What Causes the Clothes Dryer to Shut Off After a Few Seconds?
- Clothes dryers contain a set of heat-sensitive kill-switches that signal to the dryer when conditions are getting too hot. If you opened the door to the dryer and removed the immediate facing, you’d see a small disc jutting out that’s about the size of a quarter. This is the first sensor. Warm air blows by, and when the air is too hot – whether it’s from lint clogging the sensory vents or the fan or a broken belt causes a disruption – the second switch is called into service. Located (usually) near the heating coils in most modern dryers of the past few decades, this sensor acts as a backup and powers down the cycle as a safety precaution when the coils overheat.
- Cleaning lint from the vent holes or fans usually alleviates the problem. First, check the lint trap: if it’s clogged with lint, air cannot pass out of the escape vent and, instead, continues to circulate, upping the dryer’s internal thermostat. This creates a fire hazard, which is why the sensors are placed where they are to detect temperature fluctuations. Clean the trap then look at the vent holes in and around the first sensor. Clean them if need be and run the dryer through a cycle to see if the problem is corrected. If not, the switches may be bad.
- A voltmeter is used to detect poorly functioning circuit leads in electronic devices. Your dryer is no different. Chances are after you’ve cleaned the lint and unclogged holes and the dryer still shuts down mid-cycle, bad connections are to blame. Simply turn the device on and hold it close to each sensor and check the read out. The meter will show you which is failing or simply not working at all. In this case you’ll need to replace the bad sensor after obtaining the part from an appliance retailer. If you have zero electronics experience, contact a knowledgeable repair person – the small expense may prove to be worthwhile in the long run.
- In rare cases, the casing around the main power cord’s terminal is loose due to wear and tear on the holding screws. To give this a look, unplug the dryer and move away from the wall unit to gain better access to the dryer’s backside. Check where the cord leaves the dryer; if it wiggles at the base, chances are your dryer has a loose terminal. To remedy the situation, you’ll have to unscrew the backplate from the dryer and screw in the terminal screws to secure it back down. Never attempt this while the dryer is plugged in.
