Genuine Appliance Parts
Welcome to Your Dryer Parts Resource
- How to Find Genuine Dryer Parts
- Different Types of Dryers
- How Dryers Work
- The Control Panel
- The Door Switch & Interior Light
- The Drive Motor & Related Parts
- The Burner Assembly & Related Parts
- Keeping your Dryer Well-Maintained
- Maintenance Calendar
How to Find Your Dryer Parts
Is your dryer not drying your clothes properly or is something broken?
RepairClinic.com can assist you in properly diagnosing your dryer for all problems: electrical, plumbing, hardware, or anything else.
RepairClinic.com specializes in finding the exact part for your dryer through its easy, but powerful appliance part search system.
Our partners can help you find a solution for any dryer problem as well as dryer parts, dryer repair help, repair videos, advice, maintenance information, dryer belt diagrams and more.
They provide vast resources and are a one-stop place for anything that has to do with your appliances. Come and see for yourself!
Dryer Help Videos
Detailed dryer illustrations are available to help you in troubleshooting your appliance problem and fixing your dryer on your own.
Different Types of Dryers
Dryers come in three different styles.
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| Electric Dryer | Gas Dryer | Washer/Dryer Combination |
How Dryers Work
Dryers are relatively simple appliances with similar parts, and are not difficult for a non-technician to repair. Both electric and gas dryers have these components:
- a drum holding the drying clothes
- a heat source warming up the air and clothes
- an exhaust vent that gets rid of the moisture in the form of steam as the clothes dry
The Control Panel
Dryer control panel is made up of at least 2 of the following 3 components:
- Timer - is usually the largest dial on the main control panel. It may be a mechanical device like a simple clock or it may be completely electronic, like a digital readout.
- Start switch - having set the dryer timer to the proper cycle, you need to press or turn the start switch to for the cycle to begin. The dryer should not start until this is done.
- Selector switches or knobs - most dryers have a number of these on the control panel. These switches adjust settings such as temperature, end-of-cycle signal, timer cycle, etc. Your dryer will function and run the cycle selected by the timer, regardless of how these switches or knobs are set.
Dryer Control Board
The Door Switch & the Interior Light
There is usually a door switch inside the main cabinet of the dryer. The door switch looks like a button or a small lever coming from the main cabinet, on or near the dryer door frame.
Dryer Door Switch Assembly Video
When the dryer door closes, it contacts the door lever, which activates the switch and lets the dryer operate once it is started. When you open the dryer door, the switch interrupts the power to most of the dryer's internal components. This stops all action and turns on the interior light.
Warning! If your dryer does not stop turning once the door has been opened, don't use it! If you use a dryer that has a defective door-switch, serious injury could occur.
The Drive Motor & Related Parts
The dryer motor serves 3 main functions:
- The motor turns on he drum; the drive belt is attached to one side of the drum.
- If the drum does not rotate at the correct speed, the heat will not turn on.
- A fan blade is attached to other side of the drum; it draws warm air through it and pushes the air out the dryer exhaust vent.
Dryer Drive Motor Replacement Video
The Burner Assembly & Related Parts
The burner assembly for electric dryers consists of a heating element and one or more thermostats. In gas dryers, these various parts collectively make up the burner assembly: thermostats, gas valve, igniter & sensor. Both electricity and gas are supplied to the heating elements when turned on by the timer. This is how the mechanism works:
- The first thing to do when dryer door is closed is set the timer, then press or turn on the starter switch. This should start the motor. In about a second or so, once the motor reaches full speed, a switch on the motor will turn on. This allows electricity to flow to heating elements through a thermostat.
- The heating element starts to glow red hot. The air from the blower flows over the element, through the drum, and through the exhaust vent, it goes outside,.
- When unit reaches the pre-set temperature, thermostat will turn off the flow of electricity to heating element.
- When temperature in dryer falls by 20-30 degrees, thermostat will turn on the power to the heating element again. The cycle will start over.
- If Automatic setting is selected, the cycle will continue until clothes are dry. When the clothes are done, the timer will turn your dryer off automatically. If you selected a timed setting on your dryer, the cycle will continue until the time has expired, and then the timer will turn your dryer off.
Keeping your Dryer Well-Maintained
- Vent - It is excellent preventive practice to frequently check the entire length of the vent pipe for lint build up. This should be done once a year, at least, or more often if the dryer is used frequently. Remove the lint completely from the duct. Lint should not be pushed back into the dryer as it could clog up different parts of the vent.
Warning! Make sure that you have an aluminum vent pipe on your dryer. The white vinyl ducts that were common in the past no longer meet most building codes. If your dryer ignites the vinyl pipe, there is a greater danger that a fire may start in your home.
- Interior cabinet - The lint produced by clothes tumbling in the dryer is mostly trapped by the lint filter but some lint invariably escapes and accumulates on the inside of the dryer cabinet. You should check the inside of the dryer cabinet at least once a year, and clean it well. If the dryer is used heavily, you should do this about four times a year.
- Lint filter and area under the lint filter - It is good practice to check and clean the lint filter after every drying cycle. Replace the filter right away if it has any rips or tears. If the filter gets clogged by fabric softener or other residue, you can easily clean it with a soft-bristle brush and a bit of detergent.
Lint Filter for Every Dryer
You should also clean the chute, duct, and area that the lint filter fits into. A vacuum cleaner is a very useful tool to use; it allows you to reach far into the duct and clean out most of the lint.
Maintenance Calendar
Dryer lint build up causes most dryer failures and it often dramatically exacerbates the length of drying times. It is also blamed for thousands of house fires every year.
Use a dryer vent brush to remove the lint build up in the vent that leads to the outside. RepairClinic offers 10 ft. and 20 ft. dryer vent brushes, both of which work great for this messy task.
Vent Cleaning Brush
White vinyl ducts are highly flammable and no longer meet most building codes.
If your dryer vent is white vinyl, it is recommend that you replace it with a rigid or semi-rigid aluminum vent.
