I work on gas and electric dryers, standalone and stacked. Look at the job photos on this site. Half of them are dryer cabinets packed with lint, because that's what I see week after week in Little Elm homes.
Sounds like this?
- Runs but no heat, or heat that comes and goes
- Takes two or three cycles to dry a normal load
- Squealing, thumping or grinding while the drum turns
- Drum won't turn but the motor hums
- Shuts off after a few minutes
- Burning smell, or a lint smell when it runs
- Won't start, no lights, or the door switch doesn't register
- Trips the breaker
What I do on the visit
- 01Test the heating element, thermal fuse, thermostats, igniter and gas valve coils
- 02Check the drum rollers, belt, idler pulley and blower wheel
- 03Pull the front panel and clean out the lint that's built up inside the cabinet
- 04Check the vent run for airflow, because a blocked vent kills heating elements and starts fires
- 05Give you the price and fix it, most of the time in one visit
Brands I see most for this
What shows up in customers' homes. Not a claim of factory authorization.
- Whirlpool, Maytag and Kenmore
- Thermal fuse and heating element failures on electric models, and worn drum rollers and belts that cause the squeal.
- Samsung
- Heating element and thermistor problems, and the front drum bearing slide that wears and thumps.
- LG
- Blower housing lint buildup and heating element failures, plus door switch and control issues.
- GE
- Igniter and gas valve coil failures on gas dryers, drum bearing wear on older units.
Questions I get asked
- My dryer runs but the clothes come out cold. What is it?
- On an electric dryer it's usually the heating element or the thermal fuse. On gas it's usually the igniter or the gas valve coils. Either way it's a common, affordable fix and I usually have the part with me.
- Why does my dryer take two cycles?
- Nine times out of ten the vent is restricted. Lint builds up inside the dryer cabinet and in the vent run to the outside, and the dryer can't push the moist air out. I clean it out and show you what came out.
- Do you clean dryer vents?
- Yes. I open the dryer, clean the blower housing and cabinet, and check the vent run. Ask about it as preventative maintenance even if the dryer isn't broken yet.
- Can you tell if my dryer is a fire risk?
- A dryer packed with lint, running hot, or venting into a crushed foil hose is a risk. I see all three regularly. If I find it, I'll show you and tell you what to change.