Jan 122011

I have been dispatched to countless call with this complaint. Its all to common in the appliance field.

The first thing I ask my customer is can you start it right away. If yes then we know we lost voltage somehow and will need to dissect the wiring schematic to figure out how.

If the customer states no it just buzzed, or half hour later it fired right up and worked again fine, then we know we have a bad motor. The motor on these usually they are Whirlpool Maytag and Kenmore brands but Amana and Frigidaire dryer motors will and can do the same thing.

Keep in mind that if you have a clogged dryer vent run and lint is building up around the motor you could have a potential fire hazard on your hands, and also the reason the motor failed premature. When the motor overheats from excessive lint built up it will fail in short period of time. Having a clean dryer vent is essential to a long lasting dryer with little to no maintenance.

Replacing the motor on some of these models just isn’t worth it any more, manufactures charge more for older parts, it seems they want you to buy new.  If you have an older style dryer it may be worth trying to get the blower wheel off before you make the trip to the appliance parts house. Some times and it has happened to me, the blower wheel will basically weld itself to the shaft of the motor and the only way to break it free is to break it off.

The blower wheel threads are reversed, so when you are inside the dryer trying to take the blower wheel off remember that. The plastic housing that the blower is made of will strip out and leave with the only option of breaking it free.