Commercial Tumble Dryer Troubleshooting A dryer is simply a large drum into which wet laundry is loaded. A motor with pulleys connected by a series of belts turns the drum. Air heated by a gas heater or electric heating element is blown through the drum to dry the laundry. The temperature and speed of the drum are controlled by a series of thermostats operated from a timer device on the control panel of the dryer.
Commercial Tumble Dryer Malfunctions
As a safety device, a dryer usually has a door switch that activates the working parts. Unless the door is properly closed, the dryer won’t work, regardless of the settings on the control panel. Many dryers are equipped with a reset button on the control panel. If the motor won’t run, let the dryer cool for about ten minutes. Then push the reset button. If there are no problems with the motor, switches, or electrical system, this should restart the dryer. Caution: Before doing any work on the dryer, make sure it’s unplugged. Disconnect the grounding wire. If it is a gas-fueled dryer, close the gas-supply valve to shut off the unit’s gas supply.
In a dryer, heat is provided by a gas heater that is controlled by an air shutter. The gas heater is generally the source of no-heat or drying problems. You can often correct such problems by adjusting the air shutter on the gas burner, which is located along the bottom of the dryer.
To adjust the shutter, take out the screws and remove the panel that covers the gas flame. Turn on the dryer so the flame is burning. If the flame has a deep blue color and you hear air whistling around the burner, the air/gas mixture is receiving too much air. If the flame has a yellow tip, the mixture is not receiving enough air. Turn the thumbscrew or loosen the two screws slightly to increase or decrease the flow of air to the burner. Keep turning until the flame is a light blue color, without any yellow, and the whistling stops.
Gas dryers use an electric ignition device rather than a pilot light to light the gas heater: An element becomes hot and glows like the filament in a lightbulb. Electric ignition systems are always sealed; you can’t adjust or repair them. If an electric ignition device fails, call a professional service person for replacement.