electric dryer issues - any thoughts?

It's a cheapo Roper 220v dryer. Over the years (it's about 6 years old) it's worked fine. Mostly drys the clothes. I am not picky. Lately it's taken from midway through the timer to dry a big load to a bit past the 'very dry' to get them done. Now it takes two shots of 'very dry' to dry them. It can't be efficient this way, even if I didn't care. Any ideas as to what's wrong? Hopefully something super simple. It can't be a complicated device, right? It spins the drum and heats a coil on some sort of timer. That's it, right? I presume, then, that if everything is working to some degree, then I need a coil or whatever turns it on or powers it, some AC/DC converter?

What say you?

blocked exhaust vent?

In reply to Spitsix:

Typically these things have 2 elements, a big and a small. This gives 3 heat levels, small, big and both. If you don't have a blocked exhaust vent (the first thing to check), them it may be that one of the elements isn't working. In my experience, it's often a burnt connector, or, failing that, the temp sensor for that element is kaput.

Blocked exhaust vent is the first thing to check. Not only will it dry slow, the lint can catch fire. Not a fun thing. If you open the dryer door ~5 min into the cycle and a lot of heat/humidity comes rolling out, you can be pretty sure the vent is blocked. The last vent I had get clogged was about 25 feet long and I got a wad of lint out which was about 2 feet long.

You guys got it. Birds nest. Found it during the Easter Egg hunt. Thanks!!!

tuna55 wrote: You guys got it. Birds nest. Found it during the Easter Egg hunt. Thanks!!!

That is some funny stuff!!! I needed a laugh!!!!

Curmudgeon wrote: Blocked exhaust vent is the first thing to check. Not only will it dry slow, the lint can catch fire. Not a fun thing. If you open the dryer door ~5 min into the cycle and a lot of heat/humidity comes rolling out, you can be pretty sure the vent is blocked. The last vent I had get clogged was about 25 feet long and I got a wad of lint out which was about 2 feet long.

What I was gonna say. I took enough out of mine this week to knit a blanket.

If I knit, that is. Which I don't.

To piggyback, what's the best tool to use to clean out the dryer vent? Mine's probably 30' and I've never seen anything longer than 6' for cleaning vents.

You have a thirty-foot dryer vent?

Lesley wrote: You have a thirty-foot dryer vent?

Floor to ceiling, roughly 9 feet, then straight across from the front to rear of my basement, about 20 feet, maybe 15. It's loooong.

Ahh, like ducting. I was thinking the tray thingy you slide out, and pull out all the dust bunnies.

Go by Slowes, they sell a brush for cleaning them that's probably 30' long.

I cleaned mine out with the air hose. Put one of those pocket pencil style air nozzles on the end of the hose, turned it on and fed the hose down the vent. Mine's probably 25' as well with a 90 just under the floor.

Pigeon, you might want to hit up Amazon for an inline booster for your dryer vent. Code only allows for a maximum duct length of 25 feet. (minus 5ft for each 90 degree bend) You should notice a dramatic decrease in the length of time that it takes to dry your clothes. My clothes dry faster than I can wash them now.....and there they sit until I wear them.