Why Are My Clothes Damp Or Drying Times So Long?
Check the lint screen
As clothes dryers need sufficient air movement to operate correctly, a lint screen that is partially blocked can reduce the air circulation and increase drying time. Totem Appliance Repair suggests removing and cleaning the lint screen in your dryer before each and every load.
Inspect the exhaust vent and exterior exhaust hood for lint
The drying time required for a dryer can be extended if the exhaust ventilation system is clogged or partially blocked with lint. Totem Appliance Repair suggests that you start your dryer and let it run for 5-10 minutes. Then check the outside exhaust hood to see if there is air movement. If the air movement is less than a hair dryer on high speed the entire length of the ventilation system should be cleaned.
Is exhaust vent smashed, crushed, or kinked?
The drying time of your machine may be extended if the exhaust vent has been crushed or is kinked as these conditions can hinder the effecient removal of moist air. Totem Appliance Repair suggests replacing plastic or metal foil exhaust vents with a flexible heavy metal or rigid vent.
Replace plastic or metal foil ventilation with flexible heavy metal vents
As kinked or crushed ventilation material may result in the slowing of moist air from exiting the dryer and extending drying time, Totem Appliance Repair suggests replacing these with a rigid or flexible heavy metal ventilation system. Flexible heavy metal vents are particularly helpful when a ventilation system is long and may have too many turns. Totem Appliance Repair recommends not having more than 4 elbows in your entire ventilation system as each additional elbow reduces the amount of good air movement.
Air flow blocked by fabric softener sheets
Totem Appliance Repair finds that quite often clothes dryer softener sheets may be blocking either the dryer exhaust grill or air intake that is located inside the drum of the dryer. Either of these situations can result in slowing of moist air removal and in turn lengthening the drying time required for your clothes. Totem Appliance Repair suggests using only one fabric softener sheet per load.
Is dryer outside in a garage or porch
Quite often when a dryer is located in a garage or on a porch the air surrounding the dryer may be too cold for a dryer to function efficiently. For best performance Totem Appliance Repair suggests your dryer be located in a location where the outside temperature is above 45 degrees.
Is clothes dryer located a closet?
If a clothes dryer is located in a closet, Totem Appliance Repair recommends that the closet has ventilation openings on both the top and bottom of the closet door. There is a recommended 1 inch distance between a dryer and closet door and 5.5 inches from the rear of a dryer and a wall.
Large loads require longer drying time
Extended drying times may be the result of large loads as the tumbler may not turn or air movement is slowed in the dryer.
As clothes dryers need sufficient air movement to operate correctly, a lint screen that is partially blocked can reduce the air circulation and increase drying time. Totem Appliance Repair suggests removing and cleaning the lint screen in your dryer before each and every load.
Inspect the exhaust vent and exterior exhaust hood for lint
The drying time required for a dryer can be extended if the exhaust ventilation system is clogged or partially blocked with lint. Totem Appliance Repair suggests that you start your dryer and let it run for 5-10 minutes. Then check the outside exhaust hood to see if there is air movement. If the air movement is less than a hair dryer on high speed the entire length of the ventilation system should be cleaned.
Is exhaust vent smashed, crushed, or kinked?
The drying time of your machine may be extended if the exhaust vent has been crushed or is kinked as these conditions can hinder the effecient removal of moist air. Totem Appliance Repair suggests replacing plastic or metal foil exhaust vents with a flexible heavy metal or rigid vent.
Replace plastic or metal foil ventilation with flexible heavy metal vents
As kinked or crushed ventilation material may result in the slowing of moist air from exiting the dryer and extending drying time, Totem Appliance Repair suggests replacing these with a rigid or flexible heavy metal ventilation system. Flexible heavy metal vents are particularly helpful when a ventilation system is long and may have too many turns. Totem Appliance Repair recommends not having more than 4 elbows in your entire ventilation system as each additional elbow reduces the amount of good air movement.
Air flow blocked by fabric softener sheets
Totem Appliance Repair finds that quite often clothes dryer softener sheets may be blocking either the dryer exhaust grill or air intake that is located inside the drum of the dryer. Either of these situations can result in slowing of moist air removal and in turn lengthening the drying time required for your clothes. Totem Appliance Repair suggests using only one fabric softener sheet per load.
Is dryer outside in a garage or porch
Quite often when a dryer is located in a garage or on a porch the air surrounding the dryer may be too cold for a dryer to function efficiently. For best performance Totem Appliance Repair suggests your dryer be located in a location where the outside temperature is above 45 degrees.
Is clothes dryer located a closet?
If a clothes dryer is located in a closet, Totem Appliance Repair recommends that the closet has ventilation openings on both the top and bottom of the closet door. There is a recommended 1 inch distance between a dryer and closet door and 5.5 inches from the rear of a dryer and a wall.
Large loads require longer drying time
Extended drying times may be the result of large loads as the tumbler may not turn or air movement is slowed in the dryer.