Question about dryers

AsSiMiLaTeD

My clothes dryer is starting to give me problems. It's just not drying clothes very well. It's taking several hours to dry a single load of clothes.

I don't really know much about these things, but here's what I can tell you.

I know it's getting hot. I can open the door mid-cycle and feel the heat, it's plenty hot inside.

I know it's venting out the back. I just replaced the vent hose thing, and it's blowing air out the end. Also, the hose get's pretty hot also when the dryer is running.

This is an older dryer. I don't know much about it really. It's a Maytag, I know that much. There's a model # on the inside that reads GDE412.

Is there something inside these things that gets rid of the humidity, or is that just accomplished by heating and then venting air?

I'm looking to buy a ncie set of front loading, but not for another 3 or 4 months, trying to just keep this one alive until then.

SKsolutions

Can you actually see it spinning or is the door opaque. If it's heating, venting, and spinning, it should be drying. If there are exhaust vent louvers, make sure they aren't stuck. Depending on where it lives, run it without the vent for 20 minutes (watch it) and see if it will dry a couple of T-shirts. Be extra careful if it's gas operated.

bobman1235

IT's all heating, venting, and spinning. THe only time humidity comes into play is on dryers that automatically stop when your clothes are dry - they have a humidistat that tells them when to stop.

Despite you saying you feel air coming out, I still think it's ventilation. Make sure the spot where the dryer meets the vent hose is completely free of crap, and that the filter is clean.

Willow

This may sound strange but how old is your washer ? the reason I ask is that it may not be getting rid of most of the water. In our old place we thought it was our dryer.it was 15yrs old and the lady who owned it before us barely used it. We were told our washer might not be spinning enough water out. We bought a new set. Wow is all I have to say. we did buy front loaders and the clothes come out almost dry from the washer.

janmike

We just purchased a new Maytag washer/dryer front loading and you will save a ton on energy. That equates to more $ for audio. The new washers spins so fast (1000+ rpm) that the clothes are almost dry by the time you put them in the dryer.

Polkitup2

Possibly your washer's spin cycle isn't doing it's job??

treitz3

If it's not the washing machine not rinsing efficiently, another possibility is within your dryer. Down at the bottom of the vent filter trap. Over time, lint can build up causing a loss of airflow. Home Depot sells a attachment that you connect to the hose of your vacuum that reaches all the way down to the affected area removing lint buildup that's not visible to the eye. Most of the time this is overlooked because you will feel airflow coming out of the back, but it's not anywhere near where it should be. It should be blowing hard enough to move your hand slightly toward the direction, or flow of the exhaust. You can also check the gasket at the top of the filter and make sure that it is sealed pretty good, this may be the cause of buildup within this area you can't see.

Also, check the schem's out because one of your thermal sensors [2 or three sensors were on mine, one being bad] may not be working, this happened to me and after about an hour worth of work and a sixteen dollar part, no drying issues anymore. That was four years ago. I had the same exact symptoms as you have described. The only tools needed were a phillips and a flat head screwdriver FYI.

If you do dive into the dryer, clean and re-grease the bearings and then you can keep it running as it should until you do decide to upgrade. Hope this helps.

Willow

My dad recently retired from CMHC (canadian mortage and housing corporation) he heard from the research dept that it's a good idea to wash your dryer filter, yes that's right. take an old soft toothbrush and use a mild soap. Here is a test before cleaning it if you want proof. Run the tap, put lint filter under flow, it should pass water through..NO ! the chemicals in your "bounce sheet" are plugging those holes. Now wash it as per above then try the test again, this time the water will flow right through. This not only help the air amd moisture to escape, but it will save you money in energy.