My dryer wouldn't start today! And I won't lie, I did think it was likely that I would need to buy a new one. We had looked at some good deals around Black Friday, but went back to we didn't need one yet. I think our set is at least 16 years old, maybe even 18.
But then my desire to DIY the problem kicked in. No the breaker hadn't tripped. Yes, it was still plugged in. Google said a thermal fuse going bad (or tripped) is usually number one cause. So then, despite a snow day here (school and work cancelled), we ventured out to get a thermal fuse.
The business was open. Roads were awful for the first two or three miles after leaving our neighborhood. Packed ice!! But the remainder of the trip was dry or just wet roads. Cost for a thermal fuse was $30.
So we came home (crawled the last two miles in our truck on the ice) and set about finding where the parts were so we could replace. One was easy to access, the other...not easy. We ended up opening the top, the front panel and taking out the entire dryer drum! Yep, taking that drum out worried me the most. But we did watch a YouTube video about it first! There was another back panel we detached and we took out the heating element. I seriously think my husband and I could put these together for a living now that we've seen all the parts!!
The best news is it's fixed! Back in working order and has already dried two loads of laundry.
Actually, the very best news is that part died and we were able to get so far inside...there is a lot of lint that accumulates inside a dryer. Sure most of it likely goes through the vent, but over time a lot of lint accumulates inside. It has been cleaned a few times before, but not this deep. And yes, I know to check the lint trap and the vent to the outside regularly. I'm really glad that we were able to have a reason to clean it out so well. I won't hesitate to open it up again in a year or two and clean it out again.
Oh, we also know how to replace the belt on the dryer if needed. And if I had known we were going to be removing it anyway I may have purchased one while getting the other part. But it still works!
Have you ever fixed a dryer? Or other major household appliance?
DIY Dryer Fix
January 5th, 2018 at 01:28 am
January 5th, 2018 at 01:47 pm 1515160068
January 5th, 2018 at 03:57 pm 1515167842
January 5th, 2018 at 07:52 pm 1515181978
January 6th, 2018 at 04:11 pm 1515255112
January 20th, 2018 at 03:34 pm 1516462491
I went a few days without showering, then did an ice cold shower (resulting in a headache), then started showering at my sister in law's house. It was a pain, but totally worth it when he came home and immediately found the problem and got the part ordered.
I wish I had the skills that he has! I married a handyman but, despite my mechanical engineering degree, I'm just a wannabe who feels cool when she holds a drill.