"Is my shirt dry yet? I'm gonna be late!" The clothes dryer is one of the most used--and abused--devices in the typical household. It dries clothing, shoes, billfolds, loose change, discarded chewing gum, and who knows what else. The lint trap is stuffed with lint and bits of paper. The exhaust hose is stuffed with lint. The dryer takes twice as long to dry as it did a month ago. It's time to call the Fix-It Club!

How Does It Work?

Components of a typical front-load clothes dryer.

A clothes dryer is a large appliance for drying clothes, bedding, towels, and other linens. Moisture is removed from clothes with a combination of air, heat, and motion. Gas and electric dyers differ mainly in the heat source. Both gas and electric models use a motor to turn a drive belt. The drive belt revolves the drum which holds the clothing. A blower directs air past the heat source and into the drum where it draws lint and moisture from the fabrics through a lint screen and out an exhaust duct. Appliance controls regulate the options, such as temperature and drying time. Some machines use mechanical timers while others rely on digital electronics.

What Can Go Wrong?

A dryer is a sturdy machine that will usually last for many years. The most common problem is also the easiest to fix: a buildup of lint. In addition, the electrical cord can fail. Switches, the timer and the timer motor, thermostats and the heating element can all fail. The drive belt and idler can malfunction. Many of these problems you can resolve yourself without calling a costly service person.

Fix-It Tip

Newer dryers use digital rather than mechanical timers and other controls. Many of these offer diagnostics that can be activated to report problems in the form of codes. Check your machine's owner's manual for information on how to activate and interpret diagnostic codes. They can save you hundreds of dollars in unnecessary repairs.