tuna55
UltimaDork
11/19/14 9:26 a.m.
Regular old electric dryer. Cheap and everything. I have found, by sitting next to it randomly during an attempt at Tunakid naptime, that it occasionally shuts off during the timed cycle before the timer is done. I was able to restart it after about ten minutes of not being able to. No amount of banging around on it during the timed cycle can make it shut off.
Lint trap, and associated plumbing to the exterior of the house is clean, unobstructed, and happy-time. I am guessing that there is some form of thermal shutdown.
Find the model number and do a parts search online. They places that sell parts often have pretty good parts diagrams online and those diagrams can be very useful for trouble shooting.
I suspect a thermal switch of some sort too.
I'll bet thermal switch, too. Cheap and easy fix.
Thermal switch for sure. Sometimes there are 2 of them. I would check the one by the heating elements and see if you have a ton of hair or fuzz in near the elements. We did. When we cleaned it all out and cleaned the thermal switch, it started working again. Been good for the past 3 years.
Basically, take the top off (or hinge it up) and you will see a bunch of toaster wires and a small (sometimes round) sensor sitting maybe 1/2" away. Clean all that gunk out and you shoudl be good! Sometimes you do need to replace it anyway if it has been going bad anyway.
Check this out: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/troubleshoot-dryers-thermal-cutoff-switch-41328.html
Once you find a good part number for the thermal switch, take that number to Amazon and put it into their search bar. Don't be surprised to find it for half the price of other retailers, and will probably be OEM.
Edit: A big plus 1 for taking it apart and cleaning it out. I replaced the heater element in my electric dryer last year, and I was disturbed at how much lint was built up on the heater box, and everywhere else. Yes, it is vented properly.
http://www.repairclinic.com/
I would also check the fan. I've had one partially eaten by mice.
Good suggestions so far. On all of the washers and dryers ( like 4 ) I have had to work on there has been a wiring/parts diagram taped inside the top part where the controls are.
