Now The Dryer Failed

[carolinarider09]

Just got back from our Florida trip yesterday and wife was washing clothes.  Speed Queen washer working well, but today, when I put some clothes into the dryer, it did not provide needed heat (actually none).

So, I have two options, replace or repair.

The dryer is a Samsung and has worked as needed since we got it some 10 years ago.  Given today's methods, it would seem that the dryer may have reached EOL. 

So, my initial thought is to just replace it and hope we have flawless laundry equipment for the next 10 years.

So, any thoughts on the repair of replace notion. 

And if replace, any suggested brands.  In my research two were mentioned, Samsung and LG.  Not sure how much I can trust the on line reviews today but.....

[..]

Might just be the heating element in the drier. Youtube how to replace it.

[cookiedough]

Might just be the heating element in the drier. Youtube how to replace it.

yah, agree if electric dryer like mine after 20+ years NO heat was the heating element.  EASY 30 dollar repair take back off held on by screws/bolts easy enough and youtube it and plug n play easy fix.  I got the heating element at my local appliance store was amazed still had it in stock after 20 years was not that much or hard to replace.  

the heating element was a tad bit cheaper online but for a few bucks more buying local having it in stock decided not to wait.

heating element also went out on my electric stove big coil and that was easy as well plug n play and both good the last 5 years or so hoping for 15+ more years on both appliances? 

Judging by the way I see all these fancy newer more efficient appliances last ONLY 6-12 years anymore makes me want to keep my old 1993 appliances as long as possible.   

[carolinarider09]

Ok,, thanks looking now.

[carolinarider09]

Ok,,,, Found this video.  It is interesting in that the access to the Speed Queen "stuff" was just a couple of screws. 

This video makes it more like changing the air filter on my Goldwing. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5WEzmClRjE

[cookiedough]

wow,  remind me to never buy a Samsung dryer, that seems like an awful amount of screws and parts to take off just to get at heating element.

My 1993 whirpool dryer was remove entire back cover/faceplate entirely off and was in back a few screws is about it.

[Moonshot_1]

wow,  remind me to never buy a Samsung dryer, that seems like an awful amount of screws and parts to take off just to get at heating element.

My 1993 whirpool dryer was remove entire back cover/faceplate entirely off and was in back a few screws is about it.

Geez, you should be able to do this NASCAR style. One screw, open flap, unplug element, slide old one out, slide new one in, close flap, tighten screw and back on the drying track. 30 sec. tops.

That is a lot of screws and parts to do that job.

Appliances need to be "Pit crew Approved"

We could market this and make lives easier.

[old2soon]

       I looked at a LOT of options when I needed a dryer element. First one i looked at was like 60 bucks + shipping!   And believe it or not after some more searching I located an outfit-cain't recall now-that shipped it all fer under 20 bucks. And being as I had an older Whirlpool dryer I thought it would be a cheap knock off. But when the package arrived the inner box and the part were both stamped-Whirlpool. And Made in America!   Anywho even if you "only" git 5 or 7 more years outs the repaired dryer yer ahead of the game.   RIDE SAFE.

[old2soon]

wow,  remind me to never buy a Samsung dryer, that seems like an awful amount of screws and parts to take off just to get at heating element.

My 1993 whirpool dryer was remove entire back cover/faceplate entirely off and was in back a few screws is about it.

Geez, you should be able to do this NASCAR style. One screw, open flap, unplug element, slide old one out, slide new one in, close flap, tighten screw and back on the drying track. 30 sec. tops.

That is a lot of screws and parts to do that job.

Appliances need to be "Pit crew Approved"

We could market this and make lives easier.

