RCCNewsletterSept06

In This Issue

Message from the RepairGuru
Interview with: Dryer RepairGuru Jeanne McCollough
Three Tips to Try This Month
Featured Items

Featured Items

Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Gas Dryer Connector with Leak Detector

Prevent Flammable Lint from Collecting with a Rotary Dryer Lint Cleaning Kit

This Semi-Rigid Dryer Vent Reaches up to 8 Feet

Message from the RepairGuru®

Welcome to the September 2006 edition of the RepairClinic.com newsletter. It's back to school time and your children have grown two inches over the summer, which means all new clothes, and lots of laundry. Now is not the time for your dryer to give out, especially when those new jeans are destined to be part of the "back to school" outfit.

In this month's issue RepairGuru, Jeanne McCollough, will give you some useful general guidelines and tips to keep your dryer tumbling along.

A Broken Dryer Won't Tumble Jeanne McCollough

Jeanne McCollough

We had the opportunity to sit down with Jeanne and talk about clothes dryers. Jeanne has some fairly recent experience in dryer repair, having replaced the dryer belt, rollers and motor of her dryer at home. This grandmother of three started work at RepairClinic.com seven years ago and is very comfortable giving repair advice after attending extensive appliance training. Here are her responses to some dryer-related questions.

What type of questions do customers typically ask about dryers?
Customers sometimes call and ask for specific replacement parts when they haven't fully investigated the problem. For example someone will say, "My heating element is broken" or "I need a new igniter." My reaction to these types of questions is to try and determine whether they have opened up the dryer to find out if these parts are truly broken. If the dryer isn't heating it could be the heating element or the igniter, but it also might be a thermo-fuse, a flame sensor, a coil or even a problem with the valve. It is important for the customer to do a little investigating before just assuming which part is broken - this will avoid ordering the wrong part and will get their dryer up and running in the shortest time possible.

What do you think is the best part of your job?
I take about 80 calls per day, so I have the opportunity to talk to and help a lot of people in a single day. Sometimes people need that "personal touch" when they have a problem. They don't want to leave a message at the beep and wait for a call back. I like the fact that I can walk someone through the process of finding the part they need so that they can get on with more important things in their life.

What do you think consumers find hardest to overcome in doing appliance repair?
Getting started - they are afraid they will break the appliance while trying to fix it. It is very difficult to diagnose a problem if you don't look inside the dryer. People are afraid to remove the panels and controls, fearing they won't be able to get it back together or they might break the tabs that hold the parts in place. I try to reassure them that our RepairGuru staff can give them ideas on how to remove some of the components and prompt them to get started by removing parts. I will also ask the consumers if they feel they are mechanically minded; if they say no, I advise them to seek the help of a professional.

Jeanne provides some maintenance tips to prevent some of the most common problems consumers call about.

Three Tips to Try This Month

Avoid Lint Build-Up That Could Cause a Fire
Clothes Produce Lint - The normal process of tumbling clothes in a dryer produces lint. That is why it is important to perform routine maintenance to make sure lint doesn't build up in the interior of the dryer or the vent hose. Normally, the lint filter captures any lint in the dryer, so after each load you should check and clean the filter. If the filter gets clogged by fabric softener or any other residue, you can easily clean it with a soft-bristle brush and a little detergent. You can also clean the chute, duct, or area that the lint filter fits into. If necessary, use a vacuum cleaner attachment to reach into the duct and clean out any lint.

Shorten Your Drying Time
Clothes Taking Too Long to Dry - There are some common mistakes that can cause a dryer to take longer to remove moisture from the clothes. First, check to make sure you have the dryer set on the heat cycle and not the air cycle. Second, make sure your lint filter or vent tube isn't clogged. Third, try removing some of the clothes; you may have overloaded the dryer. Fourth, check to make sure your door is sealing properly. The PartDetective can help you find a replacement seal if it is cracked or corroded.

Dryer Making an Awful Racket
Common Causes of Noise - If your dryer is making a clunking sound while tumbling; check for loose objects inside the drum - often change or items left in pockets fall out during the drying cycle. If that is not the problem, try tightening all of the screws on the exterior panels, these might have come loose. Another quick fix is to make sure that the dryer is level; if the dryer is not level some of the components can be worn out prematurely. If you hear a thumping noise, you may need to replace a roller or the idler pulley that supports the drive belt. Find parts specific for your appliance model by using the PartDetective.

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