Kenmore dryer stops too soon early
Daniel Schudel
I have a seven year old Kenmore electric dryer (110.66702690) that
stops drying mid-cycle. It only does this when it is set on
Auto Dry I heat settings (Auto Dry I is where it uses a thermostat
on the exhaust to determine when the clothes are dry). It just takes pushing
the "Start switch" to start the dryer back up again (if only for a few
minutes). It goes full cycle on the Timed Dry cycle.
I scanned in the wiring diagram that was in the dryers console:
http://www.ddktech.com/schematic.jpg
Now, normally, when the thermostat (in red) senses dry air (and hence
dry clothes), the heater should shutdown, but the drive motor should
still spin. The thermostat doesn't control the motor, so I don't
suspect the thermostat. However, last spring, a bird nested in the
dryer's exhaust pipe outside the house. About 2 weeks went by before
my wife told me about the clothes not drying before I was able to clear
out the nest.
The centrifugal switch (in blue) in the motor should be independent
of which cycle is selected.
The thermal fuse (in yellow) is described as being "not resettable",
which I think would describe a fuse similar to car fuses or old house
fuses. So if something were wrong with it, then the motor should not
spin at all.
I've seen other posts recommend the timer itself as being the problem.
I don't really believe that can be my problem. The dryer fails on both the
"Perm. Press" and "Knit Delicate" phases of the "Auto Dry I" setting.
It never stops on the "Timed Dry" or "Air Dry". If it was the timer, I
don't think pushing the "Start switch" would start it up again. However,
I can't eliminate it as the problem due it controlling so much in the dryer.
And I would rather only replace it if I knew it *is* the problem as Kenmore's
replacement part is $75.
I'm at a loss in determining what the problem really is. I would appreciate
any help anyone could give.
Daniel
--
Daniel S. Schudel
d...@ddktech.com
Tom
"Daniel Schudel" <d...@blakntan.dan.net> wrote in message
news:bv7afp$68b$1...@server.dan.net...
actually sense "dry" clothes. The auto 1 cycle works this way....As the
heat comes on and is rising, the timer doesn't advance, when the heat cycles
off at it's upper limit setting, the timer will start to advance but as the
clothes are wet, it won't get far before the heat cycles on again and stops
its forward motion. This cycle continues repeating itself but as the
clothes get dryer, they don't cool the inside of the dryer so fast and the
timer is allowed to advance further each time of "heat off" and subsequently
runs the timer out and shuts off. If all is well this coincides with the
clothes being dry. But if it isn't cycling the timer off, it would run out
before the clothes were dry. However, I read you to say that the timer is
still in the middle of its "on" position as all you have to do is hit the
start button so it must not be running to the end prematurely. I'm not a
service person so I'm sure I haven't been of much help. And I'm not all
that familiar with how electricity works (other than I don't stick my finger
in any light sockets) but I have a question. What is the function of the
resistor in the auto dry cycle line just to the right of the switch. If
that were defective, could it somehow open (or close, whatever they do) and
stop the heater coil and motor. And one other question...re: the thermal
fuse...does "not resettable" mean that it could burn out and not be
resettable like a circuit breaker or does it mean that you can't adjust the
heat limit at which it cuts out but that it closes back up automatically
when cooled down some?
Geez, I think I had more questions than you did...
Tom.
jeff
Hi,
> I have a seven year old Kenmore electric dryer (110.66702690) that
> stops drying mid-cycle.
The motors built in safety can do this, but -usually- needs a bit of
cooling down time before going again. Loose/burnt main power wire (
inside the dryer or in house feed ), door switch, door switch bracket,
timer ( broken/shifted cam inside the timer ), belt broken switch (
didn't see one on your model ).
> It only does this when it is set on
> Auto Dry I heat settings (Auto Dry I is where it uses a thermostat
> on the exhaust to determine when the clothes are dry). It just takes pushing
> the "Start switch" to start the dryer back up again (if only for a few
> minutes). It goes full cycle on the Timed Dry cycle.
>
> I scanned in the wiring diagram that was in the dryers console:
> http://www.ddktech.com/schematic.jpg
>
> Now, normally, when the thermostat (in red) senses dry air
The red mark on your diagram is a thermostat heater, makes the
thermostat cycle faster for lower/delicate heats, the operating
thermostat controls the normal on and off for the heat.
> (and hence
> dry clothes), the heater should shutdown, but the drive motor should
> still spin. The thermostat doesn't control the motor, so I don't
> suspect the thermostat. However, last spring, a bird nested in the
> dryer's exhaust pipe outside the house. About 2 weeks went by before
> my wife told me about the clothes not drying before I was able to clear
> out the nest.
>
> The centrifugal switch (in blue) in the motor should be independent
> of which cycle is selected.
That is for heat only.
> The thermal fuse (in yellow) is described as being "not resettable",
> which I think would describe a fuse similar to car fuses or old house
> fuses. So if something were wrong with it, then the motor should not
> spin at all.
