"Is my shirt dry yet? I'm gonna be late!" The clothes dryer is one of the most used—and abused—devices in the typical household. It dries clothing, shoes, billfolds, loose change, discarded chewing gum, and who knows what else. The lint trap is stuffed with lint and bits of paper. The exhaust hose is stuffed with lint. The dryer takes twice as long to dry as it did a month ago. It's time to call the Fix-It Club!
A clothes dryer is a large appliance for drying clothes, bedding, towels, and other linens. Moisture is removed from clothes with a combination of air, heat, and motion. Gas and electric dyers differ mainly in the heat source. Both gas and electric models use a motor to turn a drive belt. The drive belt revolves the drum which holds the clothing. A blower directs air past the heat source and into the drum where it draws lint and moisture from the fabrics through a lint screen and out an exhaust duct. Appliance controls regulate the options, such as temperature and drying time. Some machines use mechanical timers while others rely on digital electronics.
Disassemble a dryer:
- Unplug the dryer or turn off power at the electrical service panel.
- Unscrew the control console at each end. Fasteners will be at the bottom front, top, or the sides.
- Place the console face down on a soft towel or other cushion on top of the dryer for further disassembly and testing.
- Remove the console's rear panel to access the start switch, temperature selector, circuit diagram, and timer.
- As needed, access the drum by removing a top-mounted lint screen (on some models), and pushing the blade of a putty knife between the dryer's top and body to disengage attachment clips.
- As needed, remove the dryer's rear panel by moving the dryer away from the wall and removing any screws around the panel edges.
- As needed, remove the toe panel by inserting a putty knife under the center top of the toe panel to catch the clip, then removing the panel.
- As needed, remove the front panel by loosening screws at the panel corners to access the drum and motor.
- Once inside the dryer, disconnect and label any wires attached to components you need to remove.
You now can service the drive belt and idler pulley (below) or test the motor, heating element, and other components using a multimeter.
Service the drive belt and idler pulley:
- Remove the top panel or raise the top and remove the front panel (see above).
- Support the dryer drum on a block of scrap wood.
- Push the idler pulley toward the motor pulley to slacken the drive belt, then disengage the belt.
- Inspect the idler bracket, pulley, and spring and adjust or replace as needed. Some idler pulleys are held in place by belt tension and others by spring tension.
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