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econobiker  
#1 Posted : Wednesday, January 7, 2015 8:50:40 AM(UTC)
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econobiker

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Joined: 1/7/2015(UTC)
Posts: 4

Background:
Roper Electric Dryer model REX6634RQ0 purchased new in early 2006 by my wife. Dryer use profile is low to moderate as it was used by only one person (working from home) from 2006 to late 2007 then moved and stored in a dry basement until mid 2009. Moved and used by primarily just two people (plus occasional children visits) from mid-2009 thru late 2011 with three moves involved with in that time. Then stored in a dry shipping container until moved again in 2013. The multiple physical moves may have contributed to the issue I later diagnose in a dryer not heavily used in a typical family profile.

Dryer is in an unheated laundry room in semi-heated converted garage.
Dryer run in summer exhausting to exterior of house and in winter exhausting with a 4' pipe to a 5 gallon bucket 1/3 full of water with holes in the bucket top including the pipe entry hole (using a part of a commercially purchased interior electric dryer exhaust kit). The interior exhaust provides supplementary heat for the converted garage's occupants (two cats-one curious and one not curious) during the winter time.


Dryer door switch stopped working about three months ago but was switch was set in the on position so no issue for wife to turn it off via the timer dial to be safe (and keep a curious cat from entering the moving dryer.)

During a recent use the dryer would not shut off via timer, timer did not advance and clothing was in for about an hour to cook! Luckily no fire resulted. Then upon the next use the dryer would not start. The timer dial also exhibited a very faint humming or buzzing sound when engaging any of the four selections.
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econobiker  
#2 Posted : Wednesday, January 7, 2015 8:51:43 AM(UTC)
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econobiker

Rank: Member

Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/7/2015(UTC)
Posts: 4

Originally Posted by: econobiker Go to Quoted Post
Background:
Roper Electric Dryer model REX6634RQ0 purchased new in early 2006 by my wife. Dryer use profile is low to moderate as it was used by only one person (working from home) from 2006 to late 2007 then moved and stored in a dry basement until mid 2008. Moved and used by primarily just two people (plus occasional children visits) from mid-2008 thru late 2011 with three moves involved with in that time. Then stored in a dry shipping container until moved again in 2013. The multiple physical moves may have contributed to the issue I later diagnose in a dryer not heavily used in a typical family profile.

Dryer is in an unheated laundry room in semi-heated converted garage.
Dryer run in summer exhausting to exterior of house and in winter exhausting with a 4' pipe to a 5 gallon bucket 1/3 full of water with holes in the bucket top including the pipe entry hole (using a part of a commercially purchased interior electric dryer exhaust kit). The interior exhaust provides supplementary heat for the converted garage's occupants (two cats-one curious and one not curious) during the winter time.


Dryer door switch stopped working about three months ago but was switch was set in the on position so no issue for wife to turn it off via the timer dial to be safe (and keep a curious cat from entering the moving dryer.)

During a recent use the dryer would not shut off via timer, timer did not advance and clothing was in for about an hour to cook! Luckily no fire resulted. Then upon the next use the dryer would not start. The timer dial also exhibited a very faint humming or buzzing sound when engaging any of the four selections.

Investigation:
Disconnected dryer and removed back panels console upper and back plate and opened up top panel to access dryer door switch. All open panel trouble shooting performed with room closed off to other people, children, and a curious cat along with disconnecting the dryer during troubleshooting.

1. Jumped (connected) the door switch pins and no difference. Dryer would not start. Tested door switch with a multimeter and confirmed it was locked in the door closed (dryer on) position.

2. Removed thermal fuse on exhaust and tested with multi-meter. Showed as blown / broken so 196 degrees was exceeded. Most likely during that last use the temperature was just under the fuse breaking temperature while the dryer was running and intaking cool air but after shut off the temperature spiked over the 196 degrees and broke the fuse.

3. Jumped the thermal fuse connectors and dryer was able to be started and would run. However, timer still exhibited same faint buzzing sound. And now the heater ran on all four timer selections including "No Heat Fluff". Wife confirmed that "No Heat Fluff" was never supposed to heat even to low levels.

4. Researched Appliance Parts Pros forums for similar issues. Found most likely cause would be heater coils grounding out to chassis. This often would be caused by lint build up on the coils grounding out the coils.

5. Pulled the coil out and found that the coil section that connected between the "back" and "front" of the coil panel had shifted down because the ceramic support at that point had worn down within the metal frame. I was able to revise the coil at that point by pulling the coil off the ceramic support and re-positioning it to better tension the ceramic support in its hole in the metal panel. After doing this, tested the dryer and the heater functioned correct on all cycles and the timer no longer had the faint humming or buzzing sound. The faint humming or buzzing sound was apparently the timer being energized by the grounded coil shorting electricity to the timer.
econobiker  
#3 Posted : Wednesday, January 7, 2015 9:02:15 AM(UTC)
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econobiker

Rank: Member

Groups: Registered
Joined: 1/7/2015(UTC)
Posts: 4

The best estimate of root cause for the ceramic support wearing in the metal frame and then shifting within the coil frame, would be from the multiple moves that have had this unit transported hundreds of miles and experiencing transport shaking in excess what a typical unit would experience.

I ordered a new thermal fuse and door switch to get the dryer back into full operation. Thank you for the help that this forum provides.
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