Dryers are simple machines, and most of what goes wrong with them comes down to one thing: lint. A few minutes of maintenance keeps a dryer running efficiently and, more importantly, safely.
Clean the lint screen every load
This is the one everyone knows and many people still skip. A clogged screen forces the dryer to run longer and hotter. Once a month, wash the screen with warm soapy water too. Dryer sheet residue builds up an invisible film that blocks airflow even when the screen looks clean.
Check the vent duct twice a year
The duct running from the back of the dryer to the outside collects lint the screen misses. Pull the dryer out, disconnect the duct, and clear it. If your duct is the flexible foil or plastic kind, replace it with rigid or semi-rigid metal. Foil ducts sag, trap lint, and are a real fire risk.
Look at the outside vent
Go outside and find where the dryer vents. The flap should open freely when the dryer runs and close when it stops. If the flap is stuck, packed with lint, or a bird has nested in it, air cannot leave and the dryer cannot dry.
Do not overload it
A stuffed drum keeps clothes from tumbling, so they take two cycles to dry and the heating element runs far longer than it was designed to. Two medium loads beat one huge one.
Warning signs that need a technician
Clothes still damp after a full cycle, the top of the dryer hot to the touch, a burning smell, or a drum that squeals or thumps all point to a problem past basic maintenance. A dryer that runs but does not heat is usually a heating element or thermal fuse, and a blown thermal fuse is often caused by a blocked vent.
Professional vent cleaning
Long duct runs, ducts that go through walls or up to a roof, and stacked units in condos are hard to clean by hand. We clean the full run and check the connections while we are there. It is a quick job and one of the cheapest forms of fire prevention in the house.
Need a hand with this?
Leaking washer, dryer that will not heat, or a load that never finishes. We fix top-load, front-load, and stacked units.
Washer & Dryer Repair in Chicago
