Maytag Dryer not getting hot ENOUGH, new thermostat installed

[Shotgun]

Ok, so I'm no fix-it-all repair guy, but being an engineer, I can usually make stuff work.

My wife complains that the dryer is not getting the clothes dry very fast anymore.  She further complains that the "Intellidry" function is not working properly.  She claims the unit turns off prior to the clothes actually drying.  

First things first, I clean out all the lint.  Truth be told, I do this every once in a while anyway, and this was not a problem.  I double check flow through the 4 inch duct, no issues.  The line to the outside is A-OK and unobstructed.

I think to myself: "Ok, how hard could this be?  Faulty sensor?  Bad/open coil?"

I open the unit and quickly find a single heating coil element with 4 "sections" and a heat element thermostat mounted on top of it.  

After some playing around, I try to eliminate the thermostat as a problem by unscrewing it, and physically removing the element from the heating coil so that heating coil operation will not change the sensing.  This causes the heating element to go super HOT, so I turn it off before it blows or melts or whatever.  I deduct the coil is WORKING, and seemingly, working properly.

Next, I deduct that the thermo fuses are intact, otherwise, the element would not heat at all.

I further deduct the problem is a faulty thermostat.  I go online, order a kit with identical parts, receive it today, and install it.  NO CHANGE.

The unit still spins, the unit still heats,  but the unit takes 3-4 times longer to dry clothes.  The outgoing air flow is warm, but not HOT.  I have read somewhere outgoing flow should be roughly between 120F-160F.  I think the outgoing heated air is struggling to reach 100F.

The "Intellidry" function(s) have not been tested.  I figure this must be some type of humidity tester which is not being tripped due to low heat causing low evaporation.  *shrug*  Perhaps, this faulty sensor is causing the unit to lower heat?  I doubt it, since this feature turns the machine OFF, not DOWN, right?

Any input?

Model PYE4558AYW

[JWWebster]

Those dryers are notorious for having a stripped blower wheel. Here is your blower wheel. Notice the flat spot in it. Look on your blower wheel and you will see that yours is gone. This makes the clothes take twice as long to dry. I fix em all the time. The link above is your exact part and buying it there supports this site. Thanks

I have some repair photos here

[Shotgun]

With all due respect, the blower looks fine.  I have taken some pictures of it, but the camera is being a b1tch.

After removal of the front panel, I cannot locate the "flat" section you reference in your post or the pictures, but the wheel itself looks ok, turns ok, and does not appear broken or stripped.  Am I missing something?. 

Is it possible the "cycling thermostat" is causing problems?

[Shotgun]

Also, I am glad to hear that the linked site supports your site -- they are who I ordered the replacement thermostat from -- SUPER QUICK!

I will continue to work with this, and post some pictures if I can hold back from smashing this camera into dust.

[jumptrout51]

The premature stopping would suggest a cycle thermostat is at fault.

[Shotgun]

The "cycling thermostat" is itching me...what does it do exactly?  Does it cause any feedback of sensing to the power of the heating element?  If this thermostat does not register "too high" or "in range", what is the effect?

Is there a way to test functionality of this device while not in action?  Will a faulty, defective, or damaged thermostat vary resistance or visible markings?

[Shotgun]

I see from this link: http://www.appliancepartspros.com/partsearch/model.aspx?model_id=49277&diagram_id=683416#d683416

that this cycle thermostat is the unit that actually DOES control heat output.  Is this true?

[JWWebster]

What about the filter housing is it clear? What about going to the outside of the building is that vent clear?

[jumptrout51]

You can only test the large terminals on the cycle stat for continuity.
Yours has continuity or it would not work at all.
It is inexpensive. Replace it.

[JWWebster]

The way that thing works is: Power goes through the bigger terminals to the heating element. The smaller wires are powering up a tiny heater inside the thermostat. Warming the bi-metal makes it shut down faster for permapress and delicate. So the basic temp setup can all be done by one bi-metal instead of 3 or 4 like old days and that means less wiring and less timer issues to deal with. So.. if the air flow is ok the next thing to deal with is the
control thermostat. If that does not fix it then a contact in the timer from that thermostat could be burnt. If the timer is ok then the circuit breaker may be faulty, getting hot and shutting down on the heat load side.

[Shotgun]

The exhaust path is completely clear. 

What components would be causing the device not to heat to a proper level, or perhaps, mis-sense the heat from the coil. 

It does seem like the coil is not providing enough heat...when I moved the thermostat, the coil got red hot, and when the sensor is in place, the coil does not seem to get red at all.  I think it could use to be cranked up a little bit.

[JWWebster]

You could have an electrical problem or a timer problem. The timer has a contact in it that will get arc damage over time. Sometimes it can be removed and dis asembled and sanded down to make good contact. If the timer is fine and the heating problems persist then the circuit breaker could be faulty. Bad timer contact

Bad circuit breaker

[Shotgun]

Yeah, ok, I really don't know how to handle this, other than calling in the expensive dudes...

I have confirmed the blower and assembly are working as intended.

Also, the timer looks fine.  No noticeable corrosion or concerns.  This unit is only a few years old, so I am even more stumped about what is going here.

I just don't know what to do.  Again, when I remove the replaced thermostat (move away from the coil) the coil gets HOT, so I deduct this must be a control/sensor issue....

Any last thoughts -- i really have to deal with this, and I'm (almost) at wits end...

[Repair-man]

I hope you are not trying to run it with the front panel off...it will not heat for long.
The LA1044 element does not glow bright red as long as 450 CFM of air is being drawn over it, just like blowing on a candle. A dryer element should not glow bright red unless there are aiflow issues..most are a subdued red only visble in darkness.  The way to test the thing properly is to seal it back up, remove the vent hose and place a thermometer in the outlet. It must  get to 145 degrees to dry properly. Do this with no clothes in the drum and use Timed dry (60 minutes)

The thermostat which controls the heat during the drying cycle is mounted down on the front of the blower housing.

Control Thermostat (4-wire)  Click pic to view

[Shotgun]

Right now, I am running the dryer as intended, which takes around 120 minutes to dry a load of laundry.  there is NO way I am going to run this unit without a thermostat properly installed, or somehow modified unless I am sure the unit remains tethered.

i have not yet tried to run the unit without the front panel, and that is not something I feel comfortable trying to do.

As I posted earlier, this unit is struggling to push 100F air out of the back end.  The air flow is good, and the coil seems to be working.  I do not want to throw more money into this thing if it is simply not going to help.

Is there a way to test the 4-wire control (circuit) unit to see if it is working properly?  I am quite familiar with a multimeter, but I suspect testing this unit during operation would be a problem, since it is behind that front cover....

Any ideas?