GE Dryer Takes Too Long To Dry
If your GE dryer is taking too long to dry the laundry, follow these seven troubleshooting steps to help you isolate the problem, find the faulty part and replace it, to get your dryer heating properly again.
WARNING – If you are attempting to repair any dryer yourself, be aware that you are working with potentially dangerous electrical currents that can cause serious bodily injury or death. Always remove the electrical power source from the appliance before you ever begin working on it. If you are attempting to repair any household gas appliances yourself, always be sure to turn off the gas that is designated to the appliance before you ever begin to repair it. Be aware that clothes dryers have extremely sharp edges and moving parts that can cause serious bodily injury or death. Be aware that there are many other dangers and precautions involved in dryer repair besides those listed above. We strongly suggest that you please read our DISCLAIMER before any further actions are taken or proceeding any further. Always think safety first!
GE Electric Dryer
Takes Too Long To Dry
- Safety Reminder – Remember to always unplug the power cord that is designated to the dryer you are working on before you ever begin to troubleshoot or make any repairs to it.
- Lint Blockage – The most common reason a dryer takes too long to dry the laundry is from lint blockage in the dryer’s ventilation system. If your laundry is hot and damp at the end of the drying cycle, make sure that the lint filter has been cleared of all of the lint. The lint filter should be cleaned between every load, as regular maintenance. If the filter was clear of lint, you will need to pull the dryer away from the wall and disconnect the dryer vent hose from the back of the dryer. Look for lint build up in the dryer vent and in the vent hose, and clean if any is present. Try running a load of laundry with the vent hose disconnected from the back of the dryer, if the load comes out dry, you will need to inspect and remove any lint build up at the wall vent connection and the homes exterior/outside vent.
- Blower Wheel – You will need to locate the dryer’s blower wheel and clean out any lint build up that is present. Note: you will need to wear gloves to protect your hands from sharp unfinished metal edges. Try turning the blower wheel by hand, the dryers drum should turn as the blower wheel is being turned. Make sure that the blower wheel is not stripped from the drive motor shaft or broken anywhere.
- Heating Element – You will need to visually inspect the dryer’s heating element for damage. If the elements coils are intact and no signs of damage are found, you will then need to test it for continuity using a multimeter or a digital meter. If the element does not have continuity the part is bad and will need to be replaced. Before installing the new heating element on your dryer, you will need to check for burnt or loose wires and repair them before installing the new element. Loose wire connections, damaged or burnt wires can short out the newly installed heating element.
- High-Limit Thermostat – The high-limit thermostat is located on the dryers heating element housing. The thermostat is used to monitor the dryer’s temperature and will shut the heating element off if the dryer gets too hot. You will need to test the thermostat to make sure that it has continuity using a multimeter or digital meter. If the meter shows the thermostat has continuity the part is good. If the thermostat does not have continuity, the part is bad and will need to be replaced.
- Cycling Thermostat – The cycling thermostat is normally located on the dryer’s blower housing. The thermostat is used to cycle the heating element on and off during the drying cycle to regulate the temperature of the air entering the clothes dryer. Using a digital meter or a multimeter, you will need to test the cycling thermostat to see if it has continuity, if the meter shows that it has continuity the thermostat is good. If the thermostat does not have any continuity, then the part is bad and will need to be replaced.
- Dryer Moisture Sensor – The moisture sensor is used to monitor the moisture in the laundry. When the laundry is dry the moisture sensor will send a signal to the electronic control board telling it that the laundry has finished drying. If the moisture sensor is faulty, the dryer can shut off prematurely, leaving the laundry damp or continue to run after the laundry has dried.
GE Gas Dryer
Taking Too Long To Dry
- Safety Precaution Reminder – Please be sure that the gas and electricity have been turned off and disconnected completely from the clothes dryer before proceeding any further.
- Lint Blockage – The most common reason a clothes dryer takes too long to dry is from lint blockage in the dryer’s ventilation system. If your laundry is hot and damp at the end of the drying cycle, make sure that the lint filter has been cleared of all of the lint. The lint filter should be cleaned between every load, as regular maintenance. If the filter was clear of lint, you will need to pull the dryer away from the wall and disconnect the dryer vent hose from the back of the dryer. Look for lint build up in the dryer vent and in the vent hose and clean if any is present. Try running a load of laundry with the vent hose disconnected from the back of the dryer, if the load comes out dry, you will need to check for lint build up at the wall vent connection and the homes exterior/outside vent.
- Blower Wheel – You will need to locate the dryer’s blower wheel, inside the back dryer panel, inside the blower housing. Note – you will need to wear gloves to protect your hands from sharp, unfinished metal edges. Try turning the blower wheel by hand, the dryers drum should turn as the blower wheel is being turned. Make sure that the blower wheel isn’t packed with lint build up, next make sure it is not stripped from the drive motor shaft or broken anywhere.
- Moisture Sensor – The moisture sensor is used to monitor the moisture in the laundry. When the laundry is dry the moisture sensor will send a signal to the electronic control board, telling it that the laundry has finished drying. If the moisture sensor is bad, the dryer can shut off prematurely, leaving the laundry damp or continue to run after the laundry has dried.
- Cycling Thermostat – The cycling thermostat is normally mounted on the dryer’s blower housing. It is used to cycle the gas burner off and on during the drying cycle to regulate the temperature of the air entering the clothes dryer. Using a multimeter or digital meter, you will need to test the cycling thermostat to see if it has continuity, if the test shows that it does have continuity the thermostat is good. If the thermostat does not have any continuity, then the part has failed and will need to be replaced.
- High-Limit Thermostat – The high-limit thermostat is located on the dryer’s burner assembly. It is used to monitor the dryer’s temperature and will shut the burner off if the clothes dryer gets too hot. You will need to test the thermostat to make sure that it has continuity using a digital meter or a multimeter. If the thermostat does not have continuity, the part is faulty and will need to be replaced with a new one.
- Ignition Coils – The ignition coils are also referred to as the gas valve solenoid coils, they are mounted just in front of the gas burner assembly. Their sole function is to open the gas valve and let the gas flow into the burner assembly. If you can see that the igniter is glowing red hot and the burner won’t light, it is likely that one or both of the gas valve solenoid coils have failed and will need to be replaced.