Monday, June 16, 2014

DIY- Fixing the Dryer

We are well aware of that fact that our washer and dryer are on the way out. The hubs and I bought them when we got married and we'll be celebrating our 15th anniversary next month. The set has seen better days but have just kept on working. Well good enough anyway. We're planning on replacing them in a couple of months so of course that's why Friday night our dryer started making a horrible sound.

My oldest had put a load of his wash in the dryer and a horrible clanking sound ensued. The laundry room shares a wall with my bedroom and it was LOUD! It was night time and the younger two children complained that they couldn't sleep with all the racket. I went in and opened the dryer. His load was a light load- mostly socks and undies. No Jeans. No Shoes. Nothing that would make a racket. It was still hot and had been turning like it is supposed to. I didn't smell anything burning so I decided that his load would finish drying and I would assess the situation in the morning. 

Saturday morning I gathered up a few tools and got to work. You see, I'm the fixit person in this family. Oh the hubs does a lot too- yard equipment, cars, etc. But if it's in the house I usually take a crack at it first. (I fixed the washer when it wasn't draining a couple years ago). And the hubs was working so it was the perfect time to get this figured out.

Our laundry room is a small little closet. The washer and dryer squeeze in with only a few inches to spare. I managed to shift the dryer to the front of the room so I could climb on the washer and swing myself over to get behind the dryer. I armed myself with the vacuum knowing there would be lots of dusty lint to get rid of.
I unplugged the dryer and got to work with the drill unscrewing the back cover. Much to my surprise there wasn't a whole lot back there. Some electrical wires and the casing for the lint trap. So I got to work reattaching the back cover. Unfortunately while trying to get it into the clips it slipped and cut my finger. Not too bad, no stitches or anything, but definitely unpleasant. Oh well, only the best jobs leave battle wounds. 

At this point I decided to do some searching on the internet. I searched "My dryer is making a clanking noise". The hubs laughed at my search when I told him about it and was shocked when I told him there were tons of results. The best sounding suggestion was that one of the wheels that rolls the drum had worn out and broke. Luckily there was a good chance I could buy the replacement part and fix it myself. I just needed to get to the broken piece for the removal and replacement. 

Another quick search on the web and I was able to find a YouTube video showing me how to take apart the front of the dryer. Out came the power tools again and before you know it I had the top off. A couple of minutes later I was removing the front.
As I was taking the front off I saw some clothing. It was then that I realized that my son hadn't taken his laundry out of the dryer. And of course, I hadn't even bothered to check. 


I quickly grabbed a basket and removed his clothes. The site of my dismembered dryer above- with one little exception....


As I removed his clothes I made a discovery. His pocket knife lay at the bottom of the dryer. Guess what was making all that clanking noise the night before? That's right, the pocket knife.


What makes the story even better is that fact that I spent a good hour taking apart the dryer, battle wounds and all, and had I just checked inside and emptied the clothes first I would've found the culprit right off the bat. 

And that folks, is how I spent my Saturday. Go ahead and laugh, I've been laughing ever since I found the knife. I've also been saying "thank you" prayers because we cannot live without a dryer and can't buy a new one yet. 

I haven't hung up my tool belt for good. In fact, it's been brought to my attention that the agitator in the washer isn't working too well. Stay tuned for that story. :o)

HAPPY FIXING!




11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hahaha what makes it even funnier is I can totally relate, that would definitely be something I would do! :)

Clare M said...

Yes, it is Murphy's Law really. Lovely story.

KaHolly said...

Great story to start my day! Sounds like something that would have happened to me!

Podunk Pretties said...

I laughed so hard I cried! I too have worked on my dryer several times. As you told the story I was running over the possible causes...a swiss army knife wasn't one of them. Reminds me of the good ole days of my sons having everything but lint in there pockets...miss those days.

Judy@Quilt Paradigm said...

LOL I was so excited to see how you fixed it! My dryer is making an awful noise and it definitely is not a knife ;) I'm off to search the same thing so I can fix it myself! The hubbins will be so surprised haha I've been putting stuff outside. It's AZ, It's over 100, feels like a dryer out there so might as well take advantage right? HATE that the towels are like cardboard. . . Love that everything is dry in literally 15 minutes! LOL

Unknown said...

We just got a new washing machine and dryer because the old one's were beyond repair. This coincided with my resurgence in quilting. As a result when I finish a quilt I go to the laundromat to wash it. I just feel washing quilt after quilt will age our machine too fast. Plus at the laundromat I can use a extra large capacity washer that gives the quilt lots of room and the spin cycle really pulls the water out of the quilt.

Laura said...

You're killing me, Emily! I can totally see you doing this. I expect a fully animated account of this experience when I see you next week at retreat!

A.J. Dub. (Amy) said...

LOL Love that you took the initiative to fix it regardless of the outcome. :)So funny though!

Anonymous said...

Your story totally reminds me of when my SIL had one of her under-wirers from her bra come out and get lodged after going thru one of the drain holes in the washer tub. She was SO embarrassed when the repairman handed it to her!!! Best part was, he didn't know what it was....

Nurseli said...

Funny! I'm impressed that you were able to get the dryer apart. You tube is wonderful though. Showed me how to fix my garbage disposal. It was simple really and could have ended up costing me almost $100 to repair had I called a plumber. Plus the stupid thing keeps jamming so it was worth it to learn how to fix it myself. At least it was just a pocket knife and not crayons or gum!!! Done that.

Mobile app development company said...

Amazing article. Thanks for sharing with us. I would like to share the information about the Hybrid application development company. Our hybrid applications are designed with a user-centric approach, ensuring an intuitive and engaging experience for your audience. We prioritize seamless integration with device features, optimal performance, and efficient maintenance to guarantee the longevity and success of your application.