Can this dryer be saved?
March 28, 2019 10:16 AM Subscribe
My dryer has suddenly stopped working. When I open the door the light comes on, and the machine makes a humming sound when I try to turn the dryer on, so it doesn't seem to be completely dead, but it won't run at all. I would like to try fixing it myself. Suggestions for fixes to try please?
Try turning the drum, then see if it runs. Mine did something like this recently and that fixed it.
posted by LaBellaStella at 10:30 AM on March 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by LaBellaStella at 10:30 AM on March 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
See if you can find any YouTube videos of common problems with your specific brand of dryer.
posted by mskyle at 10:31 AM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by mskyle at 10:31 AM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
If it is the belt it really is easy. Unplug it. Take off the back cover. You should see a belt going around the drum and around a pulley on the motor. Chances are it is frayed or broken. You can find an appliance parts store near you or look up the model number and order online. I have replaced several of these. Not hard at all.
posted by jtexman1 at 10:41 AM on March 28, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by jtexman1 at 10:41 AM on March 28, 2019 [3 favorites]
Sounds like it could be a dead start capacitor. If you can temporarily defeat the door safety latch so you can spin the drum while pressing the start button, you can confirm the diagnosis. If it keeps spinning on its own after you give it an initial push, the problem is almost certainly the capacitor. If not, it's something else
On most machines it should be relatively easy to replace oneself and a suitable replacement should be $20 or less. If the OEM part is overly expensive, any third party version of the same voltage and capacitance rating will work.
By the same token, if you're paying much more than a repair person's minimum call out charge to get it replaced, you're getting ripped off.
posted by wierdo at 10:43 AM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
On most machines it should be relatively easy to replace oneself and a suitable replacement should be $20 or less. If the OEM part is overly expensive, any third party version of the same voltage and capacitance rating will work.
By the same token, if you're paying much more than a repair person's minimum call out charge to get it replaced, you're getting ripped off.
posted by wierdo at 10:43 AM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
Youtube is your best bet. Look for your specific make and model, though you may have to just find some about similar models and extrapolate from there. You may also have to sit through some bone-dry narration - your average repair youtuber is not necessarily much of a broadcaster - but actually I've found some great repair shops and dedicated diyers doing good work out there.
At the very least, that'll help you determine whether the issue you have requires a repairperson, and how to talk to them about your repair knowledgeably. (This has saved my bacon with our pool, plumbing, HVAC, and cars many times. Knowing how it works makes it harder for them to rip you off.)
posted by Lyn Never at 10:51 AM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
At the very least, that'll help you determine whether the issue you have requires a repairperson, and how to talk to them about your repair knowledgeably. (This has saved my bacon with our pool, plumbing, HVAC, and cars many times. Knowing how it works makes it harder for them to rip you off.)
posted by Lyn Never at 10:51 AM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
Maybe belt, maybe some debris inside is physically blocking the rotation of the drum. Take off the back and start the dryer and look around to see what is blocking the drum. BE CAREFUL!
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:57 AM on March 28, 2019
posted by JimN2TAW at 10:57 AM on March 28, 2019
Response by poster: So far I've only removed a small grill at the back, which lets me see the motor and pulley. The belt does not seem to be broken or frayed in any way.
I have tried turning the drum as LaBella Stella suggested, and it didn't fix the problem. I tried wierdo's test and the drum wouldn't rotate on its own after an initial push, so the problem doesn't seem to be a dead start capacitor.
Though I can turn the drum manually, it seems very stiff, and it takes forceful and sustained effort to get it moving and keep it moving. I'd like to try JimN2TAW's suggestion of taking off the entire back of the machine in order to have a full view of the drum in case there is indeed some debris hampering it. It can't hurt to vacuum out the interior of the machine at any rate.
The dryer is a Kenmore and the model number is 970-C85022-00.
posted by orange swan at 1:02 PM on March 28, 2019
I have tried turning the drum as LaBella Stella suggested, and it didn't fix the problem. I tried wierdo's test and the drum wouldn't rotate on its own after an initial push, so the problem doesn't seem to be a dead start capacitor.
Though I can turn the drum manually, it seems very stiff, and it takes forceful and sustained effort to get it moving and keep it moving. I'd like to try JimN2TAW's suggestion of taking off the entire back of the machine in order to have a full view of the drum in case there is indeed some debris hampering it. It can't hurt to vacuum out the interior of the machine at any rate.
The dryer is a Kenmore and the model number is 970-C85022-00.
posted by orange swan at 1:02 PM on March 28, 2019
Hi! I have fixed this.
