OT: Clothes Dryer Losing Efficiency

Kajun · Oct 24, 2014

Folks:

Wife says that our electric Whirlpool clothes dryer takes 1/3 more time to dry . Unit is probably 15 years old . It discharges through a metal exhaust pipe below the floor of our raised house . Exhaust pipe was changed six months ago . Do dryers wear and lose efficiency with age ? If so , what is fix or how does one determine if heating correctly. Obliged for any and all help.

Teebogr81 · Oct 24, 2014

Many times the dryer doesn't work as efficiently because the washing machine is not spinning the water out of the clothes as well so they are 'wetter' when they get to the dryer.

Tom in TN · Oct 24, 2014

kajun,

I don't know if dryers lose efficiency as they age, but I have had a couple of dryers over the years that declined in efficiency due to one of the two heating elements burning out.

You might have your wife (or renter if this is in a rental unit) dry one-half of a load at "High" heat and time it. Then, have her dry the other half of the load at "Low" heat and time it. Then compare the two times.

If they are about the same time, you probably have a burned out element.

The other tip about the washing machine failing to spin the clothes as well as they should be spun, is another very good tip,

I recently replaced an old washing machine that I had because it wasn't spinning well and it made a fair-bit of noise on the spin cycle. I probably could have fixed it, but my teenage bride of 52 years wanted a new unit, so that solved the dilemma.

Tom in TN

charlie n · Oct 24, 2014

You cleaned the vent tube lately?

flembo · Oct 24, 2014

Check the vent pipe like Charley n said, I had that happen to ours.

Kajun · Oct 24, 2014

Good guidance men . Thanks

kajun

gtractorfan · Oct 24, 2014

When my wife says the dryer's taking too long I loosen the clamp on the vent hose, pull the dryer from the wall and use an electric leaf blower with rags around the blower spout. Clears lint from the hose pretty good.

just another old geezer · Oct 24, 2014

I had this. What happened in my case is the steel tube in the dryer rusted out. There's a lot of lint to escape into the dryer. It plugged up the entire system inside the dryer. It also got into the heating elements, causing a potentially dangerous situation. This is where I would check first if I were in your shoes.

TomH in PA · Oct 24, 2014

Also check inside the dryer where the vent connects. Ours was blocked before it exited they back of the dryer.

mazemeister · Oct 24, 2014

lint buildup would be my first guess. and probably where you can't get to it without unscrewing the panels and pulling the barrel. the lint trap doesn't get it all.

BAnNC · Oct 24, 2014

There is a stick that will reach into the lint pipe and drag out most of what is blocking it. Sorta like one they have to get hair outta the sink trap. Big box stores have 'em.

UncleTom · Oct 24, 2014

I have had kenmores do the same thing. Long story short the washing machine does not spin fast enough as either the belt is slipping or on some of the older ones the slip clutch slips and doesnt spin at top speed to sling the water out. See if the clothes are extra wet comming out. There was nothing wrong with my dryer.

souNdguy · Oct 24, 2014

i have to fish-clean my lint/exhaust pipe every 6m. at 6m it's near full plugged somewhere, and we can tell when it takes longer to dry clothes..

Texasmark1 · Oct 24, 2014

One more on cleaning/replacing the vent tube. Other than that, pull it out from the wall and take the back off and then clean the lint out of that too. Besides reducing efficiency, air volume, it can be a fire hazard. Cotton does burn as do synthetic fabrics.

Mark

showcrop · Oct 24, 2014

I went to at least two dryer fires while I was on the fire dept. One had started to burn the wall behind it. Mine came apart inside once like TomH said. so I had some cleaning to do.

casenut1 · Oct 24, 2014

Also need to check the thermostat in by the heating element. It will get a fine layer of lint on it then it won't work properly.

jeffcat · Oct 24, 2014

If it is electric you could have a calrod eliment out. Poor connections etc. Gas is pretty simple. Massive fuzz bunnies will do ya in. Check to see if the blower fan is loose on the shaft. I work on the big units in the casino. We had one go up like a volcano two years ago. VERY impressive!!!

Kajun · Oct 25, 2014

Thanks , men . Best internet site on the web IMLTHO.

Kajun

Bret4207 · Oct 25, 2014

Go to You Tube for disassembly instructions and pull it apart. That way you can get to the sheet metal assembly that carries the exhaust air out. When I did mine, while oiling a squeaky roller bearing, I took a huge amount of hardened lint out of the tubing. One of those lint-puller-outer things wouldn't have touched this and the vent hoe out the back was clean as a whistle.

supergrumpy · Oct 25, 2014

thanks for the tip

just pulled mine apart and found a 2 handful sized wad of nasty looking lint down next to blower fan

Jim in LA · Oct 25, 2014

Check heating elements, lint stoppage, also check your lint filter. Fabric softener sheets can cause a buildup on the screen, you can see and feel it. Clean it by soaking it in the sink and scrubbing it with a bristle brush and dishwashing detergent.

Texasmark1 · Oct 26, 2014

Great

OT: Clothes Dryer Losing Efficiency

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