to determine if it is getting too much or too little air. A yellow flame indicates too little air, while a flame making a roaring sound indicates too much air. Loosen the thumbscrew located on the air shutter and rotate the shutter until the flame is burning properly. Get the flame to burn light blue while making no sound. Retighten the setscrew.
Tags: buildup lint, clothes dryer, door switch, ducts that, lint screen, vent ducts, vent ducts that