If you have tools and decent mechanical ability - you can probably fix this. In my dryer, over the years I have replaced all the parts that make the drum go - the roller bearings, the glides, and eventually the motor.
A humming sound and no turning usually means the motor is getting electricity but is not developing enough torque (twisting force) to start the drum turning.
The motor could be fine, but if the bearings, belt, or glides have failed and jammed then the motor will be unable to turn the drum. That was the first thing I fixed on my dryer. That kind of failure is usually preceded by squeaking or strange noises when the dryer starts up before working normally.
You can test this by reaching into the dryer and trying to turn the drum by hand with the power off. If it is totally stuck it's a mechanical problem - siezed bearing, roller, glide, or motor shaft bearing.
If the motor itself has failed, it will also make a buzzing sound. Motors need extra power to start, overcoming the inertia and friction of the drum and clothes at rest. Motors have either a capacitor to add a jolt of electricity at startup, or a separate high-power coil of wire and an electromechanical switch that turns the high power coil on for the first second and then shuts it off when the motor reaches normal speed. These capacitors and high-torque coil/switches fail much more frequently than the rest of the motor. In my dryer it was the coil/switch that failed.
If the drum turns freely with power off, you can try and push the drum to get the motor started. You'll need somehow jam the safety cut off swich on the dryer door so it thinks the door is shut. With the door open, press the dryer start button while spinning the drum with your hand. You'll need to spin the drum in the proper direction. If you get the timing and the speed right you may be able to get the dryer to run. I was able to do this and do several loads of laundry while I waited for a replacement motor to arrive.
Repair parts are usually pretty cheap as long as it is a common model. Many dryers from different manufacturers actually use the same parts. There are many videos online showing how to do these repairs.
Glides and bearings were a moderate difficulty repair. Manipulating the drum and belt can be awkward. Replacing the motor was more advanced. My motor came with a variety of wiring options and had to be re-configured for my voltage and dryer by cutting and crimping wires.
Can you post the make/model/model #/serial # of the dryer in question? I may be able to share links to specific parts websites and repair videos.
posted by sol at 1:03 PM on March 28, 2019 [6 favorites]
If you have tools and decent mechanical ability - you can probably fix this. In my dryer, over the years I have replaced all the parts that make the drum go - the roller bearings, the glides, and eventually the motor.
A humming sound and no turning usually means the motor is getting electricity but is not developing enough torque (twisting force) to start the drum turning.
The motor could be fine, but if the bearings, belt, or glides have failed and jammed then the motor will be unable to turn the drum. That was the first thing I fixed on my dryer. That kind of failure is usually preceded by squeaking or strange noises when the dryer starts up before working normally.
You can test this by reaching into the dryer and trying to turn the drum by hand with the power off. If it is totally stuck it's a mechanical problem - siezed bearing, roller, glide, or motor shaft bearing.
If the motor itself has failed, it will also make a buzzing sound. Motors need extra power to start, overcoming the inertia and friction of the drum and clothes at rest. Motors have either a capacitor to add a jolt of electricity at startup, or a separate high-power coil of wire and an electromechanical switch that turns the high power coil on for the first second and then shuts it off when the motor reaches normal speed. These capacitors and high-torque coil/switches fail much more frequently than the rest of the motor. In my dryer it was the coil/switch that failed.
If the drum turns freely with power off, you can try and push the drum to get the motor started. You'll need somehow jam the safety cut off swich on the dryer door so it thinks the door is shut. With the door open, press the dryer start button while spinning the drum with your hand. You'll need to spin the drum in the proper direction. If you get the timing and the speed right you may be able to get the dryer to run. I was able to do this and do several loads of laundry while I waited for a replacement motor to arrive.
Repair parts are usually pretty cheap as long as it is a common model. Many dryers from different manufacturers actually use the same parts. There are many videos online showing how to do these repairs.
Glides and bearings were a moderate difficulty repair. Manipulating the drum and belt can be awkward. Replacing the motor was more advanced. My motor came with a variety of wiring options and had to be re-configured for my voltage and dryer by cutting and crimping wires.
Can you post the make/model/model #/serial # of the dryer in question? I may be able to share links to specific parts websites and repair videos.
posted by sol at 1:03 PM on March 28, 2019 [6 favorites]
Here is a link to a parts supplier with videos on how to repair/replace
https://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For-Parts/a8b6d1420308/Model-970C8004200-Kenmore-Dryer-Parts
posted by sol at 1:09 PM on March 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
https://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For-Parts/a8b6d1420308/Model-970C8004200-Kenmore-Dryer-Parts
posted by sol at 1:09 PM on March 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I was googling to try to figure out how I would go about taking the back off the machine since it didn't look as though it would come off, and it turns out that it doesn't in fact come off; it is the top that pops open.
