Got a call from Neighbor L today at about quarter past noon, just as Tobie and I were finishing lunch. Pretty good timing, because I planned to head out as soon as we were done. I had laundry on the line, bread to bake, batteries to top off and I had sort of blown the morning watching an old TV show.
She said she was trying to fix her dryer and needed another pair of hands. And when Tobie and I arrived…
…it was difficult to tell whether she was trying to fix it or tearing it down for easier transport to the landfill. She was stumped on how to release the drive belt that was the only thing holding the drum on at that point.
She had mentioned that her dryer wasn’t heating up, and that she had bought a part supposed to fix it. She had also said that it was a very simple part to replace: Two screws and it swaps right out. She hadn’t mentioned that the simple part was inaccessibly at the bottom of the machine.
I brought Tobie along because he’s always up for a Jeep ride but the weather has turned hot again; fifteen minutes into the project and it was clear we were going to be there for a while so I went and got him out of the Jeep. Happily once he got the excited introductions out of the way he was on his very best behavior and I didn’t have to drop what I was doing and take him home.
MORE THAN THREE HOURS LATER Neighbor L and I finally replaced her simple two-screw part and laboriously reassembled the dryer. The good news is that my part of it – getting the drum and its belt unconnected and reconnected – went well. The bad news is that when we were all done and she plugged the dryer back in and fired it up, the gas still wouldn’t light. The whole thing was a sweaty waste of time. But I guess I got some neighbor points, burned off a few of the many many obs they have on me.
Sounds like they told her to replace the glow igniter (or spark igniter, don’t know what they use nowadays), but sometimes it is just a failed over heat fuse, our gas dryer has 2, and a door closed sensor in a loop. one by the flame box, one on the back of the wall where the hot air exits. If any one or the door closed sensor switch are foo foo, you don’t get ignition or heat.
You are a good neighbor Joel. See if you can find the model number or the diagram that is sometimes on the back of the unit. Look up the safety circuits. Not complicated to check with an ohm meter.
While I’m hopeful that neighbour L will figure out the problem, if the dryer is destined for the dump, you should salvage the drum. Dryer drums make excellent shot burn barrels and fire pits.
A heat fuse can be blown by anything that causes high temperature in the drier, typically a blocked vent system or a clogged filter.
By the way: there are new driers on the market that work on a whole new principle. They are basically dehumidifiers! The clothing never gets hot. They are supposed to use less energy, and don’t require a special outlet. I’ve heard different accounts as to how good they are.
Was it the igniter? Have to avoid touching the surface, while installing.
Could also be valve solenoid coils. Also in bottom of unit:) thermal fuse is usually accessible from back and doesn’t require drum removal.
Valve solenoid coils sounds right. The ‘part’ consisted of two electrical coils.