Dryers have made laundry much easier. But, it becomes a headache when your whirlpool dryer is not drying well in one cycle.
This issue can occur with any sort of dryer. For example, sometimes, a moisture sensor or manual dryer also fails to dry well in one cycle.
But, do not worry. I have come up with some effective and quick tricks to solve your issue. Mostly, the dryer takes too long to dry clothes because of overloading.
However, there can be some other reasons such as wrong settings or faulty hardware components.
I think you will not mind investing some of your time in finding out the root cause and then fixing it by applying my suggested tips. So, let us start checking, inspecting, and fixing our whirlpool dryer.
Perform Some Basic Checks
As I mentioned earlier, the issue of whirlpool dryer not drying well in one cycle may have several reasons. They can be very trivial instead of bigger problems. Therefore, you should check some basic things.
1. Check Power Supply
The most important thing to check is the power supply. Make sure that your dryer is receiving enough power. A gas dryer needs to be plugged into 120V and the electric dryer required a 240V outlet.
Either it is a gas dryer or an electric dryer with a heating element. In both cases, you need to ensure proper power supply. Plug the dryer firmly into a working wall power outlet.
Avoid using extensions as they may be faulty. Further, check the circuit breaker, if it is tripped, reset it. In the case of a gas dryer, check the gas lines and pressure.
2. Avoid Overloading
Another common reason for the dryer not drying well in one cycle is overloading. When you put too many clothes in your dryer, the hardware parts suffer undue stress.
The automatic safety mechanism of the dryer will stop it from functioning. Hence, try to reduce the number of clothes and then check again. A dryer works on the basis of heat and airflow.
The heat turns the water into steam by warming up your clothes. Next, the airflow pushes the steam out of the dryer. If you stuff too many clothes, the airflow is blocked.
Hence, your clothes remain wet even after drying for a long time. It is better to consult the user manual to check the maximum load limit.
3. Clean the Air Vent and Duct
As you know, the excess heat and warm air get out of the dryer through the vents. The dryer starts malfunctioning if the vents are clogged.
You can check airflow by turning ON your dryer and then feeling the airflow coming out of the vent. An average warm and slow airflow indicates that the vent needs cleaning.
In addition, you should also clean the lint trap after or before every cycle. Wash it with warm soapy water and let dry for some minutes. Cleaning the vent needs a little more effort. The process is as follows;
- Unplug your Whirlpool dryer from the electric outlet and cut off the gas supply.
- Next, move the dryer machine away from the wall and disconnect it from the vent.
- To clean out the vent, remove the screen cover from the outside. The vent gathers a lot of lint if it is not cleaned regularly. So, using a vacuum cleaner, remove all of the lint.
- Make sure the vent is no more clogged at any place. Finally, connect the dryer to the vent and turn it ON.
- Now, put some wet clothes in it and see if it dries them well in one cycle.
4. Check the Door Switch
The door switch prevents your dryer from running when the door is open. If the switch is loose or the door is not closed properly, the dryer can stop working.
So, make sure that you have closed the door well. The light goes OFF when the door is firmly shut. Press the door switch manually before starting the machine.
Keep it holding for some time and leave after a few minutes. If the dryer stops working, it indicates that the door switch needs to be fixed.
5. Do not Put Soaked Clothes in Your Dryer
From soaked, I mean clothes dripping water. Dryers are used to dry wet and moist clothes but not soaked. The washer performs this function as it spins to remove the excess water.
The rest of the moisture is then dried up by the dryer. So, if you put too wet clothes in your whirlpool dryer, do not expect drying well in one cycle.
Furthermore, check the settings of your dryer and choose the correct setting according to the types of clothes.
Inspect the Hardware for Defects
The above-mentioned tips should fix your dryer that is not drying well in one cycle. However, if you find all these things fine then inspect the hardware for defects.
A dryer has many hardware components such as a drive belt, motor, heating element, blower wheel, thermal fuse, and control panel.
A fault in any of these parts leads to various issues. So, you should try to check all these hardware components to diagnose the real problem.
1. Check the Heating Element
Electric dryers are equipped with a heating element. It is in the form of a coil and is usually present at the back. This part is responsible to provide enough heat to dry out the clothes completely.
