A tumble dryer is a great appliance to have in your home, but in order to achieve the best results and make sure it is taken care of, you will need to maintain it correctly to ensure you get the best out of your dryer.
Maintaining A Tumble Dryer
As your tumble dryer gets older, its components will begin to deteriorate. Thankfully, we can limit this deterioration, by regularly cleaning the key components on the interior of the dryer can help in a big way.
Many tumble dryers come equipped with a sensor that is supposed to detect how wet your laundry is. Over time, the drum will accumulate tiny particles of dirt from your clothes, the sensor might stop working properly. You can prevent this by wiping the drum down every few months, either with vinegar, or with a special stainless steel cleaner.
Another important device within the dryer is the lint filter, better known as the ‘lint trap’. It is a fine mesh which allows air to circulate through the dryer, whilst preventing lint from passing through. Through continuous use, the filter will become blocked with these fibres, which will make the dryer work harder at forcing air through while preventing it from working to its maximum capability. Clean the filter in order to prevent this.
If you have a condenser dryer, there are a couple more components that you need to look after. One of these is the heat exchanger. This device’s role is to cool the steam in your dryer to convert it back into water. In order for this to be effective, it will need regular cleaning. You might do this by rinsing it with tap water, and thereby removing any stray dirt. Some dryers will come with self cleaning exchangers, which allow them to work effectively for longer periods without maintenance.
There is also another device that is only found in condensed dryers known as a water tank. This is where the water condensed by the exchanger will end up. It will gradually fill over the course of a cycle, and if it fills up beyond a certain safe threshold, it will top the dryer in its tracks. In order to prevent this from happening, be sure to empty the tank before each cycle.
What Can Go Wrong With A Tumble Dryer?
Like all electronic appliances, things can go wrong with your tumble dryer that prevents it from working properly, or it may not work at all. It is important to keep your dryer clean, and make sure it is looked after in order to prevent any of the following to happen.
Why Is My Tumble Dryer Tripping The Electric?
You might find that every time you turn the dryer on, the power goes out and you have to reset the fuse box. This means the dryer is drawing more power than it should. There are many reasons this can occur, but one of the most common reasons is that the heating element is damaged, dirty or that it is working too hard because of a clogged lint filter.
If your dryer is adequately cleaned and maintained, then you may need to call out an electrician to find as well as fix the source of the problem.
Why Is My Tumble Dryer Not Heating Up?
If you notice your tumble dryer is blowing cold air, then it will not be able to dry your clothes properly. There are a few different faults which can prevent the dryer from heating up.
Blown Fuse – At the back of your machine, behind the panel is a fuse. Unplug the wires from either side and remove the fuse. Test it and if needed, replace it. Be sure that your replacement is of the same size and rating. If necessary, take your old fuse to the hardware shop to secure a perfect match.
Bad Switch – It might be the controls that move the temperature up and down are broken. In order to test this, you will need a multimeter. Remove the cover from the front of the dryer’s control panel and set your probes on either side of the switch terminals. If the reading does not change when the switch is unpressed, then it is not properly bridging and will need to be replaced.
Broken Thermostat – If your dryer can not accurately read the temperature within the drum, it may assume that the temperature is already high or too high even when that is not the case. The result is the dryer never heats up or does not heat up properly. The thermostat is at the back, you will need to place the probes of your multimeter on either side to establish whether it is working.
Broken Coils– The heating coils themselves may be broken, in which case you will not be able to get the dryer to heat up. These coils can be found at the back of the dryer, and should be tested in the same way.
Why Is My Tumble Dryer Getting So Hot?
If your dryer is overheating, it could be because of the several of the components above, most notably the coils or thermostat. Alternatively, the problem might be a lack of ventilation. Check that the lint filter on the front of the dryer is not blocked. If it is a ventilation dryer, that the vent leading to the exterior of the house is clear.
My Tumble Dryer Is Making A Grinding Noise
When a foreign object has found its way into the dryer, particularly if it is pressed against the drum, then all sorts of unpleasant noises can be heard. If your dryer is making a grinding noise, then the chances are that something is lodged in there, such as loose change or keys that have slipped out of someone’s pockets. Disconnect the dryer from the vent hole at the rear and turn it on for a few seconds to see if anything is forced from the rear of the dryer. If that does not work, turn the dryer off and vacuum the interior.
My Tumble Dryer Is Not Going Round
If the drum inside your dryer is not rotating, its efficacy will be seriously limited. In the majority of cases where you can hear the motor spinning but the drum is not rotating, the issue is a broken belt. This is the strip of fabric which connects the drum to the motor. If it breaks, you will need to replace it.
If not, the roller might be the problem. This is the device the drum sits on, that allows it to roll. It is easy to replace, you just open the dryer, remove the front panel and then the tumbler and you should be able to access the roller. A bad roller is one which has worn so much that it no longer presses against the drum.
Sometimes the problem might be a little less easily defined. The pulley configuration on the drive motor might be out of alignment, and a little bit of re-jigging might be all that is necessary to get things working again. Only occasionally will you need to replace the entire drive motor.
What If I Do Not Want To Do My Own Repairs?
All the steps we have mentioned can be performed by an unqualified person, but there is always the chance that something might go wrong. If you feel more comfortable allowing an expert technician to do the job on your behalf, then hiring one might be the right move.
How To Get Rid Of Bad Smells In A Tumble Dryer
The cause of most cases of tumble dryer smells is mould. Since the interior of a dryer is wet and warm, it can provide mould with the conditions it needs to grow. What is more, since the dryer’s interior rarely gets looked at, it is an area that rarely gets cleaned.
In order to eliminate mould, you will need to open up your dryer to locate and get rid of the mould. Unfortunately, this might not be so easy. You can try wiping clean the interior with antiseptic, soaking fabric softener into a sponge and putting it in for a cycle, or doing the same thing with bicarbonate of soda in an old sock.
Tumble dryers are great and we want you to use and find the best, have a look at our guides to get you going:
How to install a tumble dryer
Ultimate buying guide
How to look after your tumble dryer