I found this instructional video on how to take apart a dryer, and though it's for a Fridgidaire dryer not a Kenmore, it does look exactly like my dryer, so I'm going to try this method, and look for a drum obstruction/vacuum out the machine.
posted by orange swan at 1:16 PM on March 28, 2019
I found this instructional video on how to take apart a dryer, and though it's for a Fridgidaire dryer not a Kenmore, it does look exactly like my dryer, so I'm going to try this method, and look for a drum obstruction/vacuum out the machine.
posted by orange swan at 1:16 PM on March 28, 2019
You have a Kenmore? Do you still have the owners booklet that came with it? If so, there should be diagrams in the back that will help you figure out how to get into the dryer. There should be a parts list and numbers to help you order any new parts you might need.
If not, searspartsdirect.com will have the diagrams online, as well as parts lists.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:26 PM on March 28, 2019
If not, searspartsdirect.com will have the diagrams online, as well as parts lists.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:26 PM on March 28, 2019
Sometimes symptoms like your dryer's are due to low voltage.
So before you take the dryer too far apart, I think you should unplug it and look for corrosion on the plug and around the outlet, then go to your breaker panel and flip the dryer breaker back and forth a few times and look for unusual behavior, and also inspect for corrosion there, as well.
posted by jamjam at 3:36 PM on March 28, 2019
So before you take the dryer too far apart, I think you should unplug it and look for corrosion on the plug and around the outlet, then go to your breaker panel and flip the dryer breaker back and forth a few times and look for unusual behavior, and also inspect for corrosion there, as well.
posted by jamjam at 3:36 PM on March 28, 2019
Response by poster: I've just spent several hours taking the machine mostly apart (I was not able to get the drum out as it seemed to be fastened in in some way that I couldn't figure out), cleaning it all out, and then putting it back together again. I got a disturbing amount of lint out of it, as well as a hair tie that I assume is my tenant's, and a quarter that I assume is mine. (It's really sad how much that bonus $0.25 cheered me up.) I hoped that would solve the problem, but the dryer is acting exactly the same way and still making the humming sound when I try to turn it on.
I don't quite know what to do next to figure out exactly what's wrong and what parts I might need to replace. I will try jamjam's suggestion and look for corrosion on the plug and breaker.
posted by orange swan at 5:05 PM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
I don't quite know what to do next to figure out exactly what's wrong and what parts I might need to replace. I will try jamjam's suggestion and look for corrosion on the plug and breaker.
posted by orange swan at 5:05 PM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
I've personally used RepairClinic (the site sol links to above) to fix my dryer, twice. Once for solenoids, once for the belt. The videos worked really well for guiding me through the fidgety parts of opening my dryer and removing the drum. They also had interactive Q&As to help you figure out what might be broken.
posted by gimonca at 7:33 PM on March 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by gimonca at 7:33 PM on March 28, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Repairing bearings and motor will be impossible if you cannot get the drum out.
One other thing you could do to try and isolate the problem - try and spin the motor by itself without spinning the drum.
To do this you will have to dismantle the dryer, and remove the belt from the motor shaft pulley. You don’t have to remove the drum or take the belt out completely. You can move the idler pulley belt tensioner enough to slip the belt off the motor shaft pulley.
Then you can try and twist the motor shaft by hand. Does it spin freely? If it is jammed then new motor. The impeller (fan) is connected to the other side of the motor shaft that could be broken- but it usually makes a very loud rattling noise.
With the belt slack you can try and spin the drum by hand to see if the bearings are seized.
posted by sol at 7:59 AM on March 30, 2019
One other thing you could do to try and isolate the problem - try and spin the motor by itself without spinning the drum.
To do this you will have to dismantle the dryer, and remove the belt from the motor shaft pulley. You don’t have to remove the drum or take the belt out completely. You can move the idler pulley belt tensioner enough to slip the belt off the motor shaft pulley.
Then you can try and twist the motor shaft by hand. Does it spin freely? If it is jammed then new motor. The impeller (fan) is connected to the other side of the motor shaft that could be broken- but it usually makes a very loud rattling noise.
With the belt slack you can try and spin the drum by hand to see if the bearings are seized.
posted by sol at 7:59 AM on March 30, 2019
Response by poster: Okay, my next step is to figure out how to get the drum out, because it's probably either the bearings or the motor that's the problem. Anyone have any ideas on how I'd do that? I've looked at a number of videos on how to dissemble one's dryer, and every single one of them shows the technician easily (and, in my view, rather smugly) lifting out the drum once they've released the belt. My drum seems to be fastened in some manner than I cannot figure out. Can anyone point me to instructions for/give me suggestions on how to deal with that?
posted by orange swan at 11:54 AM on March 31, 2019
posted by orange swan at 11:54 AM on March 31, 2019
Response by poster: I've gotten the drum out! It turned out to be very simple in the end: it was fastened to the bearing plate by three screws, which were easily accessible on the inside back surface of the drum.
