Our dryer takes multiple cycles to get clothes dry. Eventually the clothes dry, but it takes forever.
If your dryer is taking more than an hour, check these.
Vent
Frequently there's an obstruction in the vent duct from the dryer to the outside of the house. For the dryer to heat properly, the duct must be clean and clear of lint or any other substance.
Heating element
Your dryer's heating element may be partially burned out. If it is, your dryer still heats, but at such a low temperature that it takes three or four times as long to dry the clothes. If the element is partially burned out, replace it.
Internal ductwork
Your dryer has some internal ductwork. If it gets clogged, your dryer can't dry properly. In most dryers, to get to the internal ductwork to clear the clog, you have to substantially disassemble the dryer. A quick way to check for internal clogs is to remove the lint filter and use a flashlight to inspect the inside of the duct. If it looks clogged and you can't clear it using your vacuum, contact a qualified appliance repair technician.
Cycling thermostat
Although this isn't a common problem, one of the thermostats that controls the temperature in your dryer may break and cause the dryer to heat poorly. If so, you need to replace it. The thermostat is usually a small, round, black device mounted to an oblong steel plate. The plate is mounted to the internal ductwork with two screws.
It overheats
Usually when an electric dryer overheats it's because of a defective cycling thermostat or a clogged vent system. Clean any lint from the internal and external ductwork, and/or replace the cycling thermostat (read about cycling thermostats in "Drying is too slow," above).
It seems to run forever
If your dryer seems to run forever, it could be because of a clogged vent or internal ductwork. Your dryer may have an automatic cycle that turns off the dryer when the clothes are dry. It does this with a special thermostat or moisture-sensing system.
Normally, this is what happens during an automatic cycle:
The thermostat tells the dryer to heat until the interior of the dryer reaches a pre-set temperature--say 135 degrees.
When the dryer reaches the pre-set temperature, the thermostat tells the timer to begin advancing. (If there's a moisture sensor, the timer advances only if the moisture content of the clothing is low enough.)
The timer advances until the interior cools, then the thermostat tells the timer to stop advancing, and tells the dryer to start heating again.
This cycle continues until the clothes are dry. But?if the vent is clogged, the dryer may never reach the proper operating temperature, so it doesn't send the signal to the timer and the dryer continues to run indefinitely, even if the clothes are completely dry. To fix the problem, clean the vent and/or internal ductwork
I have the same problem. The towels take about 2 hours to dry instead of 30 min. Anyone know why? Are there 2 heating elements or just 1? If the heating element was gone then I wouldn't expect the dryer to heat up at all.
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