[antessima]

Hi all,

I have a Whirlpool LER5636PQ0 that, about 2 months ago, began a distinct decline in drying ability. It now consistently takes 2-3 cycles to fully dry a load of clothes. They are dry then, but this is obviously using a lot more electricity than I want to use in the cold months.

My question is, what things should I check to try to find the problem? I'm modestly familiar with multimeters (I really should go out and by one anyway), so I can test for resistance or continuity or voltage levels if necessary. I just don't know where to start The dryer isn't exhibiting any other odd behaviors. I typically use the automatic low-heat drying cycle, but using the timed high-heat cycle didn't produce any different results. I've also already checked and made sure that the exhaust vent was clear of any kind of blockages.

Any thoughts?

[ApplianceJunk]

Increased drying times are almost always a sure sign of a air flow problem.
I read that you checked your dryer vent for blockage from lint build up, but one place that is often missed is around the blower housing.

I would take the dryer apart and remove the blower house to check it for lint build up.

[denman]

I would try the following. Could be the venting is clear but the exterior louvers are not opening. Also it is one way to totally eliminate the vent system as the cause.
Unplug the unit and disconnect it from the vent system.
Now try a run.
If it now dries OK odds are the vent system needs checking/cleaning.
Be sure to check that the louvers on the outside of the house open correctly.

If you do not want any lint in the house.
Take a pair of pantyhose.
Put one leg into the other and then attach this to the dryer's vent.
Leave enough room so the pantyhose can balloon out like a windsock.

Both the above will let you check the temperature and the air flow.

Note: The above is not recommended for gas dryers due to carbon monoxide concerns.

I would also check your lint screen. Sometimes they get coated with fabric softener residue and need to be washed. In extreme cases even the holes at the back of the drum can get clogged.

Check the seals in the air flow path in the unit especially at the blower.

[antessima]

Well, it only took me 2 and a half months, but I finally got around to testing the airflow. First, back about a week or so after I got your responses, I took the entire thing apart and cleaned every shred of lint out of it that I could. There was a noticeable amount in the exhaust blower, lint chute, and hose/vent. I put it all back together and it worked wonderfully for about 3 loads, then started developing some problems drying again. Each time we would run a load, there would be a little bit of lint in the trap, but much, much less than there used to be when it was running well.

Fast forward to today. I finally took the hose off of the vent again, and when I did I saw a lot of lint in both. I put the pantyhose over the end of the hose and let the dryer run. First, the pantyhose barely inflated. The clothes also remained wet at the end of one run, and took a second run to fully dry. There was, again, practically no lint in the trap, but there was a hefty chunk of it on the pantyhose.

When I had this thing taken apart back in December, there was almost no lint anywhere except in the lint chute/exhaust blower. Given the above symptoms and evidence, what do you guys think the odds are that replacing the lint trap--and possibly the chute--will solve this? I'm looking at $47-$113 to buy the replacement parts, which is much less than buying a new dryer but still a substantial amount of cash from which to be departed (especially if it doesn't work and I still have to spend $400+ for the new dryer).

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[denman]

From your descri[ption it does sound like the lint is getting past the lint filter.

Since the lint chute is metal my guess would be a problem with the lint filter.

[antessima]

That's sorta what I was thinking too. I will start there (and replace the hose/clean the exhaust vent again) and see if that works.

If anyone else has any other ideas, let me know. Thanks!

[feniko]

thanks for this is really helpful


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