If the thermal fuse opens it should stay open, unless someone has
changed it at one time?!!?
> I've seen other posts recommend the timer itself as being the problem.
> I don't really believe that can be my problem. The dryer fails on both the
> "Perm. Press" and "Knit Delicate" phases of the "Auto Dry I" setting.
> It never stops on the "Timed Dry" or "Air Dry". If it was the timer, I
> don't think pushing the "Start switch" would start it up again. However,
> I can't eliminate it as the problem due it controlling so much in the dryer.
> And I would rather only replace it if I knew it *is* the problem as Kenmore's
> replacement part is $75.
*Might* be able to carefully remove the timers cover to inspect the
contacts and lifter cams inside.
> I'm at a loss in determining what the problem really is. I would appreciate
> any help anyone could give.
jeff.
Appliance Repair Aid
http://www.applianceaid.com/
Daniel Schudel
> The motors built in safety can do this, but -usually- needs a bit of
> cooling down time before going again. Loose/burnt main power wire (
> inside the dryer or in house feed ), door switch, door switch bracket,
> timer ( broken/shifted cam inside the timer ), belt broken switch (
> didn't see one on your model ).
Would you agree that if any of those were the problem, then it should show
the problem on just about any cycle?
>> Now, normally, when the thermostat (in red) senses dry air
> The red mark on your diagram is a thermostat heater, makes the
> thermostat cycle faster for lower/delicate heats, the operating
> thermostat controls the normal on and off for the heat.
Opps, thanks for the correction. Is this thermostat located near the
exhaust?
>> The thermal fuse (in yellow) is described as being "not resettable",
>> which I think would describe a fuse similar to car fuses or old house
>> fuses. So if something were wrong with it, then the motor should not
>> spin at all.
> If the thermal fuse opens it should stay open, unless someone has
> changed it at one time?!!?
Good, so my problem can't be that.
>> I've seen other posts recommend the timer itself as being the problem.
>> I don't really believe that can be my problem. The dryer fails on both the
>> "Perm. Press" and "Knit Delicate" phases of the "Auto Dry I" setting.
>> It never stops on the "Timed Dry" or "Air Dry". If it was the timer, I
>> don't think pushing the "Start switch" would start it up again. However,
>> I can't eliminate it as the problem due it controlling so much in the dryer.
>> And I would rather only replace it if I knew it *is* the problem as Kenmore's
>> replacement part is $75.
> *Might* be able to carefully remove the timers cover to inspect the
> contacts and lifter cams inside.
Sounds like a good weekend project.
Thanks for the help Jeff.
Daniel Schudel
> If my sales training was right, the thermostat on the exhaust doesn't
> actually sense "dry" clothes. The auto 1 cycle works this way....As the
> heat comes on and is rising, the timer doesn't advance, when the heat cycles
> off at it's upper limit setting, the timer will start to advance but as the
> clothes are wet, it won't get far before the heat cycles on again and stops
> its forward motion. This cycle continues repeating itself but as the
> clothes get dryer, they don't cool the inside of the dryer so fast and the
> timer is allowed to advance further each time of "heat off" and subsequently
> runs the timer out and shuts off. If all is well this coincides with the
> clothes being dry. But if it isn't cycling the timer off, it would run out
> before the clothes were dry.
Thanks for the detailed description.
> However, I read you to say that the timer is
> still in the middle of its "on" position as all you have to do is hit the
> start button so it must not be running to the end prematurely. I'm not a
> service person so I'm sure I haven't been of much help. And I'm not all
> that familiar with how electricity works (other than I don't stick my finger
> in any light sockets) but I have a question. What is the function of the
> resistor in the auto dry cycle line just to the right of the switch. If
> that were defective, could it somehow open (or close, whatever they do) and
> stop the heater coil and motor.
I can see that affecting the heater element and the timer motor. If the resistor
was the cause, I have the feeling that the drive motor would still spin and
perhaps the clothes would not dry.
> And one other question...re: the thermal
> fuse...does "not resettable" mean that it could burn out and not be
> resettable like a circuit breaker or does it mean that you can't adjust the
> heat limit at which it cuts out but that it closes back up automatically
> when cooled down some?
Be sure and read one of the follow up messages psted by Jeff regarding the fuse.
> Geez, I think I had more questions than you did...
Sometimes questions are more helpful than answers.
Thanks Tom,
Dan O.
>> Daniel Schudel wrote
>>
>> I have a seven year old Kenmore electric dryer
>> (110.66702690) that stops drying mid-cycle.
>jeff wrote in message ...
>
>The motors built in safety can do this, but -usually-
>needs a bit of cooling down time before going again.
I agree. It would also normally happen an all cycles as well, not just
one.
>Loose/burnt main power wire (inside the dryer
>or in house feed ), door switch, door switch
>bracket, timer, belt broken switch (didn't see
>one on your model ).
Those would also usually effect all cycles as well.