       I was still huntin and peckin when you posted. First Wife and I still in Illinois we bought a washer dryer set from Montgomery Ward. Just outa warranty the washer motor failed. Wife had unplugged it when it smoked. Pulled the motor went down to M W parts dept with all the info off the tag and the guy sez-yup-have those in stock BUT Only an authorized M W repair man can work on our stuff-It's outa warranty I say and he sez and I CAN'T sell you that motor!  Needless to say I NEVER bought another cursed thing from mw. And mw was tryin Real Hard to make folks feel Not self sufficient. RIDE SAFE.

[bassman]

Anything in here offer any insight?

https://theconchtech.com/howto/appliances/8-reasons-why-your-samsung-dryer-is-not-heatingsolutions/

[carolinarider09]

Good list bassman. 

In response (and the breaker thing was something that crossed my mind but did not check since the dryer would run, just no heat).

1.  Air vent line - line is not clogged, verified air flow at the outside location. 
2.  Thermal cut off Fues not the issue since the dryer runs, but again, good check.
3.  Voltage - not an issue, wife just used oven to cook some chocolate cookies and I did check the circuit breaker.  Its a dual 30amp breaker so if one side trips the other side will also trip they way its configured.  But a good check as well.
4, 5, 6 not a gas dryer.
7.  Thermostat, its with the heating coils so....
8.  Heating coils - most probable. 

[cookiedough]

good luck with the Samsung heating element hope you can get it local or online and sounds like a pain to get all the parts off that dryer just to get at the heating element. 

[carolinarider09]

Update:

Called a "service shop" and was put on the waiting list.  Next appointment was Monday of next week. 

Minimum charge to travel to my location $100.  Parts (from previous comments) between $80 and $100.  Total cost for repairs probably >$200.

Cost for new machine about $800.  Could be delivered in a few days. 

[bassman]

Your dryer is about 10 years old?

https://www.mrappliance.com/expert-tips/appliance-life-guide/

[Jess from VA]

You sound like me with appliances taking a dump in succession. (and more than 3's)

The age old question:  Do I fix it for $200-250, or am I better served with dumping that money against a new one?

And the repairman and everyone else saying the old ones are made better and last longer, and you should fix your old ones and not trust the new ones.

My compromise has been fixing my old ones 2-3 times, then punting for a new one.

I am no expert at all, but I seem to recall hearing that dryers are more easily fixable than washers (at least gas ones).

In my childhood, the laundry got done with a wringer washer (my sister got her arm caught in that one), and the drying was done out on the clothesline with pins.  I like old fashioned stuff, but not that particular old fashioned stuff.  

Not my mom.

Sometimes it's amazing (to me) I've lived so long.

I expect the easy is for the washer and not the woman.   

[carolinarider09]

From baseman's reference, it has another four or five years left.  I will ask the tech, if he shows up, about repalcing the drive belt as well since it has to be removed to remove the drum to get to the heating elements.

Regarding the clothes line Jess, I seriously thought about putting one up for the next week or so.  However, this is "Pine Pollen" week here in SC and they would all turn yellow.

[Jess from VA]

We have the same .... everything outdoors is yellow season starting here too.

[cookiedough]

I'd probably fix it for 250 and under but 300 and above cut ties and buy new again.

If fixed, might last 10 more years again?

[carolinarider09]

Agreed.

[Oss]

do not laugh but I wear the damn mask inside the full face helmet while on the bike during pollen season

It makes a huge difference in my ability to breathe

[scooperhsd]

I can see that - if you're allergic to the pollen in your area.

[Jess from VA]

On the other hand, I go out with a Stihl BL600 backpack blower, and blow clouds of pollen all over the place with no mask at all.  I'm not allergic, but boy can I gets some good sneezing going.

AVG. AIR VELOCITY**    89 m/sec. (199 mph) 

[Skinhead]

I've been told you don't want to get your tit in one of those.

[carolinarider09]

Repair man is here now.  Got the dryer apart in about 20 minutes (cause he knew what he was doing). 

Just before he got here, we had a power outage.  It was brief but turned on my scanner and heard that a car had run into a power pole in our nearby town. 

