Whirlpool Electric Dryer Problem
 

Hello,



I have an electric dryer that is about 7 years old. I'm a beginner and
no nothing about repairs or problems, but I did a little research
online.


Here is the problem:


1. Dryer starts and runs fine for 15 minutes then shuts down (probably
a safety mechanism)..

2. If I wait 30-60 minutes the dryer will startup on it's own again
(if it still had time left for drying)

3. There is an electrical/rubber burning type smell coming from the
dryer.


Here is what's been done:

I had a friend take the dryer apart and oil the motor parts that
needed it. This worked for about 1 month and now it's doing the same
thing. He also cleaned out the lint in the dryer.


Here's what I think is the problem and I just want some confirmation:


The dryer motor is heating up because the bearings are bad. This
caused the safety to kick in and the machine to stop. Once the motor
cools down, it will then restart and continue heating. It appears to
be a bad motor that needs to be replaced. The motor cost $100.00 - the
friend will install it for $20.00 and the dryer cost $350.00 brand
new.



Two Questions:


Does it sound like the motor?


Should I repair or just replace the dryer (I don't have a lot of money
but also do not want to repair it again in another 6 months because of
a another problem)



Any help would be appreciated.



Thanks,


Hoopster

Hoopster wrote:

Hello,



I have an electric dryer that is about 7 years old. I'm a beginner and
no nothing about repairs or problems, but I did a little research
online.


Here is the problem:


1. Dryer starts and runs fine for 15 minutes then shuts down (probably
a safety mechanism)..

2. If I wait 30-60 minutes the dryer will startup on it's own again
(if it still had time left for drying)

3. There is an electrical/rubber burning type smell coming from the
dryer.


Here is what's been done:

I had a friend take the dryer apart and oil the motor parts that
needed it. This worked for about 1 month and now it's doing the same
thing. He also cleaned out the lint in the dryer.


Here's what I think is the problem and I just want some confirmation:


The dryer motor is heating up because the bearings are bad. This
caused the safety to kick in and the machine to stop. Once the motor
cools down, it will then restart and continue heating. It appears to
be a bad motor that needs to be replaced. The motor cost $100.00 - the
friend will install it for $20.00 and the dryer cost $350.00 brand
new.



Two Questions:


Does it sound like the motor?


Should I repair or just replace the dryer (I don't have a lot of money
but also do not want to repair it again in another 6 months because of
a another problem)



Any help would be appreciated.



Thanks,


Hoopster
Hi,
Does hot air circulate free thru the drum? Motor has thermal shtuoff
strip which will reset after cooled off. Also Excess heat in the drum
has safety heat sensor which will trigger. Is it hotter than normal when
problem happens inside the drum?
You have nice friend. Charging money to do some favor to a friend.
I never do.
Good luck,
Tony

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 19:03:11 -0700, in alt.home.repair Whirlpool
Electric Dryer Problem Hoopster wrote:

Should I repair or just replace the dryer (I don't have a lot of money
but also do not want to repair it again in another 6 months because of
a another problem)

I would replace it.

Even if the motor is the problem (and it sounds like it is) there will
be other problems arising in the coming years.

--
To reply to me directly, remove the CLUTTER from my email address.

On Wed, 13 Jul 2005 02:20:48 GMT, in alt.home.repair
Whirlpool Electric Dryer Problem Tony Hwang wrote:


The dryer motor is heating up because the bearings are bad. This
caused the safety to kick in and the machine to stop. Once the motor
cools down, it will then restart and continue heating. It appears to
be a bad motor that needs to be replaced. The motor cost $100.00 - the
friend will install it for $20.00 and the dryer cost $350.00 brand
new.


Does hot air circulate free thru the drum? Motor has thermal shtuoff
strip which will reset after cooled off. Also Excess heat in the drum
has safety heat sensor which will trigger. Is it hotter than normal when
problem happens inside the drum?
You have nice friend. Charging money to do some favor to a friend.
I never do.
Good luck,
Tony

The $20 to switch out the motor sounds pretty friendly to me. Around
here that would cost $65 and I live in a rural "low-cost" area.

--
To reply to me directly, remove the CLUTTER from my email address.

