Dryer Problems

[madlibs]

Back again with more appliance issues!

I think the heating element on my dryer has gone out. (As there's no warmth to the cycle...) Is there a way to verify this? Anyone know of a way to try and "reset" it?

I'm grasping for anything here... I know NOTHING about this machine.

Think I'm going to cry, though. I have a mountain of laundry to do!

[roz]

DH asks gas or electric?

Is the vent blocked?

If gas, is the pilot lit?

If electric, did 1/2 of the breakers trip? Or is it fuses?

[madlibs]

Hey Roz. Thanks for checking. Guess I could have been more thorough with my original post!

The dryer is electric. Today, I dried one load, cleaned the lint trap out, and then tried to dry another load. When they dryer started up the second time, I smelled a slight burning smell... but I just thought it was some loose lint blowing through. (It didn't exactly smell like "burning" to me at the time- more like hot cloth. If that makes sense at all...) When I came back near the end of drying cycle to check the clothes, I noticed the sheets were still damp. They were also cool, but I thought this was because it was the last few minutes of the cycle, and our dryer cools during this time. Turned it back on, came back again to check - still cold and damp!

I checked the breaker box (on the wall), and found the breakers were still in the "on" position. I flipped them off for a minute and then back on, just to see if it would do anything. (Random tip I came across while searching online.) Nothing.
Is there usually a breaker on the dryer itself? (Clueless here...)

I haven't investigated the vent any further than the lint trap. I'll make that my next stop.

Why the heck does this stuff ALWAYS happen when my husband is out of town?

[roz]

A burning smell, he says, may be an element going. But it could also be the blocked vent. Unfortunately, you are now on the clothes pin program.

Why does it happen when they leave? My answer is: It always does. That's why we are SUPER WOMEN!

[Kristie]

so i take it you're not on a warranty or extended warranty? if they're sears appliances, you could call them, extend the warranty (even if it's off warranty) and then call them out for repair! they're not usually too bad with that depending on the age.

[madlibs]

Definitely not on warranty... The washer and dryer came with our house. We did head over to Sears Parts store and got a new wire. Turns out, one of the wires into the heating element was charred! Um... might be time for a new dryer...
Thanks for all of the tips, guys!

[BAC]

so uncool. At least you can pin or lay clothes out to dry in the
meantime. Did you get it figured out?

[Regina]

Have you tried cleaning out the vent hose? We did this, and there was a lot of lent in there. It is very easy to do yourself. We also have this funny vent outlet on the roof that gets clogged sometimes too, but I do not get on the roof myself.

I would really try to unscrew your hose first though. Make sure you unplug it first.