Dryer repair question
Have you checked to make sure the lint has been cleared from the vent?
The lint is super cleaned out. That was our first task. YouTube is how I took it apart and got it back together. I will see if I can do a code thing again. Thanks!
Haha. Are you an IT guy? It won’t stop running because it just spins stuff cold.
zucca said:
Haha. Are you an IT guy? It won’t stop running because it just spins stuff cold.
yup. That question solved many problems back in the day.
Sounds like possibly a simple problem that I had with my gas dryer years ago. The dryer would spin hot for a brief period and then stop heating while still spinning. As others have mentioned -YouTube saved the day. The problem was the gas valve solenoid coil. A small $15 (then) part that I ordered from this website: https://www.repairclinic.com and arrived in a couple of days.
It was also fortunate that on my particular model (Maytag) the part was easy to replace ( I only had to take off the front panel and the plug-in part was in the front). Also, the above mentioned website has installation videos. PS: Many appliances share the same ubiquitous parts on the inside.
This particular part replacement page is thus (Note:-it works for virtually all models): https://www.repairclinic.com/Repair-Library/Part-Replacement/100/Whirlpool-29-Dryer-Gas-Valve-Solenoid-Coil-Kit-279834
Steve said:
Did you put it into service mode and identify the fault code?
Trying to figure out how to do that. It's supposed to show an error code automatically, I think. Not sure how to make it do that.
zucca said:
Trying to figure out how to do that. It's supposed to show an error code automatically, I think. Not sure how to make it do that.
google the model number and service mode. That will usually get you the answer.
Thanks for the tip on the diagnostic test. Turns out, there are two different heating things and neither worked, which means I need to replace another thing in addition to the the thermal fuse, which is what I've keep replacing. If this doesn't work, I'm giving up on this dryer.
Dryer's are pretty simple devices. If the other repair is not that hard, it's probably worth a shot. Repairclinic.com is great.
Yep. Got parts coming on Wednesday. I've been disassembling the whole thing for the fuse, which is a bit of a hassle, but worth it if I can get the thing working again.
I kept our old gas dryer running for years. When it stopped heating, the usual culprits were either the gas solenoid valves or the gas igniter. All were easy to replace. I think we had a Maytag. There was a small door in the front left where you could look in to see if the igniter was glowing.. good luck!
dickf3 said:
Any update?
Thank you for asking! Over the weekend, having discovered a different youtube video, my husband replaced the thermal fuse and the thermostat. Three loads in and it's still working. Fingers crossed that this does the trick for longer than the fuse-only fixes. I also realize from paperwork that I got it in 2009, which I guess makes it old?
Not too old to fix! I'm pretty sure I got mine sometime between 1987 and 1989. It's gas, if that matters. It's had its fuse? thermostat? probably igniter? replaced a couple of times. YMMV.
mjc said:
Not too old to fix! I'm pretty sure I got mine sometime between 1987 and 1989. It's gas, if that matters. It's had its fuse? thermostat? probably igniter? replaced a couple of times. YMMV.
That’s basically all that’s needed as far as replacement parts go. A Maytag gas dryer can go for more than 40 years. I have one. Installed 1997…still working.
I'm cautiously optimistic. Wish I'd figured out that I should have been replacing both parts the first time. Getting more used to taking the darn thing apart but would prefer for that activity to stop.
Question for all you fixit people out there. Three times relatively recently, my dryer has stopped heating up. We have taken it apart three times and replaced the thermal fuse. The dryer seems fine for a while, but then it stops drying. This time, I replaced the fuse just a few weeks ago and already the dryer isn't heating.
Do I need a new control board, or whatever it is? Do I need a new dryer? I can't go on replacing the thermal fuse, as that's not a small task. I just hate the idea of spending a lot to have someone come and maybe not repair it.