Electric Dryer Maintenance
Although many household appliances are complex, the electric dryer is actually fairly simple. It consists of a motor that spins the drum, a heat element, some controls, a way to get rid of damp air, and a lint filter. While you can occasionally have problems with the drum not spinning or the heating element going bad, most of the time a dryer problem is caused by lint clogging the drier itself or the air duct. This is easy to fix.
You are going to need a screw driver and a wrench or two in the size of the bolts on the back of the machine. If you do not have a metal vent pipe, cleaning out the lint is a great time to install one. This will reduce the chance of fires significantly. If you are installing a new vent pipe or hose, then you will need the hose or fittings of a proper length as well as the clamps that attach the hose to the dryer and the outside air vent.
First, unplug the machine. Even if you are doing something simple that has nothing to do with the electrical system, unplug the machine. Most electric dryers are 220 volts and that can do some damage.
Push the dryer out; one other nice thing about dryers is that they are usually lightweight so you don’t have to have a weightlifter to move one around.
The vent hose will be clamped on the back. Loosen the clamps and take the hose off of the dryer. Check the hose for clogs and clean them out.
Now take the back off of the dryer by unscrewing the bolts that hold the sheet metal back on the appliance. Be sure you put all those little bolts in a place where you can find them again, such as a small bowl. Once the back is off, you will notice where lint has built up. This needs to be cleaned out. Also, you can disassemble the lint filter system and clean that out. You may have to come around the front of the dryer to unscrew the part of the filter system that is attached to the front of the machine. If you have not done this chore for awhile, you will find it to be somewhat clogged up.
Reassembly works in reverse from disassembly. Start with the lint system, then the back of the machine, and then the vent hose.
You’ll find that when it is cleaned out, your dryer will work more efficiently. You will also have reduced a serious fire hazard, particularly if you have replaced a vinyl hose with metal.