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I have a whirlpool dryer that is taking 2 hours to dry a load of clothes. The air coming from the exhaust vent outside is hot and moist. The vent hose was not clooged and the air duct from the lint trap to the blower was fine. I think it is the heating element. My question is, if it is still heating up will it give false readings when I check the voltage and ohms? If not what radings am I looking for at what connections?
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Usually if the heating element failed, it would not heat (at all).quote:Originally posted by teraluver
...air coming from the exhaust vent outside is hot and moist... I think it is the heating element.
It doesn't need to be absolutely plugged to cause drying problems.quote:The vent hose was not clogged
On an electric dryer a simple method of absolutely ruling out the venting as a possible cause of drying problems is to totally remove the venting from the dryer for a load or two to see if drying improves. If drying does improve, you can be certain that the vent is (at least part of) the problem.
You can read about dryer venting at the following link:
- How long can my dryer vent be?
LINK > http://www.appliance411.com/links/jump.cgi?ID=778
As I said, if the element was the problem it would usually be open (broken) and not generate any heat at all. It could be broken and shorted to ground and only getting 1/2 as hot as it should but that would be unusual and such a failure would frequently cause the element to continue to heat even when the dryer was off. (Very dangerous!)quote:My question is, if it is still heating up will it give false readings when I check the voltage and ohms?
IMO I think you should try the vent test first then get back to us if drying doesn't improve so we can suggest other possible causes.
BTW. Have you noticed the clothes coming out of the washer any wetter than normal recently? Maybe it is the clothes washer just not spinning properly and not a problem in the dryer at all??
Dan O.
The Appliance Information Site
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PS. If you need further assistance please post the dryer's complete *model number* so we can find out how it was designed (they're not all the same) and what components it uses which might contribute to drying problem.
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I will try running it withiut the vent, but I have another question. Is it normal for the heating ciols to have black marks under them? When we took off the heating element to look at it, it appeared that two or three of the coils had scorched the metal frame under them. The rest of the heating element is the normal silver color. The dryer model number is LER4634JQ1.Comment
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That could have been from the coil sagging and touching ground causing a short (as described previously) or from an accumulation of lint in that area burning up.quote:Originally posted by teraluver
When we took off the heating element to look at it, it appeared that two or three of the coils had scorched the metal frame under them.
Make sure the element is not currently touching ground (the metal housing) and that when it expands slightly as it heats it won't either. But don't bent the links of the coil though as if two get too close together it will form a hot spot where the element will likely fail prematurely.
Make sure the coil hasn't broken already (like see in this picture) and the 2 pieces aren't just really close together but not actually attached to each other. The element coil should be one contiguous piece of wire.
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You can see the element used on your model at this link:
- Whirlpool LER4634JQ1 Dryer Element
LINK > http://tinyurl.com/6f5kh
JFYI
Dan O.
The Appliance Information Site
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Okay, Well the venting definately isn't the problem. A load of laundry still took 2 hours to dry with the vent hose removed and the air duct completly cleaned out. The current heat element reads 9.6 ohms and the new uninstalled one reads 8.8 ohms. I don't see much of a difference to cause such a problem. What else can I check?Comment
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If the element is expanding during use and touching a ground (as could be the cause of the discoloration described earlier), its output could change at that time but possibly still measure normally when not in use (when the coil cools and contracts again).quote:The current heat element reads 9.6 ohms and the new uninstalled one reads 8.8 ohms.
If the heater and the venting (and a problem in the washer) is *definitely* not the cause, the problem has got to be poor air flow through the dryer itself. Leaking seals on each end of the drum and between the dryer front panel and internal ducting, the door not closing tightly, the lint filter missing or not sealing properly may all be potential causes of poor drying.quote:I have a whirlpool dryer that is taking 2 hours to dry a load of clothes. The air coming from the exhaust vent outside is hot and moist... the venting definitely isn't the problem...
JMO
Dan O.
The Appliance Information Site
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What about a possible thermostat?Comment
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Previously you stated "The air coming from the exhaust vent outside is hot...". If a thermostat was shutting down the heater, the exhaust air shouldn't be "hot".quote:Originally posted by teraluver
What about a possible thermostat?
The air being hot and it blowing from the vent sufficiently but the clothes still not drying properly to me has to mean the air is not getting to the clothes to dry them which can only be caused by poor air flow through the dryer... or the clothes going into the dryer wetter than normal like could be caused by a malfunctioning washer. JMO
Have you ruled out the heater coil intermittently shorting to ground?
Dan O.
The Appliance Information Site
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How would I do that?Comment
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Did you install the replacement element you purchased? That would likely rule out a problem in the original one.quote:Originally posted by teraluver
How would I do that?
Other than that, it is often very difficult to check for intermittent problems especially when they may only occur when the appliance is in use and not at rest. The person working on it would have to use their own initiative to determine a method for testing in such a case. There are no set procedures AFAIK.
JMO
Dan O.
The Appliance Information Site
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