Now to get on with the problem of diagnosis. I don't think the problem is the bearing. It's not damaged as far as I can tell, and it turns pretty easily when I turn it manually. So, I guess it's the motor? I'm not sure what is meant by the "motor shaft" sol refers to. There's a part on the motor that turns when I turn the fan, but I can't turn it on its own.
posted by orange swan at 7:51 AM on April 2, 2019
Now to get on with the problem of diagnosis. I don't think the problem is the bearing. It's not damaged as far as I can tell, and it turns pretty easily when I turn it manually. So, I guess it's the motor? I'm not sure what is meant by the "motor shaft" sol refers to. There's a part on the motor that turns when I turn the fan, but I can't turn it on its own.
posted by orange swan at 7:51 AM on April 2, 2019
Response by poster: Ah, I have figured out what the motor shaft is, and it doesn't turn at all. Okay, so it looks I need a new motor. Now to figure out where to buy one, and then how to take out the old one and put the new one in.
posted by orange swan at 8:18 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by orange swan at 8:18 AM on April 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Okay, Mefites who are wise in the ways of dryers, I am at an impasse with trying to get the old, dead motor out of my dryer. Here's the problem: the only reason I can't get the motor out at this point is because it has a shaft extending into the fan/blower that is fastened in in some way, and I can't figure out how to unfasten it. Here are some photos to give you an idea of what I'm dealing with: of the motor at the back of the blower, of the entire blower housing, of the centre of the blower.
I cannot pull the shaft out from the back. If there's some sort of fastening in back, I have no way of accessing it, or even seeing it, as I can't ease the motor any further from the back of the fan's housing.
I cannot unfasten it at the front of the fan. What looks like a nut in the accompanying photos is actually a moulded part of the fan. I've tried turning the front metal part and the fan itself in hopes of unscrewing it, but have had no success with either. The fan's housing does not come apart. I have unscrewed the fan housing and can turn it over, but it's still attached to some wiring so I can't just take the motor and the fan housing to the appliance shop and get the guy there to help me with it.
What am I missing here? What do I have to do to get the motor free of the fan?
posted by orange swan at 1:29 PM on April 8, 2019
I cannot pull the shaft out from the back. If there's some sort of fastening in back, I have no way of accessing it, or even seeing it, as I can't ease the motor any further from the back of the fan's housing.
I cannot unfasten it at the front of the fan. What looks like a nut in the accompanying photos is actually a moulded part of the fan. I've tried turning the front metal part and the fan itself in hopes of unscrewing it, but have had no success with either. The fan's housing does not come apart. I have unscrewed the fan housing and can turn it over, but it's still attached to some wiring so I can't just take the motor and the fan housing to the appliance shop and get the guy there to help me with it.
What am I missing here? What do I have to do to get the motor free of the fan?
posted by orange swan at 1:29 PM on April 8, 2019
Best answer: Do the wires attached to the motor go to wire nuts or a terminal plate? If they don't go straight to the mains cord, you should be able to unfasten it.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:10 PM on April 8, 2019
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:10 PM on April 8, 2019
Response by poster: Today I walked up to the appliance repair shop near me, where I showed the proprietor the photos I'd taken of my dryer motor/fan & asked him how to get them apart. Turns out I need a socket wrench to undo the pin at the front of the fan. So, the next step in my dryer repair journey is to buy a socket wrench. I'll do that tomorrow.
posted by orange swan at 1:09 PM on April 9, 2019
posted by orange swan at 1:09 PM on April 9, 2019
Response by poster: I won't go into all the tedious, winding details of my efforts to repair the dryer since my last comment on April 9th, but I spent over five hours today working on the dryer. First I went to Home Depot to exchange the wrench socket that a store employee had assured me this past Tuesday would be the right size for the job for another socket that was actually the right size for the job, and then I worked to switch out the old engine, put in the new one, and reassemble the dryer.
