Electric Dryer Taking Too Long

[ricktate]

You never said how old this dryer is I dont think. I have rebuilt these a lot and I think your problem is drum seals. The seals go bad and the air is sucked in around the drum instead of through the heating element. The  seals are pretty cheap and easy to replace, I kept one old whirlpool dryer going for over 18 years. The only reason to replace one is when motor goes out then its to costly to fix. 

Another reason is the bearings the drum rides on will slow the drum down so much the fan has no power to suck air. But I think you said it blows out the hose good. Which is even more reason to look at those seals. When seals go bad a lot more air pressure goes out the exhaust hose because of the air is bypassing the filter and heater. 

[Coytee]

14 hours ago, oldtimer said:

Hang jeans to dry.  

Fix your dryer for sheets and towels.  Hang the rest.  Your clothes will last decades that way.

 

We now understand your style issues Mr. 70's man..... 

 

(I've not read to end of thread yet so perhaps this has been addressed)

 

Seems to me you need heat & air flow so it has to be related to one or both.  On air flow, you checked out going through roof....  you checked filter going in BUT, the air has to get TO the filter.  The air has to get there from somewhere....  underneith, from the back....  it has to get to the filter.  Did you check it all the way to where it comes into the dryer?

[Coytee]

12 hours ago, oldtimer said:

Throw a wet cat in there and see if it dries.

 

Back in the 70's, people thought washing & drying their cat was cool....  it was so 70's and now we're seeing a theme, Mr. 70's man.

 

 

[Coytee]

3 hours ago, codewritinfool said:

 

Well, when you start with hot water...

 

 

 Noticed it to, but it's a very common mistake people make....  heating their hot water that is. 

[CECAA850]

9 hours ago, Jeff Matthews said:

You mean the breaker could be tripped?  I thought the 220 breakers had a clip to keep both sides closed or open.

Many do.  Worth a look though.

[Coytee]

Seems to me if the breaker is tripped, the whole unit would be dead.  The dryer (unless there's something here that I'm clueless about (not that this has ever happened))

anyway, the dryer has the single 220v plug so if he's working he's got power.

 

He's right in that his breaker SHOULD be bonded so you have one "flipper" controlling both halves (but I suppose someone could have jobbed him when it was put together however, I would have thought the electrical inspector would have caught it)

 

As I reflect:

 

1.  It's rotating so it's got power

2.  It's hot so it should be heating (I'm presuming the element is working correctly at this point)

3.  I'd focus on air movement first as everything else seems to be ruled out.

 

 

[Shiva]

I read that the dryer puts out heat,  but not if the heat seems diminished from how it functioned prior. Is that the case?   Just for fun and  to think outside the box a bit, perhaps the spin cycle on the washer shuts off prematurely and the clothes are going in twice as wet, 😀taking twice as long.

  Towels definitely prolong a dryers workload,  because of that,  I like to take the towels and hang them off my deck and let the sun dry them.  ☀️ 

[dtel]

3 hours ago, Coytee said:

Seems to me if the breaker is tripped, the whole unit would be dead.  The dryer (unless there's something here that I'm clueless about (not that this has ever happened))

anyway, the dryer has the single 220v plug so if he's working he's got power.

 

He's right in that his breaker SHOULD be bonded so you have one "flipper" controlling both halves (but I suppose someone could have jobbed him when it was put together however, I would have thought the electrical inspector would have caught it)

 

As I reflect:

 

1.  It's rotating so it's got power

2.  It's hot so it should be heating (I'm presuming the element is working correctly at this point)

3.  I'd focus on air movement first as everything else seems to be ruled out.

 

 

It is possible that only half a 220 breaker can trip, usually don't but it can happen. One can trip but not drag the other leg enough to trip it, I have had that happen before, it's not normal but it can happen.

[OO1]

8 hours ago, ssh said:

 it knocked him 10-12 feet in the air.

SSH

wow , lucky  -man

[Jeff Matthews]

The breaker is good.  

 

I checked the felt seals.  Really, they look pretty good.  I turned the drum all the way around and inspected the fit of both front and back felt.  I see nothing which looks all that bad.  Also, the drum turns quietly when the dryer operates.  No clanging, scraping, etc.

 

Notice all the lint sitting toward the front of the dryer (in the top of the pic.).  I don't know if this is normal or not over a period of say 10 years.  

 

 

 

 

 

[CECAA850]

Did you take a meter and check to see if you had 120 on each leg at the receptacle?

[JJkizak]

Well you know now that yo have exhausted all of the possibilities  so extreme logic says if it is broke to buy a new one.

JJK

[babadono]

^ using this logic we would all be listening to Bose speakers and speaking German

[babadono]

By no means am I an appliance tech....but silly question ...does this electric dryer have a neutral connection? Or just two hots and ground?

[dtel]

Usually two hots and a ground, which is kind of deceiving since the grounds and neutrals are connected in the breaker box. 

 

.

[Could sound better]

11 hours ago, dtel said:

They say a simple little thing like the pop off valve on a hot water heater tank can fail and send the tank through the roof like a rocket. If the heater fails the valve is to let the pressure off if it does not you don't want to be around. 

 

Water heaters are the safest appliance in the house, they have a thermostat, a circuit interrupt at the control called an energy cut out, or eco, and a temperature/ pressure relief valve. Bad things happen when people plug the temp/ pressure valve when its starts dripping water.  A failure of all 3 safeties can create a rocket. But this is rare.

[Could sound better]

2 hours ago, Jeff Matthews said:

The breaker is good.  

 

I checked the felt seals.  Really, they look pretty good.  I turned the drum all the way around and inspected the fit of both front and back felt.  I see nothing which looks all that bad.  Also, the drum turns quietly when the dryer operates.  No clanging, scraping, etc.

 

Notice all the lint sitting toward the front of the dryer (in the top of the pic.).  I don't know if this is normal or not over a period of say 10 years.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The amount of lint I see in this picture is a concern. Could it be the delicates/ normal setting knobs or buttons have failed?

[dtel]

2 hours ago, Could sound better said:

Bad things happen when people plug the temp/ pressure valve when its starts dripping water.

Well when you do stupid things you get bad results. Your right there normally safe, if the pop off valve works and the line is not plugged. Had to change only one pop off valve in my life, came home and the garden was steaming from the valve leaving off steam. A few days earlier a brother in law said what is this as he flipped the valve, guess it didn't close back completely.

 

.replace the dryer

[OO1]

5 hours ago, Jeff Matthews said:

The breaker is good. 

 

Notice all the lint sitting toward the front of the dryer (in the top of the pic.).  I don't know if this is normal or not over a period of say 10 years. 

vaccum all the lint in the front  and open up the back  cover of the dryer  ,  and do the same --then remove the lint reservoir  behind the  blower wheel  ---it must be packed , jammed full of lint  

[Jeff Matthews]

I posted at the appliance forum mentioned by Carl and will let you guys know what I find out.