How to fix tumble dryer?

Merlin5

Merlin5

Merlin5

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Finchley, London
A few years ago, I had a repairman come fix my old Hotpoint washer dryer. A few months later, the dryer still worked, i.e motor works and drum rotates but no heat output, completely cold. I've never bothered to try and fix it, I just dry my clothes near radiators. But I wouldn't mind trying to fix it and it looks like it might not be too difficult, I'm not sure.

Google says "Open your cabinet and locate the heating element so that you can test it. Another possible cause for a dryer not heating up could be attributed to a faulty thermal fuse. Once a dryer's thermal fuse has blown, it is no longer of any use. If your dryer's fuse is blown, you will have to replace it."

Another source says "With an electric clothes dryer, no heat often means that the circuit breaker or fuse that controls the power has blown; reset or replace it. Be aware that a dryer may have two breakers or fuses. The motor will run when one works, but the heating element requires both. In some cases, an electric dryer doesn’t work because of a broken heating element—call a repairman for this fix."

I've no idea how I would test or replace a heating element and hopefully it's not that. I might at least be able to replace fuses if not an element. Any idea if it's easy to access and replace a fuse, where I could get one and if they're cheap?
 
I wouldn't have thought either would be too hard to swap. Try the fuse's first, but if that doesn't work I'd be changing the heating element myself. You'll probably be surprised how easy it is with a bit of googling. I was quoted just over £200 to change a heating element in our old Fisher & Paykel oven. £15 element from ebay and 6 screws later I'd fixed it! Don't be scared to swap out some parts in a domestic appliance, they're generally no worse than swapping parts in a PC.
 
coupe69 said:
I wouldn't have thought either would be too hard to swap. Try the fuse's first, but if that doesn't work I'd be changing the heating element myself. You'll probably be surprised how easy it is with a bit of googling. I was quoted just over £200 to change a heating element in our old Fisher & Paykel oven. £15 element from ebay and 6 screws later I'd fixed it! Don't be scared to swap out some parts in a domestic appliance, they're generally no worse than swapping parts in a PC.
Click to expand...

I was in the same boat last year, heating element in our oven went and the quotes ranged from £150 to £300+ to fix it! Found the part I needed, ordered from a German seller on Amazon for £12 and just worked out what needed to be removed and replaced, wasn't rocket science.

@Merlin5 you should be able to identify if the fuse has blown just by taking it out and examining it?
 
Maccy said:
@Merlin5 you should be able to identify if the fuse has blown just by taking it out and examining it?
Click to expand...
Hopefully. I don't know what the fuse looks like, if it's easy to tell if it's blown or not.


coupe69 said:
I wouldn't have thought either would be too hard to swap. Try the fuse's first, but if that doesn't work I'd be changing the heating element myself. You'll probably be surprised how easy it is with a bit of googling. I was quoted just over £200 to change a heating element in our old Fisher & Paykel oven. £15 element from ebay and 6 screws later I'd fixed it! Don't be scared to swap out some parts in a domestic appliance, they're generally no worse than swapping parts in a PC.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll give it a go. But I guess I'll need fuses or a heating element specific/compatible to my machine, which won't be easy as it's a very old model. The model is Hotpoint WD21P.
If it's fuses, perhaps I need this? https://www.yourspares.co.uk/parts/...hotpoint-wd21-fuse-kit-thermal-C00169405.aspx

If it's an element, I'm not sure where I'll get one. Seems to be this one, though it says WD23P and then WD21.
https://www.partmaster.co.uk/hotpoi...1,52516:66992&refine=element&model_ref=519154

Is there normally two elements, one for the dryer and one for the washing?
 
the heating element depending on machine will probably be in a pan on the rear of the machine held in by screws, fairly easy to change normally
 
I'd also test the thermostat, if you have a multimeter check the resistance across the thermostat terminals, should be close to 0, if there is high resistance then replace it.
 
I had a similar problem with the washer dryer in my flat, it was getting a bit warm but not hot and wasn't drying anything. Turned out the small elastic belt that powered the fan which then blows the hot hair into the drum had stretched, that got replaced and it was working fine again.
 
Bear in mind that that information quoted in the first post, appears to be Amercian, so you can disregard the advice about two breakers at the fuseboard as our dryers in the UK are generally just on a 13A plugtop.

I'd google for the instrction manual for your particular dryer, it should tell you were the thermal cutout is and how to reset
 
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