How to Dismantle a Clothes Dryer

Learning how to dismantle a clothes dryer will help you to repair any problems you may be having with the dryer. Being able to change your own belt will help you to avoid rushing out and buying a new dryer. It will also help to save you from having to pay a professional to fix your unit. The more money you save, the more enticing learning how to fix your own dryer begins to look.

Step 1 - Getting Started with Dryer Repair

The first thing you need to do when repairing a dryer is to unplug the machine. Even if you are not using any of the functions, there is still plenty of electricity running to the dryer. This will keep you from getting shocked as you work on your dryer.

Step 2 – Opening Your Dryer

It is important to note here that every dryer is different. There is no hard and fast way to tell you how to get at the internal working parts of the dryer. The only thing that remains the same is you will have to remove external components in order to be able to fix the internal components. Your user's manual may or may not give you instructions on how to remove the exterior plates. If it does not, you can look it up online to get to know how you can get the exterior of the clothes dryer out of your way.

Step 3 – Getting to Know the Components of the Dryer

Once you have the dryer open, most dryers have the same components. Every dryer has a drive belt and whenever there are problems with the dryer, this is usually the problem that needs to be addressed. Threading a new drive belt can be tricky in some models as it loops around the entire drum. Models which are constructed for size and not for being fixed easily will prove to be difficult to get your hands in the places they need to go to send through and receive the belt.

 These models require you to remove major components to fix the basic problem. The belt is connected to the pulley which is driven by the engine. The engine is powered by the electrical source. This is why a gas dryer still needs to have an electrical cord.

The heater is generally in the back of the dryer and heats up the dryer through vents in the back of the drum. The hot air generated by the heater can be cycled into the drum by a fan, but often times, just the motion of the drum will help to circulate the air enough that a fan is not needed in order to circulate the air. The drum is the large cylindrical space you put your clothes. It rests on rollers which help the drum to turn.

Knowing these parts will help you to be able to diagnose any problems you are having before you attempt to fix anything. You will then be able to go straight to what the problem is and fix it before you cause any more problems.