Whirlpool Dryer takes too long to dry

[ericab]

Model Number: LER3624EQ0
Brand: Whirlpool
Age: 1-5 years

Hi,

My dryer could be more than 5 years old, but I'm not sure. I am not the original owner. My father in law gave us the dryer out of a house he bought that was previously a rental.

My dryer was usually taking one or two full dryer cycles to dry a large load of clothes. It has been getting increasingly longer as time goes on. Now taking always 2 full cycles, many times 3 full cycles now. There have been a lot of periods of ups and downs though. Sometimes it seems to be working better than others, then it seems to decline in efficiency. Do you think it is the heating element? I would like to try that. But if you think it is the duct work or the thermostat, I will check into that first.

Thanks,
Erica

[Doc Ryan]

Erica,

It sounds like you have a airflow restriction causing the drying times to take longer. Check the blower housing of the dryer (this is the piece that the lint filter slides down into), this can get clogged up with lint over time. Also, clean out you dryer vent, or have a professional vent cleaning company clean it out for you if it is not easily accessible. Replacing the heating element won't take care of your problem unless it is burned out (they are either good or bad).

I would not recommend using your dryer until you find and take care of the problem. It can cause the heating element or one of the thermal fuses to blow, and it is also a fire hazard.

Here is how to access the blower housing:

Unplug the dryer

Remove the lint filter

Remove the two Phillips screws next to the lint filter opening

Remove the back panel of the dryer

Remove the 4 screws at the bottom of the blower housing

The blower housing should be free to remove

(the blower housing is #1 in the diagram below)