# Kenmore Dryer Not Drying



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Not the right model #.
Most Kenmore's have a longer number and some decimal points.
Checked the flapper or louvers where the vent exits the house to make sure it's not iced over, stuck, or blocked?


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

My first thought is the same as Joe's, venting problem. After that, how does the laundry feel coming out of the washing machine? Is it more wet than it should be? Could be a problem with the washing machine not spinning the water out as it should.


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## kennykenny (Sep 23, 2007)

DexterII said:


> My first thought is the same as Joe's, venting problem. After that, how does the laundry feel coming out of the washing machine? Is it more wet than it should be? Could be a problem with the washing machine not spinning the water out as it should.


 Your thought about the washing machine came to mind too. If that is possibly the problem, what can I check to if something needs to be replaced?


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Tried replying twice earlier, and my internet dropped off both times, so we'll see what happens. First off, as Joe said, your model number is incomplete and/or incorrect, so, for the sake of example, am going to assume it's a belt drive upright. Does water remain in the tub once the spin cycle is complete? It shouldn't. With the breaker OFF, I would start with the belt and belt tensioner. Check the tensioner for an accumulation of lint, cat hair, whatever that might keep it from operating properly. Then check the belt, but it has been my experience that these belts do not necessarily show wear like say an automotive belt, so would probably put that on my list to replace either way. Unless you have found something obvious by this point, I would remove the hoses from the pump, and check the pump and hoses for any obstructions, such as a sock, accumulation of fabric, whatever. When you remove the hoses, you are obviously going to get some water, but, if any more than say a couple of cups, maybe not even that much, you can be pretty sure that it's the washing machine, either the belt, the pump, or an obstruction. If I didn't find anything, having an appliance parts shop in easy reach, I would probably replace just the belt, see what happens, then replace the pump if that doesn't resolve it.


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## hardwareman (Oct 9, 2010)

if the washer wasn't spinning correctly that would not explain all the steam. I would bet you have a vent problem. You may have to disassemble the dryer to make sure your clear from the lint trap housing to the blower and out the back of dryer.


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## thefixer56 (Feb 23, 2014)

DexterII said:


> your model number is incomplete and/or incorrect, so, for the sake of example, am going to assume it's a belt drive upright. Does water remain in the tub once the spin cycle is complete?


 It's a dryer, not a washing machine. The number given is a Sears part number so I'm guessing it's a 110.66972500 or 501.


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## kennykenny (Sep 23, 2007)

DexterII said:


> Tried replying twice earlier, and my internet dropped off both times, so we'll see what happens. First off, as Joe said, your model number is incomplete and/or incorrect, so, for the sake of example, am going to assume it's a belt drive upright. Does water remain in the tub once the spin cycle is complete? It shouldn't. With the breaker OFF, I would start with the belt and belt tensioner. Check the tensioner for an accumulation of lint, cat hair, whatever that might keep it from operating properly. Then check the belt, but it has been my experience that these belts do not necessarily show wear like say an automotive belt, so would probably put that on my list to replace either way. Unless you have found something obvious by this point, I would remove the hoses from the pump, and check the pump and hoses for any obstructions, such as a sock, accumulation of fabric, whatever. When you remove the hoses, you are obviously going to get some water, but, if any more than say a couple of cups, maybe not even that much, you can be pretty sure that it's the washing machine, either the belt, the pump, or an obstruction. If I didn't find anything, having an appliance parts shop in easy reach, I would probably replace just the belt, see what happens, then replace the pump if that doesn't resolve it.


The model for the dryer is Kenmore Elite 110.66972501. The washer is GE GFWN1100LOWW. Do you have a how to link on how to check the items that you mentioned?


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## thefixer56 (Feb 23, 2014)

Front load washer. Doesn't have a "belt tensioner" This washer has a 1000rpm high speed spin. Very unlikely that the washer is the problem but you should be able to tell if the clothes are excessively wet. If you can't wring any water out of them, this is not your problem.


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## Ultrarunner2017 (Oct 1, 2008)

If you're getting steam in the laundry room, then I suspect a leak in the vent hose - but that alone should not prevent the dryer from doing its job.

Is the air intake port blocked? Confirm that there is nothing blocking the port, and that you have enough air flowing through the dryer and out the vent. Go outside while the dryer is running, and check the air flow coming out of the vent.

I have to agree with the others who have suggested that the drum might not be spinning properly. This would not only cause the clothes not to dry, but it would prevent the air from circulating through the dryer - as it does not appear that your model has a separate fan to blow the air through - so the clothes would just sit there and steam. Since the air is not circulating, the steam would exit wherever it found an opening - which means it would come out of the air intake as well as the output.

One more thought:

While you said the dryer is getting warm, is it warm enough?
The thermostat that controls the heating element may be defective.
I am going to assume that the problem could not be the heating element itself, since it is a simple coil, and it is not likely that part of it would be working while another part is not - at least not without tripping the circuit breaker or causing the entire element to burn out.

