Why does my dryer take two cycles to dry a load?
Airflow, almost every time. A lint packed vent run, a crushed transition hose or a blocked exterior flap will double cycle time long before any part has failed. Disconnect the vent at the back and run it for two minutes: if it dries normally, the fault is the vent.
The two minute test
Pull the machine out, disconnect the flexible hose from the back, and run a normal cycle for two minutes with the outlet venting into the room. If the machine heats hard and the air coming out is strong, the dryer is fine and the vent run is the fault.
Do not leave it running that way beyond the test. A dryer venting indoors puts several quarts of water into the room over a load, and on a gas machine it puts combustion products there too.
Where the blockage usually is
Not usually the first three feet, which is the part everyone cleans. The classic spots are the crushed flexible hose behind the machine where the dryer has been pushed back against the wall, the long horizontal run inside the wall or ceiling, and the flap on the outside of the house.
Exterior flaps seize shut with lint and paint, and birds nest behind the louvred ones. A flap that does not visibly open when the dryer runs is a blocked vent no matter how clean the hose is.
The lint screen test people skip
Run water onto the lint screen. If it pools on the mesh instead of running straight through, the screen is glazed with fabric softener residue and is restricting airflow even though it looks perfectly clean. Warm soapy water and a soft brush clears it.
When it really is the machine
A failed moisture sensor makes an automatic cycle stop early, which reads as the machine not drying when it is actually not trying. Running the same load on a timed cycle tells you: if timed dries it fine, suspect the sensor.
A partially failed heating element on some platforms produces weak heat rather than none. And a machine badly overloaded will never dry well, because the air has nowhere to move. Half loads dry more than twice as fast as packed ones.
Questions
Why does my dryer take so long to dry clothes?
Is a slow dryer a fire risk?
How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
Will a new dryer fix slow drying?
The facts, plainly
- Service
- Washers and dryers only. Top load and front load, electric and gas. No refrigerators, ovens or dishwashers.
- Area
- House calls within 25 miles of Springfield, MO. The machine is never transported.
- Availability
- By appointment only. One technician, so a booked slot is a confirmed slot.
- Pricing
- Not published. The machine is diagnosed first and you get a price before any work starts.
- Credentials
- Licensed and insured, City of Nixa contractor license.
- Brands
- LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, Kenmore, Frigidaire, Speed Queen and other major brands.
- Parts
- Common failure parts travel on the van, which is why most repairs finish in the same visit.
- Phone
- (417) 414-0284
Other things people ask first
Get your laundry day back
Book a time on the calendar, or call and talk it through. Service is by appointment only, so a booked slot is a confirmed slot.