Dryer Diagnostics
December 17, 2023 2:20 PM Subscribe
Despite a few successful attempts at amateur home dryer repair (i.e., one motor replacement, two belt replacements), I can't seem to figure out what the problem is this time. Help!
I have a 2006 Frigidaire (nominally Kenmore) dryer that is very similar to the model in this motor replacement demonstration video.
When I try to turn my dryer on, the motor comes on and I can see through the open back access panel that the pulley and tensioner wheels are turning, albeit slowly, but the drum doesn't turn. The belt was replaced only a few months ago and is in good condition and I believe I have it installed correctly, with the ridged side against the drum, and it's aligned along the darkened strip on the drum where the belt has always run.
What could the problem be?
I have a 2006 Frigidaire (nominally Kenmore) dryer that is very similar to the model in this motor replacement demonstration video.
When I try to turn my dryer on, the motor comes on and I can see through the open back access panel that the pulley and tensioner wheels are turning, albeit slowly, but the drum doesn't turn. The belt was replaced only a few months ago and is in good condition and I believe I have it installed correctly, with the ridged side against the drum, and it's aligned along the darkened strip on the drum where the belt has always run.
What could the problem be?
Response by poster: Yes, I can turn the drum manually by hand.
posted by orange swan at 2:52 PM on December 17, 2023
posted by orange swan at 2:52 PM on December 17, 2023
Did it just stop working from a functional state, or is this failure immediately after replacing the belt or motor?
posted by jamjam at 2:55 PM on December 17, 2023
posted by jamjam at 2:55 PM on December 17, 2023
Response by poster: It stopped working. My tenant emailed me about it.
posted by orange swan at 3:00 PM on December 17, 2023
posted by orange swan at 3:00 PM on December 17, 2023
As a person who had a job repairing electromechanical machinery for a couple of years, and was a DIYer before and after, I would say professionals have a tendency to overtighten bolts, nuts and screws when they put things back together, and DYIers to undertighten.
So I would look for loose motor mounts which had allowed the motor to shift around under load, and then I would run the motor (briefly) without the belt and listen for a distinct click as the motor slowed down, which would reassure me that the centrifugal switch which causes the motor to switch from start windings which give more torque to run windings which aren’t strong enough to start the drum turning is still in good shape.
posted by jamjam at 3:25 PM on December 17, 2023
So I would look for loose motor mounts which had allowed the motor to shift around under load, and then I would run the motor (briefly) without the belt and listen for a distinct click as the motor slowed down, which would reassure me that the centrifugal switch which causes the motor to switch from start windings which give more torque to run windings which aren’t strong enough to start the drum turning is still in good shape.
posted by jamjam at 3:25 PM on December 17, 2023
there's either an idler pulley that is not adjusted correctly (or it is mounted on a hinge and springs broke/rusted away) and the belt isn't tight enough, or the motor is mounted on a hinge and the hinge isn't deflecting enough (either by springs (did you replace the springs or did they rust away?) or by the weight of the motor) to make the belt tight enough. either case the belt isn't tight enough.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:56 PM on December 17, 2023
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:56 PM on December 17, 2023
Installed correctly the belt has a death grip on the drum. It's weird the idler would turn and not the drum. I'd be checking that the belt is correctly routed around the motor puller and idler. The grooves go towards the motor pulley and away from the idler.
posted by Mitheral at 5:21 PM on December 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 5:21 PM on December 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Has the belt perhaps jumped its groove and given itself a couple of 180° twists, so that it's now the back of the belt running around the motor pulley instead of the grooved drive side?
posted by flabdablet at 5:56 PM on December 17, 2023
posted by flabdablet at 5:56 PM on December 17, 2023
Thinking further on it, the only way I can understand the tensioner wheel turning slowly and the drum not turning at all is if the belt has slackened to the point where there's no tension left in it, thereby allowing the tensioner wheel to be pulled in so far that its edge now rubs on the motor drive pulley.
So either you've got a shitty replacement belt that's stretched in the heat, or the motor has jumped out of its mounts.
posted by flabdablet at 6:01 PM on December 17, 2023
So either you've got a shitty replacement belt that's stretched in the heat, or the motor has jumped out of its mounts.
posted by flabdablet at 6:01 PM on December 17, 2023
The only reason I can think of for the motor pulley and the idler pully to rotate but not the drum is that there isn't enough tension on the belt to overcome the friction of the drum. I'm assuming both the belt and the motor are in good condition, given they've been replaced recently.
This could be because the idler isn't providing enough tension - check the idler is located correctly and that the spring has enough tension to pull against the belt. The idler is the most likely culprit, I think. This assumes the belt is the correct length - is it possible you have the wrong belt? if you still have it, compare with the old belt.
It could also be that the drum is jammed in some way. You said you can turn the drum by hand, but how hard is it to turn? It should turn with almost no effort.
posted by dg at 9:31 PM on December 17, 2023
This could be because the idler isn't providing enough tension - check the idler is located correctly and that the spring has enough tension to pull against the belt. The idler is the most likely culprit, I think. This assumes the belt is the correct length - is it possible you have the wrong belt? if you still have it, compare with the old belt.
It could also be that the drum is jammed in some way. You said you can turn the drum by hand, but how hard is it to turn? It should turn with almost no effort.
posted by dg at 9:31 PM on December 17, 2023
Installed correctly the belt has a death grip on the drum.
If it's managed to twist itself so that the side that touches the drum is the cloth backing rather than grooved rubber, that grip is going to be substantially compromised.
Some scenario involving sudden internal shifting of a horribly unbalanced overload, or perhaps the temporary tangling of something resistant like a shoelace or a sock making a break for freedom from Planet Earth via the drum's front running seal, might jerk the drum backwards fast enough to flip the belt over.
posted by flabdablet at 2:24 AM on December 18, 2023
If it's managed to twist itself so that the side that touches the drum is the cloth backing rather than grooved rubber, that grip is going to be substantially compromised.
Some scenario involving sudden internal shifting of a horribly unbalanced overload, or perhaps the temporary tangling of something resistant like a shoelace or a sock making a break for freedom from Planet Earth via the drum's front running seal, might jerk the drum backwards fast enough to flip the belt over.
posted by flabdablet at 2:24 AM on December 18, 2023
I've serviced thousands of dryers with that sort of drive system and never seen a flipped over belt. Stop the drum from moving while the motor is spinning and they immediately burn out the belt right at the motor.
posted by Mitheral at 2:59 AM on December 18, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Mitheral at 2:59 AM on December 18, 2023 [3 favorites]
Is there a chance something has gone wrong in your circuit breaker box?
I’ve heard of weird enfeebled operation in 220V appliances when one leg of the house supply goes out, and even improperly ganged together tandem breakers for the appliance itself, so I think you should inspect the circuit breaker system carefully.
posted by jamjam at 4:13 AM on December 18, 2023
I’ve heard of weird enfeebled operation in 220V appliances when one leg of the house supply goes out, and even improperly ganged together tandem breakers for the appliance itself, so I think you should inspect the circuit breaker system carefully.
posted by jamjam at 4:13 AM on December 18, 2023
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posted by hortense at 2:44 PM on December 17, 2023 [1 favorite]