# dryer going out



## mckain87 (Oct 15, 2012)

I have a regular electric ge dryer that is not drying. It usually takes a cycle and a half or so for the clothes to be dry. Now I didn't notice this problem until I got to a new house that I purchased. Could there be anything on the house side that is causing this even though its only the electric and the little silver duct that goes into the wall? Or if you any ideas of what kind of things go out in a dryer that I could look at first.

Thanks!

Zach


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Check the voltage coming into the outlet. You should be getting 120 per leg to the Neutral, 240 measured between both legs together. If you have the proper voltages, check to make sure there is not a ball of lint clogging your exhaust duct on the back of the dryer, and also that the duct for the house is not clogged with a bunch of lint.

You can run the dryer off the vent to check if it is blowing hot air also. Just do not run it that wall for the rest of the time you live there.


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## mckain87 (Oct 15, 2012)

I just didn't umderstand the last part. Don't run it where?


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Where do you think. In your laundry room. Then again, you could run it for President, since politicians are full of hot air.


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## mckain87 (Oct 15, 2012)

Hrmm...well it is in the garage and the only place I can run it


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

If that is your laundry room, then I guess that will be where you are going to be finding the problem and where it will stay. I really did not care what room it was in, other than your question was asking what was wrong and I gave you ideas to answer your question. Now go get 'er done and stop chatting on the Internet.

If you do not have a meter, you can get a $5.00 120/240/280 tester from your local Home Depot/Lowe's/Ace Hardware. It basically has test leads that you would use to check inside the outlet for voltage. If you have four legs on your plug for your dryer, it is 2 hots, a neutral, and a ground. Whether you check from Neutral or Ground to a hot leg, you will/should get 120 volts. If you check from Neutral & Ground, you will get nothing.


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## mckain87 (Oct 15, 2012)

Cool. Well I'm hoping for you, you don't work anywhere that you have to communicate or be sociable with people. Thanks for the help though. I will look into this.


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## DannyT (Mar 23, 2011)

unhook it from the vent and turn it on. does it blow hot air? if yes reconnect it and turn it on and check outside to see if you have good airflow out of the outside vent. if no it might be the heating elements. you will need a meter to test them.

i would check for a clogged vent line if it worked at the old house.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

mckain87 said:


> Cool. Well I'm hoping for you, you don't work anywhere that you have to communicate or be sociable with people. Thanks for the help though. I will look into this.


Actually I do communicate all day long with people, and I am very sociable, which has nothing with the first reply in how to find out the problem. Nothing is wrong with what I suggested to you in how to fix it. For the time you have spent chatting on here, you could have found out the problem.

Now go get it fixed and stop chatting. Do not come back until you find out the problem, since the Internet can only give you suggestions, not physically fix the problem.


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## mckain87 (Oct 15, 2012)

How hot should it be coming out...I turned it on the "hottest" setting and let it run for five minutes and I can stick my hand in the duct and its warm but not hot really


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Around 130 degrees. The duct will feel warm when you place your hand there. Take a damp washcloth or towel, stick it in the dryer and run for 20 to 30 min's. If it is dried, the dryer is working. You can take the back off of the dryer if you have had it a few years, and clean the lint out of the duct, along with cleaning the exhaust duct that goes from the garage to the outside.

As long as the duct is not flex duct, lint should not collect, but it will happen if the duct goes through a cold space like a crawl space or attic.


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## mckain87 (Oct 15, 2012)

Outstanding. I will do that. Only thing is I can't find where the dryer duct goes outside. I don't see anything.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

It may just vent into the crawl space or attic. Even worse, they placed the siding over the vent hole and it is now covered. That would cause your problem. You may have to open the wall space to figure out which direction the duct goes. You can always repair the drywall after you fix the duct problem.


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## mckain87 (Oct 15, 2012)

Okay awesome..I will look into it. Thanks for your help.


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## boman47k (Aug 25, 2006)

You can buy a clip-on thermostat to check the temp at the vent on the dryer. You will notice the heat will kick on and off. Note the temps this happens. Temp should *average* around 130. Depending on the stat in the dryer it may kick on at 120 and kick off at 140. 120 +140 = 260/2 +130. It may vary a little as was said depending on the stat in the dryer.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think 135 or 140 would be as high as you would expect the temp to average.


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## mckain87 (Oct 15, 2012)

So I found the problem. The outlet was on the other side of the garage from where the dryer is. There is leaves and an array of other things stuffed down the vent as far as I can see. I used a shopvac suck it out as far as it would reach but I can't reach it all so idk what to do about the rest.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

You can get extensions or a duct cleaner that has flex rods that can be attached, so you can push the crud out of the duct.


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## tylernt (Jul 5, 2012)

mckain87 said:


> So I found the problem. The outlet was on the other side of the garage from where the dryer is. There is leaves and an array of other things stuffed down the vent as far as I can see. I used a shopvac suck it out as far as it would reach but I can't reach it all so idk what to do about the rest.


Hook the dryer back up the duct and turn it on, to "fluff" (no heat). Then go outside and snake the vent with a small plumbing snake. You should soon end up with blast of leaves in your face and a clear duct.


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## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

Make sure you install a critter cover on that vent....that should help keep out the leaves.....

Do a search on dryer vents.


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## Thunder Chicken (May 22, 2011)

There is a thing called a lint-eater sold in most hardware stores that you can use to clean the ducts. It is a 4" diameter brush that you can put on a drill to rooter out lint. You can get extensions for it so you can run it a good way through the duct, even around corners. Works well, but it sounds like you have a very long duct run.


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