"Hoopster" wrote in message
...
Hello,



I have an electric dryer that is about 7 years old.
I'm a beginner and
no nothing about repairs or problems, but I did a
little research
online.


Here is the problem:


1. Dryer starts and runs fine for 15 minutes then
shuts down (probably
a safety mechanism)..

2. If I wait 30-60 minutes the dryer will startup on
it's own again
(if it still had time left for drying)

3. There is an electrical/rubber burning type smell
coming from the
dryer.


Here is what's been done:

I had a friend take the dryer apart and oil the motor
parts that
needed it. This worked for about 1 month and now it's
doing the same
thing. He also cleaned out the lint in the dryer.


Here's what I think is the problem and I just want
some confirmation:


The dryer motor is heating up because the bearings
are bad. This
caused the safety to kick in and the machine to stop.
Once the motor
cools down, it will then restart and continue
heating. It appears to
be a bad motor that needs to be replaced. The motor
cost $100.00 - the
friend will install it for $20.00 and the dryer cost
$350.00 brand
new.



Two Questions:


Does it sound like the motor?


Should I repair or just replace the dryer (I don't
have a lot of money
but also do not want to repair it again in another 6
months because of
a another problem)



Any help would be appreciated.



Thanks,


Hoopster

I'd try to be more sure it's the motor before you spend
a hundred bucks or the new one might total out to $450,
not $350.
Is the motor too hot to touch when it shuts down?
If not, then it's somet5hing else causing the
shutdown - inside drum temp sensor for instance.
Sensor bad or it gets too hot because it's not
regulating the max temp for the drum.

If the motor does get real hot when it shuts off, then
it still might be that the motor is trying to drive too
much load. Is what the motor is driving free and with
nothing binding?
What's the dryer doing when the motor quits? That
might give a hint as to what might be too hard for the
motor to drive. The load on the motor changes as it
goes thru its cycles; agitate, spin, etc..

It's likely the motor, but not for sure. I had a
slipping belt on mine let the motor run too fast and it
overheated. But that was easy to spot.
The smell you're noticing could be the motor; or a
slipping belt that's too tight, out of track, whatever,
or both.

Are you a junkster like I am? From the sound of your
experience level with such things, you might want to
buy a new one and then take the old one out to the work
area and remove the cabinet, find out for sure what's
wrong, and try to sell it if it's in decent shape.
Then you can recoup at least some of the cost of the
new one, espeically if it's cheap to fix. You might
even find a used motor if that's the problem - I have
two out in the shed g. One's from mine, one's from a
neighbor's.

Ah, and she gave me $40 for fixing the machine; I
didn't ask for it but a lot of people, myself included,
feel a lot better if we pay someone who does something
for us that saves a couple bucks. She had a much more
expensive washer, but it was a simple fix as it turned
out. They wanted $125, non-refundable if it was a NFF,
to come out and fix it; same place she bought it from.
Must be nice ...

HTH,

Pop

Hi,
Does hot air circulate free thru the drum? Motor has thermal shtuoff
strip which will reset after cooled off. Also Excess heat in the drum
has safety heat sensor which will trigger. Is it hotter than normal when
problem happens inside the drum?
You have nice friend. Charging money to do some favor to a friend.
I never do.
Good luck,
Tony



Hello - new problem. The dryer started to dry the close and 1/2 way
through it stopped. I then tried to start it again and it hummed. Does
this sound like the motor?

Hi,

Does this sound like the motor?

From what I have read so far....yes.

jeff.
Appliance Repair Aid
http://www.applianceaid.com/

Vic Dura wrote:
On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 19:03:11 -0700, in alt.home.repair Whirlpool
Electric Dryer Problem Hoopster wrote:

Should I repair or just replace the dryer (I don't have a lot of money
but also do not want to repair it again in another 6 months because of
a another problem)

I would replace it.

Even if the motor is the problem (and it sounds like it is) there will
be other problems arising in the coming years.

--
To reply to me directly, remove the CLUTTER from my email address.

It could also be the drum bearings or glides. Is the drum hard to turn
by hand. ? The drum glides may need to be lubed.

Google: dryer drum glides.

Mark