Hence, you need to examine it for any signs of damage, coil breaks, and insufficient heat. Use a Multimeter to test its continuity. The heating element needs replacement or repair if it is defective.
Similarly, check the gas burner in gas dryers. Make sure the gas supply is continuous and the burner is working properly.
Gas valve solenoids in a gas-fueled dryer perform the same function as the heating element. Also, check this valve and replace it if necessary.
2. Check the Blower Wheel
The blower wheel is another important hardware component in a dryer. It pulls air from the surroundings and sends it to the heating element to get hot.
This hot air then passes through the drum and gets out of the air vent. A faulty blower wheel causes rattling sounds and violent vibrations in your dryer. The blower wheel is attached to the motor.
You need to open the back panel to access it. Cracks or obstructions like lint balls, socks, or small clothing items may be causing it not to work properly.
Blower wheel sleeves can also get loose. So, it wobbles on the motor and the dryer takes too long.
3. Malfunctioning Thermostat
The thermostat controls the amount of heat in the dryer. It monitors the temperature and shuts OFF the burner or heating element when the dryer overheats.
In case the thermostat has started malfunctioning, it will turn OFF the burner even if the dryer is not overheated. Test its continuity using a Multimeter before replacing the thermostat.
A thermistor is another component that is attached to the thermostat in some whirlpool dryers. A defect in it can also cause the issue of the whirlpool dryer not drying well in one cycle.
4. Test the Thermal Fuse
The thermal fuse is a safety component in the dryer. It avoids overheating to prevent the dryer from catching fire. A blown-out thermal fuse leads to the malfunctioning of the various dryer parts.
Hence, you should test and replace it. It is not a tricky thing to replace the thermal fuse;
- Unplug your Whirlpool dryer from the power supply.
- Open its back panel and locate the thermal fuse.
- Dismount the old fuse and replace it with a new one.
5. Failed Moisture Sensor
Your whirlpool dryer may have a moisture sensor. This element detects the level of moisture in clothes and then sends the signal to the control board.
In simple words, a moisture sensor determines how much time your clothes need to dry out completely. Hence, if the moisture sensor starts malfunctioning, it will send incorrect signals.
The dryer will stop working even if the clothes are wet. A quick tip is to clean the moisture sensor. It is present near the roller drum in the form of two metal plates. Check the user manual to locate the moisture sensor in your whirlpool dryer.
6. Other Defective Hardware Components
The motor is the most significant part of a dryer as it rolls the drum and blower wheel. If the motor is not working, the dryer will stop drying or will not spin. Hence, you should check the motor.
Listen to the buzz or humming sound when you start the dryer. Other faulty components can be on the control panel. It contains all the necessary elements such as timer, switch, start button, and all other controls.
Maybe a control button on the panel board is defective. Therefore, the settings cannot be adjusted as required. Replacing a part of the control board does not cost too much but can fix your whirlpool dryer that is not drying well in one cycle.
FAQs
Here are some of the questions that might come to your mind regarding the whirlpool dryer.
Why my dryer takes too long to dry towels?
Towels and other fluffy clothes are likely to trap more water as compared to simple fabric. If the washer does not spin them well, they retain extra water. Similarly, if you do not wring the towels fully, they take too long to dry out. To avoid such issues, spin or strain the towels completely.
How much time a well-functioning dryer takes to dry clothes?
A dryer should take from 30-45 minutes to completely dry out a full load of clothes. However, dense fabrics like bath towels, quilts, and blankets may take 1 hour to dry out. If your dryer takes more than the required time, you should inspect it thoroughly.
How can I reduce drying time?
You can use dryer balls to reduce the drying time. The dryer balls bounce around the dryer and separate the clothes. It helps in drying the clothes evenly and smoothly. Moreover, putting dry towels along with wet clothes in a dryer also helps absorb the moisture. Hence, both these techniques shorten the drying time.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article will prove a complete guide for you. I have included all the potential solutions that can be applied to your whirlpool dryer.
These tips are verified and tested and can fix your machine. However, if nothing works then you must consult the manufacturer or a professional technician.
Because working with intricate hardware components can damage them further. Nevertheless, it is fine to apply the basic checks and troubleshooting tricks to fix your whirlpool dryer that is not drying well in one cycle.
