Your dryer that used to dry a full load in 30 minutes is now taking three hours to dry a towel. It’s frustrating you to no end that your dryer is taking longer to dry clothes than normal. However, don’t throw out your once trusty dryer yet, for the problem is usually fixable by simply cleaning or replacing a part. Here are some common causes of a slow dryer:
Lint trap is clogged
You should clean your lint trap every time you use your dryer, as lint buildup will slow down your drying time significantly. This is the most common reason as to why your dryer is taking longer to dry clothes. If you don’t regularly clean your lint trap, it could even start a fire in your dryer ventilation. Another place to check is in the lint trap slot. Sometimes there may be no lint on the filter, but plenty stuck in the slot that’s causing dryer slowdowns. Broken lint filters should be replaced as soon as possible.
Venting hose is clogged
The venting hose is the second part to check, as lint that wasn’t trapped in your lint filter could have ended up in your venting hose. A clogged venting hose is far more dangerous than a clogged lint trap, as this is where a fire could start. If you don’t regularly use your lint trap, then expect a buildup of lint in your venting hose. Even if you regularly do use your lint trap, something could be stuck in your ventilation that’s causing your dryer problems. Clean out your venting hose every once in a while with a vacuum cleaner as part of the regular maintenance of your dryer.
Heating element is broken
The heating element is a coiled wire inside your dryer’s cabinet that is responsible for drying your clothes. Before testing out your heating element, unplug your dryer first. Choose your dryer model from this site to find out how to open its cabinet to access the heating element. Make sure you have a multimeter ready to test out the heating element. Touch one probe to each end of the heating element and set your multimeter to the R x 1 resistance scale. If the multimeter reads a resistance of infinity, then your heating element is broken and should be replaced.
If you don’t want to mess with potentially dangerous appliances, then maybe you should use TalkLocal to find a quality appliance repair professional in your area. Soon your dryer will be running like it’s new!
