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Thread Number: 31486
What Causes Dryer Heating Elements To Fail? |
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| Post# 474916 , Reply# 1 11/13/2010 at 22:08 (4,905 days old) by powerfin64 (Yakima, Washington) | ||
exhaust hoses.. | ||
| Post# 474917 , Reply# 2 11/13/2010 at 22:11 (4,905 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas) | ||
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The exhaust hoses are very short flexible metalized material. And they are clean. They exhaust directly to the outside via a less than 1 ft length with no curves in the ductwork. The dryers do not heat at all on any setting. | ||
Post# 474947 , Reply# 3 11/14/2010 at 06:02 (4,905 days old) by retro-man  (- boston,ma) |
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1st I would try tripping the circuit breakers on both dryers to see if this fixes the problem. sometimes a dual breaker for 240 will trip on one side but not the other. Have had this problem with an a/c unit before. blower would work but unit outside would not functioin. Jon | ||
| Post# 474956 , Reply# 4 11/14/2010 at 06:36 (4,904 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA) | ||
Lint
I would say that lint buildup makes it to the element and burns it out. The replacements can fail early if the installed has handled them with bare hands. I have a co-worker that went through three heating elements in less than two years on his Kenmore dryer. Generally, I recommend replacing the hi-limit thermostat when the element has failed. He had replaced his twice. The last one, not. Odd that the brand new element lasted for years, but the replacements failed early.
Makes me wonder if the OEM elements are junk. Maybe you should only use FSP elements... He ended up buying the cheapest Roper dryer Lowes had in stock. Malcolm | ||
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Post# 474965 , Reply# 5 11/14/2010 at 07:08 (4,904 days old) by Toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Excessive voltage may be a factor.
But heaters both out simultneously may point to a lack of 220v. On Long Island the voltage tends to run high. Had two new Whirlpool brand electric stoves. Both developed arcing surface-unit control switches. But in a commerical setting there may be 208v (3-phase) for a dryer rated 220v, so I don't think that will be a problem. Likewise banging / slamming the heck out of the dryer door may not help the phiysical integrity of the heating coils either. | ||
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Post# 475177 , Reply# 6 11/15/2010 at 07:54 (4,903 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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DRYER HEATING ELEMENT FAILURES
First the owner should find out what the problem is by calling a qualified person to access and fix the problem. Electric dryers with vents that short should never burn out an element in a lifetime unless the voltage is too high. If you approach or go over 250 volts the elements will fail prematurely. Normally a heating element will outlast an electric dryer and if you do have an element failure the solution is not just to replace the element like you would replace a light bulb but to figure out way it failed and fix that problem. I have been repairing dryers for over 30 years and learned long ago when a heater is burned out that if you don't fix the underlying problem you will just be back and have an unhappy customer. The experience of Malcolm's co-worker is very common as there was else wrong that was not fixed and no it does not hurt the element to touch it with your hands. If fact on GE and MT HOH and many others you have to string the element through the insulators by hand and I have never seen this cause a problem or seen a service manual or instruction sheet that suggested not touching the element with your bare hands.
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| Post# 475283 , Reply# 8 11/15/2010 at 14:49 (4,903 days old) by Iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas) | ||
Me thinks I wouldn't take my pet to her grooming salon. "drying" a pet with a wet towel has a number of problems. One spreading disease, fungus, etc from one pet to another. Two--you aren't going to accomplish too much drying with wet towels.
Other than that, there is also the possibility that the dryers are under heavy use, or at least useage that is much greater than home use, and she may want to look at a commercial type machine. | ||
| Post# 475314 , Reply# 9 11/15/2010 at 17:16 (4,903 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii) | ||
People will not use their "automatic cycle" which senses when the clothes are dry and automatically cools down and shuts off.Instead,they will set the timer on 60 to 120 minutes then check and see how dry the clothes are after about twenty minutes or so.that is such a waste of time and energy that there should be a law against it. (since they already have control on washers and how much hot water we use doing our clothes, you'd think these manufacturers would be a bit more strict on how much time a dryer runs per load.)I line dry 95% of my loads and they smell so much nicer drying outside instead of in a dryer.
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| Post# 475320 , Reply# 10 11/15/2010 at 18:14 (4,903 days old) by qsd-dan (West) | ||
People will not use their "automatic cycle" which senses when the clothes are dry and automatically cools down and shuts off.
I bet that's the problem right there. If the dryer is perpetually shut off with the heating element still activated (checking if the towels are dry) without letting the machine run on and letting the heating element PROPERLY cool, it will cause the heating element to eventually sag and break or ground out. | ||
| Post# 475370 , Reply# 12 11/15/2010 at 21:15 (4,903 days old) by Maytagbear (N.E. Ohio) | ||
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Innocently meant question: Why is a high volume application using electricity, anyway? I would think that gas heated dryers would be much cheaper to run! I almost always use the "Intellidry" (sensor) setting on my gas Dependable Care. Lawrence/Maytagbear | ||
| Post# 475388 , Reply# 13 11/16/2010 at 00:22 (4,903 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas) | ||
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There is no gas on the premises. The shop is at the end of a strip center. The grooming shop goes through about 30 towels a day. It's not a large operation. There are two groomers, one dog bather and one receptionist. And that's all. | ||
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Post# 475415 , Reply# 14 11/16/2010 at 06:36 (4,902 days old) by Toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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My grandfather always said, NEVER EVER waste your time trying to figure out and apply logic to the female mind. It can't be done, and remains one a place containing one of the greatest mysteries of the universe.