FW


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## thefixer56 (Feb 23, 2014)

KE2KB said:


> I once had a dryer that was just that- 115/220V. The heating elements ran on 220, while the motor ran on 115. As I said, if it is a 115/220V, the plug must be 4 prongs.


 That is incorrect. All electric dryers in the U.S. run from 115/220 regardless if it's 3 prong or 4 prong plug. The drive motor runs off 115, the heat element at 220. Timer motors may be 115 or 220.

Exception to this is that there are some portable or compact dryers that only use 115 for motor and heat circuits.


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## Ultrarunner2017 (Oct 1, 2008)

thefixer56 said:


> That is incorrect. All electric dryers in the U.S. run from 115/220 regardless if it's 3 prong or 4 prong plug. The drive motor runs off 115, the heat element at 220. Timer motors may be 115 or 220.
> 
> Exception to this is that there are some portable or compact dryers that only use 115 for motor and heat circuits.


Interesting that you have replied to a post that I removed shortly after writing it. I did post it, but edited a couple times - I felt that I was getting too technical in what should be a relatively simple problem here.

Let me ask you though- this should be posted in the electrical forum.
How can you get 115/220V in an appliance that has only 3 prongs?
You need 2 line, 1 neutral, and 1 equipment ground conductor.
That is, unless the dryer's cord doesn't have an ECG, but has the frame tied to the neutral wire. I have a copy of the 2008 code, so I'll take a look at it, but I wouldn't consider it safe to tie neutral to ECG, since there is the possibility that the neutral conductor is broken, and the frame of the dryer becomes live.

If I recall correctly, in the "old days" you could tie the frame to a water pipe or other ground using a separate conductor, and still use only 3 wires (line1-neutral-line2) in the feed cable. But so far as I know, code does not permit that - though I am going to check it now.

FW


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## thefixer56 (Feb 23, 2014)

The cord doesn't have a ground. At the dryer connection block, the chassis ground is tied to neutral. This was finally changed by the NEC in 1996 as there are a couple scenarios that present a safety hazard including an open neutral as you mention. The other being a high resistance somewhere in the neutral circuit. All homes since the change in 1996 must have a 4-wire receptacle.


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## Ultrarunner2017 (Oct 1, 2008)

thefixer56 said:


> The cord doesn't have a ground. At the dryer connection block, the chassis ground is tied to neutral. This was finally changed by the NEC in 1996 as there are a couple scenarios that present a safety hazard including an open neutral as you mention. The other being a high resistance somewhere in the neutral circuit. All homes since the change in 1996 must have a 4-wire receptacle.


I do recall once doing an install on a 3-wire dryer. But I believe that BX cable was used, so at least there was a backup ground conductor in case the neutral failed.
May I assume that all dryers sold today have the 4-prong plug, and cannot be hard-wired - thus preventing anyone from attempting to wire it the old way?


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## thefixer56 (Feb 23, 2014)

No, that is not the case. Dryers typically do not come with a cord. There are millions of homes with a 3 prong receptacle and millions with 4 prong. They cannot require a homeowner to rewire their home with a 4 conductor service feed for the dryer receptacle.


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## Ultrarunner2017 (Oct 1, 2008)

thefixer56 said:


> No, that is not the case. Dryers typically do not come with a cord. There are millions of homes with a 3 prong receptacle and millions with 4 prong. They cannot require a homeowner to rewire their home with a 4 conductor service feed for the dryer receptacle.


OK. I stand corrected. I'm not an electrician - just a DIY'er with a decent amount of electrical experience, and second - I have a gas dryer


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## kennykenny (Sep 23, 2007)

KE2KB said:


> If you're getting steam in the laundry room, then I suspect a leak in the vent hose - but that alone should not prevent the dryer from doing its job.
> 
> Is the air intake port blocked? Confirm that there is nothing blocking the port, and that you have enough air flowing through the dryer and out the vent. Go outside while the dryer is running, and check the air flow coming out of the vent.
> 
> ...


I checked the t-stat and the coil for continuity and they were both fine.


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## thefixer56 (Feb 23, 2014)

This dryer doesn't regulate heat via a thermostat. It uses a relay operated by an electronic control board based on feedback from a thermistor to determine temperature. Run the dryer with the exhaust hose disconnected. Is there plenty of air flow coming out? Is the drum rotating normally? Is the air temp at the exhaust around 140-150 with temp set on high?

This is an Even Heat model, notorious for faulty control boards and relays.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Another thing to check would be the fan within the dryer that pulls or pushes (depending on manufacturer/model) the air through the drum. Damp lint coming from the dryer will stick to the fan blades and eventually build-up on the fan blades. This makes the fan ineffective.


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## thefixer56 (Feb 23, 2014)

Thurman said:


> Another thing to check would be the fan within the dryer that pulls or pushes (depending on manufacturer/model) the air through the drum.


 I have never seen a dryer that "pushes" air through the drum. Do you know of a specific model that does?


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