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billybean · Nov 23, 2011, 07:04 PM

Dryer would run, but stopped drying after a power surge. Pressed reset button outside the heating element and the glow from the heating is visible looking through the glass door, but the clothes take much longer to dry.

Suggestions?

drtom4444 · Nov 24, 2011, 01:16 AM

Your dryer is stopped up with lint build-up which lines the walls of the duct work like concrete. You will have to tear down the dryer and clean it out. You will get at least a 5 gallon bucket of dirt out of it. Don't neglect to clean the blower, also. DrTom4444

billybean · Nov 28, 2011, 08:05 PM

The duct is clear and the dyer heater still does not functioning properly. When there was a utility power surge there was a burn smell from the dryer. Can the heating element be partially gone? Is there a temperature sensor shut out in the machine that might not be functioning which may have been zapped by the power surge?

My sense is that the heating element comes on for a short period and then goes out. The drum reverses itself every couple on minutes.

drtom4444 · Nov 29, 2011, 05:58 AM

My guess is that the failure of your dryer to heat and the power surge are marginally related. The dryer would not have failed if the dryer was clean. When dirty you can smell the lint layer burn which can cause a housefire. Look at these sites and follow these instructions (nothing else will work): http://www.electrical-forensics.com/Dryer/ElectricClothesDryers.html
http://fixitnow.com/wp/2010/10/09/whirlpool-dryer-model-le5800xsw3-wiring-diagram/

You will have to take it apart and test the thermal fuse near the heating element and the heating element. You will be able to see the heating element and you can see if it's burned in two. There are also fuses at the ends of the element that will need testing, too. You will have to clean the drier out thoroughly or it is all for nothing. Every air duct will have to be removed and scraped and washed out to remove baked on lint deposits which is like a concrete lining. This will burn so the manufacturer has installed the safeties to keep from having a house fire. Driers were the number one cause of fires at one time. Look at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMP7BW1lLs4 to see how. Also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBiRw-KElC4 ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFTZGgVisCI
When you finish cleaning the drier and install a new safety or element it is best to also replace the belt, too, because you do not want to have to disassemble it again and if the belt is over two years old you should replace it. The safeties are oval-shaped with a round center part containing the safety with two plug-on terminals for the wires.
Using an ohm meter you put a lead on each terminal of the safety with wires unplugged and if it's good you will have a reading of about zero; if it's bad it will read infinity.
Note that on most of the videos it does not show them washing out the parts, but this is important because it's the only way to really get the parts clean, just don't get motor wet or the capacitor if it has one. Vacuum out the motor. I would move the drier out to your garage to have plenty of space to work. You also want to check your vent and clean it, also. The job is really easier than it sounds. There is no shortcut that will work; it has to be cleaned well. Before you re-assemble it make sure to use white lithium grease (high-temp grease) and grease all bearings. Just vacuuming out the dryer a little does little good. DrTom4444

billybean · Dec 14, 2011, 07:51 PM

With the meter continuity set at 200 the 2 sensors read .4 each.
Attaching the meter to the black & red wire of the heating element the reading is 46. The reading on black and white wires is around 40.
Bill

drtom4444 · Dec 14, 2011, 08:45 PM

Those readings mean the parts are good. You probably just need to clean it out well. Look at the blower fan and clean it, too. Somewhere it's blocked; a small build-up on the blower fan will kill the airflow. Clean all parts well.

billybean · Dec 18, 2011, 06:46 AM

Found the problem - the fan motor is not functioning properly - the motor needs to be hand started to work - once the motor shaft is spun it works. Any solution short of replacing the motor...

billybean · Dec 18, 2011, 07:01 AM

Now the motor is working when started by hand but the heat is off

billybean · Dec 18, 2011, 11:04 AM

Pressed reset button on the sensor and now both the heat & fan are working-still issue with slow starting fan motor - can motor shaft be lubricated-say sprayed with WD40

drtom4444 · Dec 18, 2011, 02:07 PM

You either have a bad start capacitor, if you have one, or a blown start winding.

billybean · Dec 20, 2011, 07:00 PM

The fan works fine once the shaft gets started. It has a little bit of a thumping noise getting started but then works fine. Starting the dryer from a still position is the problem.
So start by replacing the capacitor?
The capacitor is the white cylinder shaped device on the side of the motor, correct?

drtom4444 · Dec 20, 2011, 08:54 PM

The white thing attached to the motor is the capacitor. It has a value stamped on it like "5 mfd" or some other value. There are two kinds: the run capacitor and the start capacitor. Run capacitors are usually oval and start capacitors are round, but some run capacitors are round. It's the values that will determine which is which: Run capacitors are from 2.5-20 mfd and start capacitors are high like 188 mfd of another high number. Take it in to the HVAC parts house or appliance parts store and they can test it. If it reads shorted or open it's bad, or if it has overheated and expanded it's bad. If the motor is reversing it indicates a shorted start winding.