I have an older LG TROMM front-loading dryer that has stopped heating. It did this a couple months ago, and tearing it down, staring confusedly, and putting it all back together fixed the problem. This time, that didn't work, so I did some actual research and have tested both of the thermostats, the thermal fuse, the heating element (I think), and the thermistor (I think) and all of them show continuity. So that leaves me with possibly the logic board and no way that I know of to test it, but I'm loathe to drop $130 on a guess while I'm unemployed. Is there anything I'm missing? Some way to test the logic board? I am not super excited about testing for 240v in various places, but I guess that's what is up next, starting with the power supply (?). Halp!
Venting - How far up? In my stupid house the stupid exhaust takes a right stupid turn and goes out the stupid damn roof. Stupid Things - I'm sure you checked the breakers and confirmed that you're actually getting the 220/240/whatever is particular to your appliance on the line you're plugged into? I'm also required by, like, moral law or something on account of my sister has been doing the books for an appliance repair guy for long enough that she basically knows how it all works to tell you not to do this thing. Once you start disassembling the dryer, you've entered a territory where I wouldn't feel comfortable not having somebody to sue for an awful lot of money when my house burned down, but I say that with the comfort and security of gainful employment, so take from that what you will. If you want, I can run this by her and she if she remembers anything, but it might be a day or two, since she's not the greatest about checking email.
I've torn it down twice, so it ain't no thang. I tried cutting the tip of my finger off a bit ago to appease the blood gods, so we will see how well that worked after I get this stitched up.
So a repair guy came today and told me that both thermostats were burnt out, but he didn't even remove the drum which would have given easy access to them, particularly the rear-most one. It is probably possible to get to them, but a very tight squeeze. He's going to have a quote for me tomorrow once he tracks some down. I tested the thermostats with a cheap multimeter when I had it apart, and based on what I could figure out on the internet, both thermostats are good. He makes a living doing this and I'm just a dude reading stuff on the internet, but this doesn't feel right to me. I know about what the thermostats should cost from looking around online, so unless he quotes me some absurd price, it might be worth letting him go ahead and install them and then take it up with him if that wasn't the problem. Maybe?
He warranties work for 30 days and parts for 90. I think it'll probably come down to how much his quote is. I asked him how he was able to get to the thermostats with the drum in, he said he could reach them and tested them with his multimeter. I don't have any reason not to believe him, but I'm still uncomfortable.
That pretty much sounds like every car mechanic diagnosis. And you do have a reason not to believe him.
Repair guy tried every possible part including the control board, nothing worked. He said it was probably a wiring problem somewhere and not worth fixing. He made four visits, didn't charge me beyond the $50 diagnosis fee since he wasn't able to do anything. So, any tips for buying a used dryer?
Used? I've never gone dryer shopping but... plug it in and make sure it runs for 10 minutes without making noises akin to Transformers fucking.
First off, with a repair man like that, I'd ask him. I bet he could find you a good used one. You now know you can trust him and never lose his number. If he can't, here are a few things on a used dryer: 1. The worst problem is material and/or rust. Bring 2 white towels and make them damp and run them in the dryer for 10 minutes. They won't get dry, but you'll see if there is anything (crayons, rust, lipstick, etc) embedded in there & will ruin your clothes. 2. While it's running, check the vent & see how much air flow is coming out. You want to make sure that the fan is pushing the air out easily. If little air is coming out, it likely has been overheating & will require a new fan / cleaning. 3. The fewer bells & whistles the better. Manual instead of digital is better. Other than that, dryers are pretty simple.
Yeah, our next dryer will definitely be manual. Screw this digital bullshit. That said, with spring just around the corner and me being unemployed, we're just going to hang dry everything for the foreseeable future, but I'll definitely keep your advice in mind when it comes time to buy another one.
