# lint trap stuck in slot of dryer



## tritonx (May 27, 2013)

Hi, I've got a dryer front partially disassembled, but thought I'd better see if anyone has a better idea. My lint trap is stuck in the slot at the front of the door. Won't come up so I can clean it out and put in a new load of clothes. While I was disassembling, I checked with the youtube on disassembling front of dryer and it looks as though that won't actually help. When you get the door off, the dryer slot looks inaccessible to any poking about to try to free it. The next step would be to remove the bulkhead, but it's not clear that this would help either and I don't want to have a laundry room filled with parts of a dryer to no good end except supreme frustration. 

This is the vid I was looking at. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APlWrIcP94g At the 1.29 point, the door comes off and the section where the lint trap lies is exposed, but it looks like there's no way to get into it. Any ideas? I'm trying to avoid the 2 hour min. repairman charge for such a minor issue.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Do you have the bulkhead off yet?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Model and make of the dryer would sure help.


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## tritonx (May 27, 2013)

Bulkhead is not off yet. From the vid on pause, it doesn't look like it gives any point of access to the lint trap. It's a Whirlpool W10296184B

ETA: sorry, apparently gave the number for Spanish. Edited to correct.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

tritonx said:


> Bulkhead is not off yet. From the vid on pause, it doesn't look like it gives any point of access to the lint trap. It's a Whirlpool W10296184B
> 
> ETA: sorry, apparently gave the number for Spanish. Edited to correct.


No sweat... Yo hablo español.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

I was thinking the silver blower housing might come off the back of the bulkhead once it's diconnected.


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## tritonx (May 27, 2013)

I just ran the vid again. Pausing gives a blurry image, but the lint slot is in the bulkhead, just not clear whether I'd get any more access than poking down into the slot from above with pointy sticks. I see when you remove the bulkhead, the drum springs free. I'm afraid if I take off the bulkhead, it's going to be one step too far and I won't be able to get the damn thing together again. I'm an elderly lady with a screw driver and mostly at the diminishing returns end of my technical eptness. I'm near the point of attacking with blunt objects. Or, if I have any self control, will wait until tomorrow and phone the nice repair guy who's done work on that machine before. Maybe he'll give advice on whether it's anything I can do. Thanks for your suggestions.


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## hardwareman (Oct 9, 2010)

if you want to remove the housing that holds the lint trap you must remove the bulkhead. On the backside there will a couple of screws. Otherwise I would say pull on the lint trap with everything you've got, I'm sure its just stuck in there a little off track and is binding up.


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## tritonx (May 27, 2013)

I'll try the wiggle and curse method. Maybe sooner or later, it will give way. Thanks for help.


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## tritonx (May 27, 2013)

*A way to get into lint trap*

Coming back to add some more info. I've discovered if you more or less insert your upper body into the drum of the dryer, there are a couple of screws at the base of the lint trap grill and you can undo it. It's all very awkward and I still haven't solved my own problem as I used brute force and wrenched the filter out of the slot, damaging the filter. Probably going to have to call a service man after all. However, if anyone else has a similar problem, at least I've discovered how to get into the back of the slot. You might be able to solve your lint trap problem without using brute force.


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## donchicago48 (Dec 29, 2021)

I also inserted the filter into the slot backwards. On my circa 2013 Maytag front-load dryer, there are two perforated plastic vanes that locked the filter half in the slot. I had to remove the top, front bulkhead, and the control panel to gain access to the filter housing. There is one screw that anchors the filter housing to the sheet metal blower inlet duct. That screw prevents removal of the plastic filter housing without removing the bulkhead.
While I had the dryer disassembled that far, I went ahead and removed the blower inlet duct and vacuumed out every part that I could reach.
I removed the sensor wiring harness from the plastic filter housing and cleaned it up with a vacuum cleaner and warm soap and water.
On my Maytag, I needed a T25 Torx driver, a #2 Phillips driver, and a 1/4" nut driver to remove the various screws.


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