The Daring Dufas posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP


On 4/5/2014 5:42 PM, Nil wrote:
My 25-year-old Hotpoint dryer is getting flaky. I have to run it two or
three times to dry a load of wet clothes. I cleaned out the vent pipe
and got quite a lot of lint out, but it still doesn't dry very well.
I'm guessing either the heating element is partially dead or the
thermostat is bad or both. I haven't opened up the machine to test the
parts yet. A new heating element seems to cost about $100.

I'm wondering if modern dryers are better, more efficient, and more
reliable these days than they were in the late '80s/early '90s. Do you
think it's worth sinking $100 into such an old appliance, or would it
be better to cut my losses and put the money toward a new one?

If it was clogged with lint, I'm guessing the high limit(over temp
safety) has been clicking on and off on and off until it is worn out.
There could also be a bad connection somewhere since 1/4" Faston
connectors can and will go bad when subjected to continuous high current
loads. The heating element is either good or bad not intermittent.
That's a Klixon or connection problem. The main thermostats in
conventional simple electric clothes dryers don't usually go bad and
will outlast everything else but can still have bad connections. Do a
little trouble shooting. When I was helping my late friend GB with
residential HVAC work, there was always that customer who would say, "I
think it's a bad thermostat." ^_^

Oh yea, check all the connections first. Look for something loose or
burnt. ^_^

TDD

And the Faston connectors are high temperature rated vs the cheap crimp ons
you find most places.

--
Tekkie