by A clothes dryer is one of the most useful appliances in your home. However, sometimes these machines encounter problems that prevent them from working properly. If you put a load of laundry in the dryer, turn it on, and it stops working after a few minutes, and you don’t know why you’ve come to the right place. Today, we will discuss what might be causing this problem and how to fix it.
Table of Contents
Common Reasons:
Clogged Dryer Vent
Dryers tend to generate a lot of hot air during operation. A thermal overload switch may open when hot air cannot escape due to a blocked ventilation duct to avoid a potential fire hazard. In other words, your dryer may stop working after a few minutes.
Dryer Motor Overheating
When the dryer motor starts to wear out, the more you use it, the warmer it will get. Eventually, the dryer can overheat, causing the circuit breaker to trip to prevent a fire. Once the motor cools, it may restart. However, continuing to use the dryer while the motor is faulty will only exacerbate the problem. A new dryer motor is required.
Faulty Door Latch Or Switch
Today, dryers are designed with door switches that, if the door is open, will not allow the appliance to work. As the door opens and closes many times over its lifespan, the latch will wear out over time, which can cause it to open during the drying cycle. When this happens, the dryer stops immediately.
Humidity Sensor Faulty
The moisture sensor is a component in the dryer that monitors the moisture level inside the dryer. The sensor then transmits a signal to the dryer’s control board. If the part stops working properly, it will send a false signal to the control board, telling it that the dryer is out of moisture and the clothes inside the dryer are dry instead of wet, and shut down the unit.
Faulty Drive Belt
If the dryer motor is not the cause of the problem, the next possible cause of the dryer shutting down is a faulty drive belt. A drive belt runs around the drums and pulleys in the dryer and helps it a spin. If it is faulty or damaged, the dryer will not function properly.
How To Fix These Problems
Clogged Dryer Vent
In general, you can check your dryer vents to see if they are clogged with lint, or even give them a good clean. Here’s what to do.
First, unplug the dryer, then remove the dryer conduit. Find the outside vent outside the house and remove the cover. Use the hose attachment of a shop vacuum or a household vacuum to dry up any lint in and around the inner and outer duct holes.
Using the vent cleaning kit, attach the dryer brush to the power drill and insert it into the duct. Carefully push the brush as far into the catheter as possible, then slowly turn on the drill to rotate the brush. Remove the brush and clean the lint and debris. Reconnect the dryer and see if it works now. If not, go to the next possible question.
Dryer Motor Overheating
When you encounter a dryer that stops before the cycle ends, it’s best to wait 30 minutes to an hour before trying to use it again.
If it restarts after 2-5 minutes after the cool-down period, the motor may be causing it.
Here’s how to replace the motor:
- Disconnect the power.
- If your machine has a lower access panel, remove it.
- Remove the lint filter and the screws below it.
- Pull the machine away from the wall.
- Remove the top plate.
- Disconnect the wires connected to the door switch.
- Remove the front panel from the dryer.
- Grasp the idler with your left hand. Push the pulley back and use your other hand to slide the belt off the motor pulley.
- Lift the idler from its mounting bracket.
- Leave the belt on the roller, but grab the roller and remove it from the cabinet.
- Note where the wire goes to the motor and remove it.
- Loosen the blower impeller and place it in the housing.
- Install the new motor, then follow these steps backward to reassemble the dryer.
Faulty Door Latch Or Switch
To replace the door lock:
- Unplug the dryer from the electrical outlet, or turn off the circuit breaker.
- With the power off, remove the door hinges – you’ll need to remove the screws that hold them in place.
- Remove the door and then remove it so that the door lock can be removed.
- After removing the door latch, put the new car door latch in the correct position and put the door back in place.
- Put the door back on the dryer and screw back the hinge screws.
- Turn on the power and check that the dryer is still working after a few minutes. If not, go to the last reason.
Humidity Sensor Faulty
To determine if the dryer’s moisture sensor is defective, and replace it if needed, the dryer should first be unplugged and removed from the wall. Remove the top plate and disconnect the wiring harness from the main control board. There are screws that prevent the control panel from moving, and these must be removed before the control panel can be removed.
Use some pliers to help replace the locking tabs on the front panel of the dryer. Next, remove the screws from this panel, disconnect the wiring harness from the door, and remove the panel.
Now, remove the wiring harness that connects to the humidity sensor, the mounting plate (may need pliers), and the lint screen. Remove the screws from the grill and remove them from the dryer as well as the lint filter conduit.
Faulty Drive Belt
Belts wear out over time during normal use, and when the belt breaks, the dryer won’t work again until the part is replaced.
Here’s how to replace a broken roller belt:
- Disconnect the power.
- Remove the top plate from dryer and support against the wall.
- Remove the screws holding the dryer front panel in place.
- Support the front panel on the side of the cabinet.
- Loosen belt from the idler pulley.
- Loosen belt from the motor pulley.
- Grip the belt firmly and pull up to release the roller bearing.
- Remove the front rail.
- Slide the drum forward through the opening to disengage the belt from the back of the drum.
- Install new belt.
- Cover it around the roller with the groove side against the roller.
- Be careful not to get the belt into the grease on the rear of the pulley shaft.
- Slide the roller back.
- Lift it up and position the tumbler shaft into the rear bearing.
- Align the belt.
- Extend belt into and through idler pulley and motor pulley.
- Release the tension on the idler pulley to keep the belt snug.
- Move back to reassemble the machine.
Conclusion
We hope that at least one of the above fixes will solve your problem and you will no longer have to deal with a dryer that shuts down after only a few minutes of operation. However, if not, you should consult a professional to find out what the deeper issue is.
