newsletter_clothes_not

8 Reasons Why your Clothes are Not Dry

Modern electric clothes dryers can be complex machines. You depend upon them to work every time they are needed to dry your family’s clothes. When they don’t work properly it causes needless stress. Add to this our fast paced life style and you have a recipe for frustration when the clothes keep coming out damp.

The following is a list of eight common reasons why this may be happening to you.

1... Lint filter partially blocked
Even if it appears to be okay do a “water test”. Place in sink, holding filter about six inches below faucet. Turn faucet on fully, and allow water to pour through filter. Water should flow through effortlessly. If your filter retains even a small amount of water during this test then replace it with a new one. The reason may be the result of using anti-static clothes. They contain a resin that can cling to the wire mesh of your filter, resulting in the air holes becoming restricted.

2... Lint filter ripped or damaged
If your filter is damaged (ripped, broken, or warped) in any way it can allow lint to get past the wire mesh. This can cause lint to accumulate inside your dryer or venting. The airflow will become restricted and lower efficiency. This can lead to long run times, or allow moisture to build up inside dryer drum.

3... Door not closing properly
A dryer door that isn’t sealing can cause airflow can be redirected or interrupted. The dryer uses a closed system to direct the airflow through the element, and then into the clothes. Also, a door that doesn’t close properly can affect the door switch circuit. It may interrupt or stop the heating circuit if the door moves, even for a few seconds. An intermittent switch can even stop the dryer before the drying cycle is complete. Damp clothes will result.

4... Shortening drying time
As the price of electricity increases people are trying to save money by cutting back on the length of their drying time. Doing this can be counter-productive. That’s because too short a drying time will cause the dryer cycle to end prematurely. Most electric clothes dryers require approximately 55 minutes to dry a standard load of clothes. Go back to a proper cycle length to see if that corrects the damp clothes problem. Alternately, if your dryer is taking longer than 65 minutes for a regular load you probably have dryer problems that will require servicing. NOTE: The 55 minutes quoted is if your washer is the top loading type. If you have a front loading washer your drying time may be as low as 25 minutes for a standard load.

5... Not using Automatic cycle
Proper setting of the automatic cycle will provide more efficient drying. Unfortunately many people misunderstand auto dry. Most people think the MINIMUM means a small load, and MAXIMUM means a large sized load. Actually the min-max setting actually indicates the type of material making up the load, not the size of load. For instance minimum would be for a load of delicates, or any type of clothing that doesn't retain much water. Alternately, a maximum load would be cottons, jeans, or bath towels. This confusion between load size and load type will result in you setting the timer to an incorrect position. This will not allow it enough drying time, and your clothes will come out damp.

6... Timer knob loose
This a common problem often overlooked – even by service people. The timer knob can have up to five cycles on it. Because of this each separate cycle may only occupy a small portion of the timer knob. If the knob is too loose it can move on the timer shaft. This can drastically throw off the cycle settings. What you think is 55 minutes of drying time may only be 45 minutes – a vast difference when you realize you are losing almost 20% of your drying time. No wonder your clothes are coming out damp.

7... Timer not advancing
Dryer timers can be erratic. To test your timer set it to timed dry (say 55 minutes for a normal load). Set the timer buzzer for loud. Look at the exact time on your watch and then start the dryer. When you hear the buzzer indicate the cycle is ended note the time. The cycle length should be within one or two minutes of the time you set. If out by more than two minutes suspect an erratic timer. An erratic timer can cause erratic heating and the associated problem of clothes not dry at end of cycle.

8... Washer problem
Before blaming the dryer for your damp clothes check your washers operation. If your washer is not spinning fast enough to remove the proper amount of water from your clothes during the final spin they will contain excess moisture. The dryer may not be able to compensate. To test if your washer try the ‘cheek test’. Immediately after your washer has completed its cycle remove the clothes and hold a towel against your cheek. The towel should feel slightly damp, but not wet. If it feels wet the problem is originating in your washer, not the dryer. Clothes that are too wet will not allow your dryer enough time to remove all the moisture. Damp clothes will result.

By Donald Grummett

top of page