Pulled a dryer apart twice before I noticed the lint screen was still wet

Customer called saying their dryer wasn't drying. I checked the vent, the heating element, the thermal fuse. Took me about 45 minutes to figure out the lint screen was just clogged with leftover fabric softener residue. The customer had washed a load of towels right before I got there. Now I always check the lint screen before pulling the whole machine apart. Anyone else get burned by something this simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryan6531d ago

Wait, hold on though. Isn't fabric softener residue more of a buildup issue than being a wet screen? The screen being physically wet right after a load wouldn't really clog it that bad.

roseb471d ago

So you're saying the wetness itself can't cause buildup?

blake_martinez1d ago

Yeah I actually thought the same thing until it happened to me. I cleaned the screen every month and still got that musty smell. Turns out the water itself was getting trapped in the folds of the seal and not fully draining. I started leaving the door cracked open for a few hours after each load and the problem went away completely. Just wiping the rubber gasket with a dry towel also helps a ton. Give that a shot before messing with any cleaners.