Maytag Performa

[Jill_of_all_trad]

Hello,

I am having a problem with my dryer.  A while ago I noticed that it wasn't providing enough heat.  It turned out that the airflow was clogged, so I cleaned it.  It worked fine after for several months.

Now I notice that it takes forever for it to dry once again, even a small amount of clothes.  Everything is fine with the airflow - I've checked.  When I turn the dryer on I can see that the heating element goes on for a minute only and goes off after.  The dryer is still turning.

JWWebster: have you removed the front panel Jill? Jill Al Capone might be by here later and ask you to start a new coluum.

No I have not (not sure what exactly you mean here) and do not know how.  Please let me know if you suspect a specific kind of problem.  Any help would be appreciated.

Model PYE2300AZW

[Repair-man]

Things that could cause the heater not to stay on include any accumulation of lint inside the blower intake or a restricted exhaust vent, among others. The usual test for a restricted vent is to take the vent hose off the dryer entirely and run a cycle. If the dryer still does the same thing, then you must open the machine up and take off the front panel to check for internal lint blockage.

Unplug the dryer and raise the main top. To do this, take an old AOL CD and stick it in the front crack about 2" from each side to release some spring clips holding down the top. With the top up, you will see 2 1/4" screws holding the front panel on near the top. Take these off and the front panel will easily pull off and lift off of 2 clips near the floor. Now you can see the blower duct and pretty much everything else.  As the 'old stove guy' said in the previous post  (http://appliancejunk.com/forums/index.php?topic=485.msg3682;topicseen#new), the high limit thermostat could be triggering early. This is a small disc with 2 red wires going to it situated over the heater in the back left corner. Sometimes the metal bracket holding the thermostat can warp due to oveheating and it might bend down too close to the heater, causing premature cutoff. You can bend this bracket very slightly upward to give the stat more clearance from the heater, but do not over bend it. We don't want the wires to short against the cabinet.