>> I've seen other posts recommend the timer
>> itself as being the problem. I don't really
>> believe that can be my problem. The dryer
>> fails on both the "Perm. Press" and
>> "Knit Delicate" phases of the "Auto Dry I"
>> setting. It never stops on the "Timed Dry"
>> or "Air Dry".
>*Might* be able to carefully remove the timers
>cover to inspect the contacts and lifter cams
>inside.
I don't see anything else in the circuit besides the timer which is
different between the auto and regular cycles and which could cause
the whole dryer to shut down. I don't see an inspection plate on the
timer used on that model (see the following link) so disassembly to
view the contact might be tricky. But if it's going to be replaced
anyway...
Kenmore 110.66702690 timer
http://ng.appliance411.com/data.php?rc=528909
>> If it was the timer, I don't think pushing the
>> "Start switch" would start it up again.
As soon as the dryer motor stops the start would need to be pushed to
start it up again. A bad timer contact which heated due to not making
firm contact might have enough time to cool and reset in the period
between.
It would be unusual for such a bad contact to only fail once than
operate Ok afterward but anything's possible in appliance repair.
Maybe the timer's cam is damaged at one point? Did you notice if the
dryer failed at exactly the same point every time or whether it was at
even slightly different spots?
Dan O.
-
Appliance411.com
http://ng.Appliance411.com/?ref411=Kenmore+dryer
=Ð~~~~~~
Daniel Schudel
> I don't see anything else in the circuit besides the timer which is
> different between the auto and regular cycles and which could cause
> the whole dryer to shut down. I don't see an inspection plate on the
> timer used on that model (see the following link) so disassembly to
> view the contact might be tricky. But if it's going to be replaced
> anyway...
> Kenmore 110.66702690 timer
> http://ng.appliance411.com/data.php?rc=528909
>>> If it was the timer, I don't think pushing the
>>> "Start switch" would start it up again.
> As soon as the dryer motor stops the start would need to be pushed to
> start it up again. A bad timer contact which heated due to not making
> firm contact might have enough time to cool and reset in the period
> between.
> It would be unusual for such a bad contact to only fail once than
> operate Ok afterward but anything's possible in appliance repair.
> Maybe the timer's cam is damaged at one point? Did you notice if the
> dryer failed at exactly the same point every time or whether it was at
> even slightly different spots?
I've noticed the failure in more than one spot. I'm somewhat
resigned to believing the problem to be somewhere in the switch.
It's the one component in the circuitry that I *can't* eliminate.
> http://ng.appliance411.com/data.php?rc=528909
I tried your website just now and had connection problems. Is there
an alternate like to your site that I can follow?
Thanks for the help,
jeff
Hi,
> Would you agree that if any of those were the problem, then it should show
> the problem on just about any cycle?
Normally yes.
> Opps, thanks for the correction. Is this thermostat located near the
> exhaust?
Usually on the fan blower housing itself yes.
> >> The thermal fuse (in yellow) is described as being "not resettable",
> >> which I think would describe a fuse similar to car fuses or old house
> >> fuses. So if something were wrong with it, then the motor should not
> >> spin at all.
> > If the thermal fuse opens it should stay open, unless someone has
> > changed it at one time?!!?
>
> Good, so my problem can't be that.
>
> >> I've seen other posts recommend the timer itself as being the problem.
> >> I don't really believe that can be my problem. The dryer fails on both the
> >> "Perm. Press" and "Knit Delicate" phases of the "Auto Dry I" setting.
> >> It never stops on the "Timed Dry" or "Air Dry". If it was the timer, I
> >> don't think pushing the "Start switch" would start it up again. However,
> >> I can't eliminate it as the problem due it controlling so much in the dryer.
> >> And I would rather only replace it if I knew it *is* the problem as Kenmore's
> >> replacement part is $75.
>
> > *Might* be able to carefully remove the timers cover to inspect the
> > contacts and lifter cams inside.
Please let us know what you find/see :)
Dan O.
>>Dan O. wrote:
>>
>> I don't see anything else in the circuit besides
>> the timer which is different between the auto
>> and regular cycles and which could cause
>> the whole dryer to shut down. I don't see an
>> inspection plate on the timer used on that
>> model (see the following link) so disassembly
>> to view the contact might be tricky. But if it's
>> going to be replaced anyway...
>
>> Kenmore 110.66702690 timer
>> http://ng.appliance411.com/data.php?rc=528909
>Daniel Schudel wrote in message ...
>
>I've noticed the failure in more than one spot. I'm
>somewhat resigned to believing the problem to
>be somewhere in the switch. It's the one
>component in the circuitry that I *can't* eliminate.
>
>I tried your website just now and had connection
>problems. Is there an alternate like to your site
>that I can follow?
My site's been doing that lately unfortunately but seems to be working
Ok now. But if you have problems you can try this one too:
http://www.repairclinic.com/referral.asp?R=4&N=528909