Clothes dryer repair = DIY?

[wpcoe]

I have an older (about eight years old?) Teka brand clothes dryer. The other day the drum stopped turning, though it sounds like the motor is still working.

Do dryers use a belt system, like a car fan belt, or is it more complex? I'm willing to attempt a *simple* repair like replacing a belt on an upright vacuum cleaner, but not sure what I'd face if I rip open the dyer.

Thought I'd ask before I ripped open the dryer.

[Crossy]

It will almost certainly be a belt, should be a piece of cake to fix if it's just a failed belt, even better if it's just come off

The hardest part will be working out the correct routing for the new belt if the old one has failed and dropped into the bottom of the machine.

Whilst you have the back off remove all the fluff that gathers around the heater, it will work so much better and won't smell of burning wool.

[wpcoe]

Thanks for the good news! Maybe I'll spend Christmas Day opening up my dryer.

If the belt is broken, where's a good place to get a new one? Does Amorn carry them? I've seen all kinds of washing machine parts at Amorn, but never noticed (nor looked for) dryer parts.

[wayned]

If you google Teka repair manuals and the model, there are some free downloadable manuals available, some with detailed instructions on dis-assembly and belt replacement

[Crossy]

+1 Wayned, +1 on Amorn WP, take along the old belt.

[wpcoe]

This morning I struggled to remove the rear/side panels (one piece) and then found that the drum motor was in the front. Scooped out frayed belt fragments. With the front panel off, it seems like it would be an extensive operation to simply put on a new belt: the pulley wheels (two of them) -- which are well buried -- would have to be removed and it would be more of a project than I want to tackle by trial-and-error.

Granted, I didn't come online this morning to see wayned's suggestion, but I feel a bit vindicated in that I can find no repair manual for my model (Teka TKS 6000.2), other than a €30++ order from some catalog company.

Belt is in several shredded fragments, and I can't even be sure how big the belt was. Impossible to even get a measuring tape at the pulley wheels to then wrap around the drum without really dismantling the whole thing.

The top (fiberboard) panel was a b*tch to remove. It fits VERY tightly in the front and side channels, and even swinging a hammer at it (actually hammering a 2x4 that was pressed up against the edge of the fiberboard panel, I cannot get it to fully slide back into place. Even if I do, I've managed to lose chips on the sides where it chafed the side channels and the rear where I whacked at it.

I'm considering this a loss (other than the educational value) and will be looking for a new dryer.

Thanks for the feedback. Greatly appreciated!

[wayned]

Trashing the machine for a broken belt does seem a little extreme, but I can understand your dilemma! I've replaced a few in my time and if you don't have the correct replacement part, they're not automotive "V" belts, and have no idea how long it should be and how to route a new one you are in a pickle. I don't know where you live, but if you check around you might, just might, find a tech that has access to parts and could come to your house to repair it. Where I live you would have to load it in a pickup and take it to the "only repair shop. Good luck, but if you do buy a new one make sure that you check about service before buying.

The ones that i repaired had a large belt that fit around the tub and onto the pulley on the motor and then were "tensioned" by a spring loaded idler arm. The belt had to go on from the front of the unit so dis-assembly was a pain, but i always had the correct replacement belt.

Edited December 25, 2013 by wayned

[Crossy]

It is pretty old but I'd get your local 'man' to have a look before binning the beast if it's generally serviceable and not rotted out.

This page has lots of diagrams http://www.repairclinic.com/Dryer-Belt-Diagrams any look familiar?

We had an old dryer (Creda I think) which had two idler / tensioning pulleys, didn't look like any of the diagrams, the belt threaded between the pulleys and on to the motor, no removals required.

[lopburi3]

As dryers of any type are uncommon in Thailand suspect best bet would be an official service man (if any available) either on or off the books and most likely he will be the only person having expertise/access to parts. This is likely to involve an upfront visit cost but suspect would be worth it as such electrics do not come cheap here. As for age my Hoover is more than 15 years old and still works fine; but only used on rain days.

[wpcoe]

There are two pulleys, each with a bracket that encloses the pulley wheel on both sides, so that the wheels would need to be removed, the belt inserted in the pulley wheel groove, and then the pulley wheels remounted. These two pulley wheels are behind several layers of braces and plastic ducting and electrical connections -- all of which would all have to be painstakingly removed. It was just enough to make me cry "uncle!" and say "<deleted> it."

This is as close to depicting the pulley arrangement as I could manage with my limited photoshop/drawing skills:

The dryer had a good eight or nine year run. Adding the chipped pieces now missing from the top panel -- and probably more if I dismantle the dryer again -- and I just decided to let it go. Now if I can only manage to get it downstairs to the condo trash area: There's a half-flight of stairs between me and the elevator and another half-flight of stairs in the lobby down from the elevator lobby to the garage.

If I decide to get a new dryer (still not sure I *need* one, but they sure are nice), I might pay the dryer delivery guys a few hundred baht to take the old one.

[Crossy]

That's like my old Creda.

Assuming the motor pulley is just off the bottom of the drawing the belt goes down between the pulleys, not around them, then loops around the motor pulley.

My red line:-

[wayned]

The ones that I've repaired are almost the same, but only had one tension arm. It also ran on the outside of the belt as shown in Croosy's drawing. The biggest problem is getting the right belt!

[wpcoe]

And now, for the epilogue to this episode:

I was out running errands and ended up at Big C/HomeWorks in South Pattaya. After bounding across endless lanes of traffic on Sukhumvit to catch a sawng-taew on the other side, I turned around while waiting and noticed I'm in front of a used appliance shop. Up front and center was the exact model of dryer I almost bought at HomeWorks for B15,900 twenty minutes earlier. It was only B8,000. I was so shocked that I forgot to bargain. :-)

Delivery was included, and I donated the old beltless dryer and threw in a computer desk that I didn't want as part of the package. I'm quite pleased with the "new" dryer. It has a few scuffs and scratches, but nowhere near what my old dryer had, plus it is much quieter and larger capacity (7kg vs 6kg).

</end of story>

[wayned]

Glad that it worked out for you. Most likely your old dryer will get a new belt and be for sale in front of the same store next week. Sounds a bit like my ex-wives!