Having trouble with my dryer.

The dryer is an Estate (Whirlpool)
It stopped last night. When the timer is turned on the heating element starts by itself. Also the drum does not spin. The belt is fine.

Not really to happy about reaching my hand in around a bunch of stuff trying to get to the motor and test for voltage. That 220 will do a number on you.

So if anyone can help me that would be Great.

 

Hi Tech, not an appliance repairman myself but have dabbled with ours a few times, and did some web surfing for you.

Here is a link I found that talks about dryer issues like yours in general terms:
http://www.fixya.com/support/t977454...electric_dryer

While it speaks to a Kenmore, it might be good generic info. Additional things I read about that might cause your symptoms include something in the mechanism jamming the drum (one person lost a set of keys in theirs, and they wedged between the drum and the housing, removing the keys fixed it.)

Another item that was mentioned was the overload (thermal cutout) on the motor which may have tripped, as well as things like an idler pulley that has seized up, etc. Three common areas for the drum not turning are the belt (you ruled that out), the motor, and the door switch.


Good luck, let me know if this helped!

 

You wanna hear something I posted on there and I am waiting to see if someone replies.

The belt is fine. Motor spins freely. I can turn the drum by hand and watch the fan motor in the rear spin.

It seems like it has to be a sensor or something like that.

But what is getting me is as soon as you turn the timer the element gets hot. To me that seems like something is stuck on. The element isn't supposed to heat till you press the start.

When it rains it poors!! LOL

We are a family of 6 and need a dryer working LOL.

I am going to keep cracking on this.

 

That is funny (that we were looking at the same site).


For the drum not turning, what about the door switch? That apparently disallows power to the motor and may be keeping the power from getting to it.

The heater coming on immediately tells me something in that circuit is "closed", like a contactor or a relay stuck in.

As a thought, is there a common component, like a relay, which if stuck closed or never energizing is allowing the two circumstances to happen? They sound more or less unrelated, excepting that one thing (the drum) isn't getting power when it's supposed to, and the other thing (the heating element) IS getting power before it's supposed to.

I don't have an electrical drawing of your dryer but will poke around, and you may want to review the wiring diagramsthat came with it to see if there is a common component to all this.

 

I have been trying to read it but it isn't as clear as I would like it to be.

 

A couple of additional things I just found online:


Here is info on a coil issue and a blown fuse:

http://www.applianceblog.com/mainfor...p/t-10493.html

here is info on the heater element thermal cutout:

http://www.applianceblog.com/mainfor...hp/t-1407.html

Remember to check the motor to see if there's a thermal trip button on it that has tripped, which you would need to push to reset. You didn't mentionanyting about that earlier.

FIRST REMOVE POWER FROM THE DRYER BEFORE YOU REACHIN THERE TO FEEL AROUND THE MOTOR FOR A RESET BUTTON, HOWEVER!!

(we need you typing with both hands when you write us solutions on Volvo problems down the road! )

 

LOL I will check it out I was also going to scan the diagram and post it but burning a dvd of all pictures from the PC with the scanner so it won't scan till that is done.

 

Well it was like in the one link. The element was grounding and blew the fuse. Now I have to find the fuse online and try to order it.

Thanks for all your help!!!!!!!!!!

 

I just wish I knew the specs on it to put something Temp in there till the new one gets here.

 

Hey Tech, Glad to hear you got it resolved!


No thanks are necessary, you help a lot of people on here all the time, it was my pleasure to be able to help you (if even only a little bit) for a change.


Didya read the end ofthe one thread where the guy was talking about how his dryer was also fixed, and the downside was that his wife wasn't going to be hanging the clothes out on the line to dry anymore? He was disappointed, because watching his wife do that, in his words, was "a little bit hot"!

I laughed pretty good at that one! [8D]

 

A temp fuse....

I understand what you're saying, but it just ain't worth it...


Maybe you can call around to some of your local appliance shops to see if they happen to have the right fuse instock; I've had occasional success finding things like that at some of the smaller mom-and-pop shops here in Michigan, maybe you'll get lucky and find one too.

 

Yes im gonna try that but the downside is I am in a tourist area and shops like that aren't close.

But I am going to keep looking.

Yes I saw that at the end of the post as well!!!

 

Ordered the part online cost me about $10.00.
I tried calling alot of places local and most are out of business. The one local place that had it was $30.00 for the part then the gas $$ to get there. It is about 20 miles away from my house. So I decided to wait a few days rather than spending almost triple.

 

Well done, Tech!


Maybe this should be a new line of work for you?


(I read your post on the other board, sorry to read that news. Good luck in your search.)

 

Thanks I will see what I am going to do as time goes.

Also I did for now make a Temp fuse. Funny in a way because it is a low amp. Automotive blade fuse. I will make sure all is shut off when we go to bed or leave the house. I would think if there is a problem the 5 amp fuse will blow easy.

 

So, how is your temporary 5a. fuse working out?

With 4 kids, I can only imagine the dryer is getting continual workouts.

 

So far so good.
It is getting a work out and is passing!!! LOL

 

hey tech, did you get that permanent fuse installed yet?

Assuming the kids are wearing dry clothes either way, since you hadn't posted back here since...

 

I was going to chime in but BMB has already done a great job!

This forum is crazy in that we can fix almost anything!!!

Gotta love it!!!


JPN

 

Sorry yes it is all in and working fine!!!!!!
I almost forgot about this post!! LOL