Generator started to start and then stopped since the power came back on within about 15 seconds or so. 

So, it is interesting that without the generator and if we had really lost power, we may not have gotten the dryer fixed. Talk about coincidences.   

Oh, for the record, he said it is a bad element (burned in half).  Bad news is the cost little over $350.   

A new one cost about three times that (well maybe $900).  The repairman said that the heating elements are really terrible in the Samsung dryers.  The belt, which moves the drum, rarely wears out he says and he has even seen the belt eat through the pulley.

Bottom line, if it fails again, we will immediately go out and purchase a new one.  Waiting a week for repairs is something that I would rather not do since laundry is important. 

[Patrick]

Well, hopefully this will now last another 10 yrs.

[Jess from VA]

Waiting a week for repairs is something that I would rather not do since laundry is important.


Not if you own two months' of sox and underwear.   

[Robert]

I repair my own, no problem.

[scooperhsd]

Waiting a week for repairs is something that I would rather not do since laundry is important.


Not if you own two months' of sox and underwear.   

Only a zoomie would do that

[Jess from VA]

Waiting a week for repairs is something that I would rather not do since laundry is important.


Not if you own two months' of sox and underwear.  

Only a zoomie would do that

So Squids just own one of each, and turn them inside out every other day?  Or better yet, they don't use sox and underwear.   

My new washer is 3 months old, and done three loads.   This month's wash is coming up though.   

[carolinarider09]

We asked the repairman, if we had to buy a new dryer what would he recommend.  He asked if we needed anything special (cycle wise like "steam") and we said no.

He said that he would recommend the low end Hotpoint Dryer which is just a simple dryer made by GE no frills or a Roper dryer which is made by Whirlpool, again a no frills dryer. 

[cookiedough]

We asked the repairman, if we had to buy a new dryer what would he recommend.  He asked if we needed anything special (cycle wise like "steam") and we said no.

He said that he would recommend the low end Hotpoint Dryer which is just a simple dryer made by GE no frills or a Roper dryer which is made by Whirlpool, again a no frills dryer. 

what, no Speed Queen dryer in your future?   

350 dollars for a heating element seems awfully pricey if you ask me.  Did he mark it up a few hundred bucks?   Or, does the 350 include the labor and trip charge? 

[Hook#3287]

Hope I'm not jinxing myself, but my 33 year old no nonsense Hotpoint elec dryer still does it's job like a champ.  I replaced the belt and pully a few years back.  Simple, easy to fix machine.

The Hotpoint washer lasted over 25 years until it crapped out.

The new washer replacement lasted about 5 years till the main bearing went and the one I'm using now is a high output that was a friends. The balance block crumbled and front seal wore out and she chucked it.

I fixed it, then the door lock sensor took a dive.  Replaced it. As of now it's working.

Point being, the old stuff was good, simple, good working, built to last machines.

The new stuff with all the mandated EPA water use, energy saving crap, don't save a thing when you got to replace it every 5-7 years.

But hey, the Koreans are happy.

Every time I see a old washer or dryer on the side of the road, I almost want to stop and take it home.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Hope I'm not jinxing myself, but my 33 year old no nonsense Hotpoint elec dryer still does it's job like a champ.  I replaced the belt and pully a few years back.  Simple, easy to fix machine.

The Hotpoint washer lasted over 25 years until it crapped out.

The new washer replacement lasted about 5 years till the main bearing went and the one I'm using now is a high output that was a friends. The balance block crumbled and front seal wore out and she chucked it.

I fixed it, then the door lock sensor took a dive.  Replaced it. As of now it's working.

Point being, the old stuff was good, simple, good working, built to last machines.

The new stuff with all the mandated EPA water use, energy saving crap, don't save a thing when you got to replace it every 5-7 years.

But hey, the Koreans are happy.

Every time I see a old washer or dryer on the side of the road, I almost want to stop and take it home.

And they were easy and cheap to fix.