Always beware of people whose only two emotions are exhuberant elation and bitter anger. The neighbors had their 110v 20a TWO-WIRE circuit (@12 gauge 20 amp capacity) converted to be able to use their 220v 30a THREE-WIRE dryer. (Which needs #10 gauge 30amp wire) The neutral/ground was the metal sheath of the armored cable. (Standard in NYC where pastic-sheathed wire was not, until recently, allowed). The two conductors were used as "hots" The poor circuit-breaker failed in that the heat generated by the overly thin wire deformed the circuit-breaker. How there was not a fire due to overheated wire, I don't know. If this is how the 120v outlet was utlitzed, it is better that the cicruit failed rather than catching fire. | ||
| Post# 475474 , Reply# 15 11/16/2010 at 11:35 (4,902 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas) | ||
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I always expect people to have a minimum amount of order to their thought patterns. Hysterical women don't seem to have any order at all to their way of thinking. Plus they usually aren't technically proficient. So when I deal with them, I usually end up getting angry and walking away and they turn into bitches. Not the way I want to live. | ||
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Post# 475503 , Reply# 16 11/16/2010 at 13:06 (4,902 days old) by joe_in_philly (Philadelphia, PA, USA) |
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| Post# 475510 , Reply# 17 11/16/2010 at 13:37 (4,902 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas) | ||
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I didn't say that all women are like that, but it sure does seem like more of them act that way then men do. | ||
| Post# 475523 , Reply# 19 11/16/2010 at 14:12 (4,902 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas) | ||
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I have known others who have had heating elements replaced, but in all of our own dryers we have never had this happen. I'll tell Karen to tell the owner of the shop have whoever services the machine to check the voltage going in. I never knew that about dryers. You always learn something new. | ||
| Post# 475527 , Reply# 20 11/16/2010 at 14:26 (4,902 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii) | ||
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I never had to replace an element in any of my electric dryers,ever.I always use the automatic dry cycle (if I'm not hanging the wash out due to the weather)because it's fool proof.If I was to turn the dryer on empty,within 4 minutes,it shuts off all by itself.The clothes never over dry and I usually set it for either wash and wear (permanent press)or delicate.That way,the aroma of the detergent (Gain original scent)and/or softener keeps it's strength and isn't burned out by the extreme heat.I never go and open the door to get anything while it's still cycling.I may through in a lost sock or towel,but never open the dryer to see how dry the loads are.
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| Post# 475531 , Reply# 21 11/16/2010 at 14:34 (4,902 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii) | ||
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and another thing---
Some folks use the three prong 220 volt cord that is made for ELECTRIC RANGES to connect their electric dryer. They put in the wrong outlet(the one made for electric ranges)so,the cord made for 40 amp service as well as the outlet are incorrect and can cause issues because they're 40 amps and the electric dryers only needs 30 amps.Too much power can cause an overdrive and burn out different components like diodes , timers, heating elements and motors.
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| Post# 475859 , Reply# 23 11/17/2010 at 14:54 (4,901 days old) by macboy91si (Frankfort, KY) | ||
Automatic Dry Cycle
I was under the impression that there are thermostats to protect the element (cycling) for any cycle. We had a timed dry old BOL Kenmore for years and never had issue with the element. I could see that running the dryer on timed mode can in a sense use the element more, but not overheat it or anything. These have a long service life. I also take a slight regard to the statement about opening the dryer to check the clothes. If one has a timed machine as many of mine are, there is not much else in the way of gauging the dampness of the clothes. While my main full size dryer has an automatic cycle and I utilize it mostly, the 3 portable dryers I have are all timed. I check around the 30-40 min mark for dampness. It loses much more heat in the cool-down cycle than opening the door with no air flowing.
-Tim | ||
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Post# 476178 , Reply# 26 11/18/2010 at 20:52 (4,900 days old) by Toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Call a professional to fix it dumb@$$ lady
One thing I learned a long time ago: one can not teach others how to think.
Grandpa always said. "Without yeast, bread you can not make." Tranlation: You have to spend money to make money. When I sold appliances for Sears, I can't tell you how many customers came in to buy a dryer or a stove (yes mostly female) and had NO CLUE as to the energy source/fuel. OK maybe the dryer I can see, but the STOVE? Then they figure out that electric dryer models are $50 cheaper TO BUY than the gas ones and they want it.... uh but if you don't have a dedicated heavy-duty electrical line for an electric dryer, installing one will cost you hundreds of dollars. (Oh you can't just plug it in?) SHOOT ME NOW! Then you have to explain that a GAS dryer costs 1/3 of what it costs to run an ELECTRIC dryer in this market, which is why someone went through all the trouble and expense to install a gas line in the first place. I shouldn't judge others. My sister went to lite the top-burner of the stove at our grandmother's new apartment and, like a good and smart girl, she turned the knob to "high" for it to lite. She bent over to check for a flame and waited and waited, and waited........... I finally said "That may take a while to lite". "WHY?" "uh......IT'S ELECTRIC!" OK electric stoves are EXTREMELY rare in NYC and this place only had one in that it was built when one could not get new hookups to natural gas lines during the 1970's energy crisis. But seriously, no clue? This post was last edited 11/18/2010 at 21:18 | ||
| Post# 476180 , Reply# 27 11/18/2010 at 20:55 (4,900 days old) by supremewhirlpol () | ||
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Allen: Now that's funny! You can't help people like that. Let her drown in her own mess! | ||
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