You are currently viewing Common Dryer Issues That You Should Know How to Deal With
Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash

Common Dryer Issues That You Should Know How to Deal With

Modern technology has brought many new house appliances. Living without them seems like living in the Middle Ages. We just have them in our houses and use them, that’s that. These appliances are usually taken for granted, and most of the population does a poor job of maintaining them. The outcome of this low maintenance is not so pleasant.

Usually, that leaves them broken and when that happens, just buy a new one. We can not keep doing this forever. That hurts not only our bank account but also the planet. This vicious cycle does not need to continue. The clothes dryer is one of these appliances that are a victim of not being taken care of and being left with many issues.

Not taking care of the vent

The vent of clothes dryers is one of the most important parts of this machine. Through it leaves the hot air with moisture in it. That is not always the case, as this hot air can pick up other things like lint and dust.

These particles get stuck in the dryer vent and can cause some serious issues. Cleaning the vent does not need to be hard, and there is no need to call up a professional to do it if you have a cleaning kit with which you can do this by yourself. This way of cleaning is much cheaper than hiring someone to do the same thing that you can do to keep your dryer from having issues.

The danger of not cleaning the vent

The built-up residue of lint and dust can not only lessen the efficiency of your dryer but also poses a fire hazard. When this matter stacks up, it is easily flammable. The hot air carries oxygen, and at elevated temperatures, oxygen becomes more reactive. These conditions are ideal for making a fire that can engulf your house, as it happens on an annual basis to many homes.

The heating is not good enough

There is a chance that you experienced this annoying situation before. You put your clothes in the dryer, it runs smoothly, and when it is done, your clothes are warm but are not dry completely. This stressful situation does not need to mean that you need to replace the entire dryer.

The problem could stem from a rundown heater element. The heater that warms the drum is an easily replaceable part of the dryer. You will need to buy a new one, but it is not hard to find in a do-it-yourself type of store. Find the instruction manual of your dryer, and look for what cables connect to the heater element. Carefully do this while the dryer is not plugged into a power source, and insert the new heater. The next time you use your dryer, it should be as good as new.

It is not spinning

If the heater is not the issue, and your clothes are still not drying properly and are wrinkly, the problem is probably with the drive belt. To inspect whether it is the drive belt, you must do a little disassembly. It is not that hard to do this, actually, as dryers are pretty simple. In the manual, check how to remove the front cover of your dryer and the drum. If you see a black wire-like thing right there torn up, it is the drive belt that is causing your dryer issues.

This part is also not that hard to find in the stores. But you need to be more careful and check which one you exactly need, which should be written in the manual. In the manual, you will also find how to correctly loop the belt around the wheels. You will need some tools for this, so make sure to have your toolbox by your side.

Prevent future drive belt breakages

If you replace the drive belt and find yourself again in this situation, there could be another underlying issue here. The wheels that rotate the belt could be full of the before-mentioned dust, lint, and hair. This residue can block the wheels from running smoothly and cause additional strain to the belt and thus causing it to break.

To remove the excess residue, you will need to remove the wheels and then clean them. Do not forget to lubricate the wheels before putting them back. But do not overdo it, as you can get unwanted levels of spinning.

Commercial dryer
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

Our home appliances have become staples of our everyday lives. They are very helpful, and if we want to keep them helping us, we need to maintain them. The clothes dryer is a perfect example of how you can do this all by yourself. By doing so, you will not only save a lot of money but also prove to be a very handy person. It can also be very fun to learn something new and useful to do.

Featured Photo by Simon Hurry on Unsplash