Dryer repair

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Hall

Hall

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Our clothes dryer recently started acting up and any diagnosis tips are appreciated !

At this point, we can't run it on "normal" (hot) heat setting with full / normal loads. By normal heat, it's got (3) options: Air fluff (no heat at all), Delicate (warm), and Normal (hot). The dryer vent is clear. Years ago (receipt from 2012 is still in the box), I bought a heating element / thermal fuse / thermostat kit and I still have those pieces as well as an extra fuse and extra t-stat. I've replaced both but it still stops. My wife has been drying smaller loads on Delicate but this isn't going to work for long....

Google searches are leaning towards the motor being at fault. The heavier loads + higher heat cause it to overheat and trip. A replacement motor is just under $300... This dryer is in the 15-year old range so I can't complain if it needs replaced. As a last resort, I do have that heating element that I could put in. The symptoms don't suggest the element is to blame though.

Ideas ?
 
My dryer did the same exact thing years ago, when the technician came out to fix it, (warranty) he had to replace the motor.
 
If it gets hot, it's probably not the element. You said higher loads + high heat. Does it work if you run it empty on normal? Is the door contact in good shape or is the door opening a little and opening the contact? I wouldn't put a motor in a 15 year old dryer, I'd buy a new one.
 
We have a almost 8 year old LG set, I took the dryer apart due to a squeaking drum roller and one thing I will say is there was alot of lint and dust inside the dryer, including on the motor. Depending on the design of yours is it possible that the motor is dirty causing it to run hot? There is also a fan for the motor attatched to the motor shaft, maybe yours is similar and If that fan breaks I would think the motor would run hot.

The rollers in ours were getting fairly stiff from hair build up and fuzz. I took it apart cleaned it all and the drum turns much easier now. I should have got an amp reading from the motor before and after but didn't think of it until I was already into it. I probably should have replaced the felt seals, I will get them next time, It was the spur of the moment maintenance event.

There was a new redesigned roller for our dryer availiable, the old rollers are a bushing style, the new style appears to be sealed ball bearing units. I assume the issue I had is not unique. I was able to clean up the old rollers and bushings and they still seemed serviceble, by reusing them it saved about 80 dollars in genuine LG parts. I do believe there were roller kits available much cheaper however they appeared to be the old style bushing rollers.

There is also a plastic idler pulley, it spun freely and was no where near as dirty as the rollers. Depending on the design of your dryer this could be another point of high rolling resistance.

Oddly enough the belt looked brand new, I didn't have a replacement on hand, however I believe it has at least 8 more years in it. Our previous GE dryer needed a belt at the 7 year mark.

Open it up and look, I bet there is excessive drag on the motor.
 
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Hall
Is this a Whirlpool made dryer? I had similar problems with a Whirlpool dryer years ago. It started to become a bottomless pit. It’s probably time to replace it. Spending $300 on a new motor isn’t cost effective.
 
Based on a few other's personal experiences, the motor sounds like the likely culprit. As I said in the OP, I ain't replacing the motor. I may have worded it poorly when I said I can't complain if it needs replaced. I meant the dryer, not the motor.

I'll try and answer some of the questions:
- It runs fine when empty. No noises from the motor, rollers, etc.
- It gets HOT when empty suggesting the element, t-stat, thermal fuse are fine and there's no lint build-up. The vent design is stupid and inefficient but the air flow at the outside exhaust is pretty good. It's not "strong" but it's not weak by any means. If you stick your face in front of it, you will get a face full of warm/hot air and lint. When I say the design is poor, the wall the W&D face is opposite the outside wall. The duct makes a 180º turn (elbow partially outside the drywall, probably into a 2nd elbow, then an 8' horizontal run to the outside).
- The parts websites, like Repairclinic.com, aren't that helpful for the symptoms.
- It's branded Maytag but you could have bought the identical dryer under multiple names. I distinctly remember it came in a Haier box but was "Maytag" everything else ! It's the ADE7000AYW model (I know it by heart).

