Malfunctioning appliances, such as clothes dryers, are a major cause of home fires in the US. Luckily, you can help keep yourself and your family safe by engaging in some preventative maintenance and calling someone for dryer repair when necessary.

Read on to learn more about how to troubleshoot and fix your clothes dryer.

Signs It's Time for Dryer Repair

Most modern families rely on their home appliances to help them get things done. Unfortunately, they tend to break down once in a while. When they do, you can sometimes get them running again with a simple fix. Other solutions may require the deft hands of a professional. 

If you're ever having trouble getting one of your appliances working, don't worry! The help you need is just a phone call away. Call NOW for fast, friendly dryer service: 772-238-0207!

The Unit Doesn't Power On

When your unit won't power on, the problem might be major or minor. Always check to make sure it's plugged in before you do anything; you don't want to call someone to fix your broken dryer when it isn't actually broken.

Next, check to see if one of your breakers was flipped. If the power issue doesn't appear to stem from your home's power supply, it's probably something wrong with the dryer itself. That being the case, it may be a good idea to call a professional.

It's Really Loud

Unless you have one of the newer, high-priced appliances, your dryer is likely pretty loud. There are a lot of moving parts in a dryer, and they all have to work together smoothly to keep things running. Should your dryer start sounding uncharacteristically loud, there could be a problem with one or more components or parts.

Glides, for example, are a common cause of noisy dryers. Every dryer has small plastic pieces in front of the drum called glides. They're either located at the top or the bottom of the drum, and they're part of the machinery that helps your dryer spin smoothly.

Rattling, thumping, small brown spots, or clothes that get stuck between the drum and the door all indicate a possible issue with the glides. These can be replaced by you with a little elbow grease, or you can call and have a professional do it. 

It Won't Unwrinkle Your Clothes

A clothes dryer is nothing if not a quick and easy way to unwrinkle a shirt in an emergency. However, if your dryer fails to remove wrinkles from your clothes, there might be a serious problem going on.

In some cases, overloading the dryer inhibits its ability to unwrinkle your clothes. Try putting a wrinkled shirt or pair of pants into the dryer by itself and see if that works. If it doesn't, take a look at the settings.

The dryer may not be put at optimum settings for unwrinkling clothes. Try working with different settings and see if it helps. If not, you'll probably need your dryer fixed.

When dryers fail to produce enough heat to unwrinkle clothes, it's sometimes because of an issue with the heating element. Repairing or replacing the heating element should only be done by a professional. 

The Dryer Gets Too Hot

Your dryer should get hot, but not too hot. An overheating dryer leads to damaged clothes and possibly a fire in your home. If you ever feel like your dryer is too hot, stop using it, unplug it, and call a professional right away.

Do not attempt to diagnose or repair it yourself. Call a professional for clothes dryer repair: 772-238-0207

It Doesn't Tumble Anymore

Part of the drying process is to continually tumble your clothes so that the warm air can reach all of the damp areas. After a while, some dryers can stop spinning - usually due to a broken belt. When the dryer stops spinning, it becomes virtually impossible to unwrinkle and dry your clothes.

It isn't always the belt when your dryer stops spinning. It could instead be due to a malfunctioning motor. Either way, if your dryer isn't tumbling anymore, it's usually not a quick dryer fix. 

The Dryer Won't Turn Off

An appliance that won't power down can be scary, but if you shut it off quickly, there's usually nothing to worry about. Sometimes a dryer that runs for a long time does so because of poor airflow. Clearing the vents can often fix airflow issues.

The most common cause for a dryer that won't turn off is a malfunctioning blower wheel. That's the part that draws air in through the dryer and blows it out of the vent. When it's obstructed or defective, drying clothes can take a long time - or may be impossible.

To check on the blower yourself, remove the dryer vent and assess the airflow. Is it weak? If so, it could be due to an obstruction. Be careful reaching into the machine to look for obstructions. Call a professional to fix broken dryer at 772-238-0207.

If the air doesn't feel weak, turn off and unplug the dryer. Then, try to move the blower wheel yourself. Does it turn freely? If it's stiff or wobbly, it might be time to Google "Dryer repair near me."

Your Dryer Is Damaging Your Clothes

Older dryers are well-known for being rough on clothes, but new dryers aren't. If you notice yours is damaging your clothes, it could be due to a few different sources. 

Check the filter cover to see if it's broken. While not entirely common, broken filter covers can happen and might damage clothing. 

It could also be due to malfunctioning or damaged slides. If you're not sure what might be damaging your clothes, call 772-238-0207 for help.

Cleaning and Caring for Your Dryer

To keep your dryer running and put off calling for Whirlpool dryer repair as long as possible, take care of your appliance from the start. Below are a few tips and tricks to keep your dryer in good working order. 

Routinely Clean the Lint Screen

Never let too much lint build up on the lint screen. At best, running your dryer with lint in the lint screen may impede airflow and reduce your dryer's effectiveness. At worst, it can start a fire.

Ensuring Your Lint Trap Stays Clean

Begin by removing the lint trap and scraping the trapped lint from the mesh screen. Generally, this is enough to keep your dryer running smoothly. But, if you want to go the extra mile, insert a vacuum with an attachment capable of reaching inside the gap.

If you regularly use dryer sheets or fabric softener, residue might slowly build up over time on the mesh of your lint trap. Fortunately, there's no need to call Maytag dryer repair. You can easily clean the residue off yourself with a toothbrush dipped in warm, soapy water.

Don't Put Dirty Clothes in the Dryer

Throwing a worn shirt into the dryer for a few minutes to freshen it up a bit isn't an issue. However, if your clothes are too dirty when you through them in, they could cause you unnecessary dryer problems.

When you ensure that only clean clothes make it into your dryer, you keep damaging dirt and debris from building up. Additionally, you keep extra materials from clogging the machine.

Keeping the Inner Drum Clean

Even if you keep dirty clothes out of your dryer, you'll still want to clean the inside of the drum from time to time. Once a month, create a mixture of half vinegar half water and spray down the inside of your dryer. Wipe it down with a smooth, clean cloth and then let it air dry.

Don't Neglect the Outside of Your Machine

Keeping the inside of your machine is critical, but the outside is important too. Wiping down the outside of the dryer once a week helps keep soap residue from building up and clogging knobs, switches, or other moving parts.

Clean the Vents

Airflow is critical for a well-working dryer. You should plan to clean the air ducts and vents once every six months. If you live in an area with more dust or particles in the air (pollen, dirt, etc.) you may want to clean it once every four months instead.

To clean these areas yourself, purchase a brush that's made specifically for doing so. When your dryer vents are obstructed, numerous dryer problems can arise. It can cause your dryer to be too warm, not warm enough, increased power consumption, and more. The harder your dryer has to work, the more likely it is for a malfunction to occur.

Cleaning the vents is an important job, and one you shouldn't neglect. If it seems complicated, we're happy to help. If you have any questions about how to clean your dryer vents correctly, or if you'd like a professional to do it for you, give us a call at 772-238-0207 any time.

Is Your Dryer Giving You Trouble?

Malfunctioning appliances are dangerous, especially dryers. Keeping your dryer in good condition by practicing preventative maintenance and routine cleaning helps ensure you and your family's safety.

If your dryer is too hot, not hot enough, not tumbling, being too loud, or simply not working at all, you may need to call someone for dryer repair.

At Atlas Appliance Repair, we pride ourselves on our stellar reputation and strive to provide fast, friendly service to all our customers. If you have questions about your dryer, check out our blog.