The dryer is now working, but it's making a really loud, unpleasant sound. I suppose tomorrow I'll have to spend more time taking it at least partially apart and trying to locate the source of the noise and seeing if I can't make some adjustments in order to fix it. Stay tuned for the continuing stooooory of a particularly hapless dryer repair.
posted by orange swan at 4:36 PM on April 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
The dryer is now working, but it's making a really loud, unpleasant sound. I suppose tomorrow I'll have to spend more time taking it at least partially apart and trying to locate the source of the noise and seeing if I can't make some adjustments in order to fix it. Stay tuned for the continuing stooooory of a particularly hapless dryer repair.
posted by orange swan at 4:36 PM on April 27, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: By a really loud, unpleasant sound do you mean "sounds like a shoe was left in the drum"? If so, the screws holding the drum in may just be loose.
If instead it's a loud electricalish humming there's probably a loose or wrongly connected wire somewhere.
posted by wierdo at 12:01 PM on April 28, 2019
If instead it's a loud electricalish humming there's probably a loose or wrongly connected wire somewhere.
posted by wierdo at 12:01 PM on April 28, 2019
Response by poster: The dryer drum screws are as tight as I can get them, so it's not that.
It's a loud whirring sound, like "BRRRRRRRRRRR". I didn't get time to do any work on the dryer today, but I'll try tightening the wires tomorrow.
posted by orange swan at 5:07 PM on April 28, 2019
It's a loud whirring sound, like "BRRRRRRRRRRR". I didn't get time to do any work on the dryer today, but I'll try tightening the wires tomorrow.
posted by orange swan at 5:07 PM on April 28, 2019
Is the drum grinding on the track due to misalignment or a worn gasket?
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:09 PM on April 28, 2019
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:09 PM on April 28, 2019
Response by poster: THE DRYER IS WORKING! THE DRYER IS WORKING! THE DRYER IS WORKING!
Turned out the noise was indeed coming from a lose connection, which took me two minutes to correct, so thank you wierdo for saving me from having to take the dryer all apart again. And thank you all for your help! The dryer repair still cost me about $230 (the total cost of the new engine, bus fare to the place I had to go to in order to buy the new engine, and the socket wrench I had to buy to get the blower apart), but that's at least $200 less than it would have cost to hire a technician to fix it for me -- and I might as well have bought a new dryer at that price point.
It's been a long and frustrating process with a number of misdirects (i.e., the dryer, despite being clearly labelled as a Kenmore, is actually a Fridgidaire, which kept me from finding the right repair videos online, which meant I had to figure some things out in other ways, and then there was the Home Depot employee who selected the wrong size socket wrench, which resulted in bashed knuckles and another five days' delay before I had the time and energy to go back to Home Depot to exchange the wrong size socket for the right one), but I've learned a lot in the process and now feel I have a good understanding of how to troubleshoot and repair a broken dryer, so that's something gained as well.
Another benefit of the process was that I finally got out the folding clothesline that I'd gotten for Christmas a few years back and began to use it. It felt like such a hassle at first to get the thing out of the hall closet and set it up every Saturday morning, but I've gotten used to it and plan to keep using it most of the time. I can use it outside on nice days, and it can be set up in the kitchen on rainy or wintry days. Doing so will extend the life of my dryer, cut down my electricity bill, and be better for the environment. Sun-dried laundry also smells great.
All's well that ends well!
posted by orange swan at 7:49 AM on April 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
Turned out the noise was indeed coming from a lose connection, which took me two minutes to correct, so thank you wierdo for saving me from having to take the dryer all apart again. And thank you all for your help! The dryer repair still cost me about $230 (the total cost of the new engine, bus fare to the place I had to go to in order to buy the new engine, and the socket wrench I had to buy to get the blower apart), but that's at least $200 less than it would have cost to hire a technician to fix it for me -- and I might as well have bought a new dryer at that price point.
It's been a long and frustrating process with a number of misdirects (i.e., the dryer, despite being clearly labelled as a Kenmore, is actually a Fridgidaire, which kept me from finding the right repair videos online, which meant I had to figure some things out in other ways, and then there was the Home Depot employee who selected the wrong size socket wrench, which resulted in bashed knuckles and another five days' delay before I had the time and energy to go back to Home Depot to exchange the wrong size socket for the right one), but I've learned a lot in the process and now feel I have a good understanding of how to troubleshoot and repair a broken dryer, so that's something gained as well.
Another benefit of the process was that I finally got out the folding clothesline that I'd gotten for Christmas a few years back and began to use it. It felt like such a hassle at first to get the thing out of the hall closet and set it up every Saturday morning, but I've gotten used to it and plan to keep using it most of the time. I can use it outside on nice days, and it can be set up in the kitchen on rainy or wintry days. Doing so will extend the life of my dryer, cut down my electricity bill, and be better for the environment. Sun-dried laundry also smells great.
All's well that ends well!
posted by orange swan at 7:49 AM on April 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
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