If I'm not mistaken, the thermal fuse isn't resettable, is it ? Once it cools down, it works again ? I thought it's a one-time fuse. Motor troubleshooting suggests it will shut off when it gets too hot but once it cools down, it will work again. That's what we're seeing.

I refuse to buy fancy, computer-operated appliances if I have the choice. Put it this way, I'll buy a replacement this weekend while my wife is working !!
 
How does the drum roll by hand? It should be fairly easy. I've seen rollers that have locked up and wore themselves flat acting as a sort of friction brake. Perhaps the motor overheating is a symptom rather than the root cause.

I'd say the motor is unlikely to overheat unless a bearing is dry or it's being worked too hard by high rolling resistance of the drum, combine that with a blanket if lint and you will run the motor hot. Most motors have thermal protection, when it cools off it resets and will work again.

I believe the thermal fuse is one and done and mounted on the heating element housing.

My guess is the reason it shuts down when set to hotter temps is the inside of the dryer cabinet will run hotter. The motor turns the drum and the exhaust fan. I bet the cabinet is full of lint. That and a roller getting tight.

I bet you could fix it with a good cleaning and a roller kit. In my case I just had to clean everything, mine was still working fine, but the high rolling resistance had to he putting excessive load on the motor.
 
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5AcresAndAFool said:
I've seen rollers that have locked up
Click to expand...

The drum turns fine. I had the top and front off along with the drum out because one 'guide' at the part's site said it's behind the drum ! 😖 There's no lint build-up in the cabinet.

The rollers are $35 x 2, roller shaft is $38 x 2, etc.
 
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Hall said:
Based on a few other's personal experiences, the motor sounds like the likely culprit. As I said in the OP, I ain't replacing the motor. I may have worded it poorly when I said I can't complain if it needs replaced. I meant the dryer, not the motor.

I'll try and answer some of the questions:
- It runs fine when empty. No noises from the motor, rollers, etc.
- It gets HOT when empty suggesting the element, t-stat, thermal fuse are fine and there's no lint build-up. The vent design is stupid and inefficient but the air flow at the outside exhaust is pretty good. It's not "strong" but it's not weak by any means. If you stick your face in front of it, you will get a face full of warm/hot air and lint. When I say the design is poor, the wall the W&D face is opposite the outside wall. The duct makes a 180º turn (elbow partially outside the drywall, probably into a 2nd elbow, then an 8' horizontal run to the outside).
- The parts websites, like Repairclinic.com, aren't that helpful for the symptoms.
- It's branded Maytag but you could have bought the identical dryer under multiple names. I distinctly remember it came in a Haier box but was "Maytag" everything else ! It's the ADE7000AYW model (I know it by heart).

If I'm not mistaken, the thermal fuse isn't resettable, is it ? Once it cools down, it works again ? I thought it's a one-time fuse. Motor troubleshooting suggests it will shut off when it gets too hot but once it cools down, it will work again. That's what we're seeing.

I refuse to buy fancy, computer-operated appliances if I have the choice. Put it this way, I'll buy a replacement this weekend while my wife is working !!
Click to expand...
A lot of Whirlpool and Maytag dryers still have the old mechanical knobs. I got a Whirlpool built Roper Dryer and the controls are all mechanical.

Whirlpool 7.0 cu. ft. 240-Volt White Electric Vented Dryer with AUTODRY Drying System-WED4950HW - The Home Depot

Nice thing about Whirlpools and Maytag dryers is that they are built in Marion Ohio.
 
You bought that Maytag dryer during a bad time in the brand’s history. Maytag was on the verge of bankruptcy. They were outsourcing their products. Your dryer’s model number pops up as an Admiral. ??? So it may have been made by Haier. Haier put in a bid to buy Maytag however, Whirlpool won out. GE Appliances is now owned by Haier but, they are made in the USA. GE and Hotpoint still produce very good washers and dryers. Whirlpool has some value brands too.
https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=19250
https://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/brands-we-love/
 
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