My tumble dryer's not rotating either - is doing this safe....?

Discussion in 'Engineers' Talk' started by Nurse Hazel, Feb 19, 2014.

  1. Nurse Hazel

    Nurse Hazel New Member

    Hi, just read a previous thread which confirms to me what I suspected is wrong with my tumble dryer - yes, the drum is not rotating. It is heating so partially dries stuff, though. So what I would like to know is, is it safe to stop it and manually turn the drum then re-start it, around ever 15/20 mins, to get loads dry? Or will this do more damage to it? If running it without it turning damages it, then it is stuffed anyway as yesterday I ran a load three times on a two hour programme to try to get it dry - ie 6 hours without it turning! Then gave up and cried. Phoned Hotpoint today (before I realised what the problem is) and they cannot send a man (or woman, who knows!) until next Tuesday and I haven't got time to hang up washing all over my radiators and wait for it to dry/nearly dry before doing another load, and a massive backlog to get through anyway! Why has it picked my annual leave week to die?? Many thanks for any info! xx PS I am doing manual turning with my dryer tonight and tomorrow unless told otherwise, so a quick answer would be great - many thanks! xx
     
  2. Nurse Hazel

    Nurse Hazel New Member

    PS Thanks all for the info on someone's previous message on this subject which helped confirm my suspicion! xx
     
  3. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    I'm surprised it hasn't caught fire yet. Most of these machines rely on air passing through the heater, which in turn regulates the amount the heater element burns(and in most cases the turning of the drum/motor/belt has something to do with making this airflow.
    Without the airflow, it should either cut out, or burn out.
    When you turn it by hand, is it stiff to turn, or easy like the washing machine?
    If it's easy, the belt is either off or broken. If it's stiff, the belt is on, but something more expensive to fix probably.

    Mr. HandyAndy - Really
     
  4. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

    Last time my tumble drier did this, it turned out to be the motor. I got round this by taking the back off (so I could see the belt) and showed the wife how to use my cordless drill to turn the belt (whilst I stood well back,, went to work. :D:D:D:D:D
     
  5. Nurse Hazel

    Nurse Hazel New Member

    Oh!! Oh dear! Well, I am glad it hasn't gone on fire then!! Thank you Mr Handyandy! Maybe best stop using it then! It's taking forever to dry a load anyway - just given up for the night and switched it off! I think (rightly or wrongly) this is because the load that is currently in it is only very small (just did a small one to test it before giving up and ringing Hotpoint!) so is just sitting at the bottom of the drum and missing the air blowing into it from the "back wall" I think, even though I have been turning it! Was just thinking I'll try a bigger load tomorrow to try to get the air to "hit" it....but having read your comments I will give it a miss! Radiators and drying racks it is then, til Tuesday! :( It didn't cut out - in fact it even kept doing its intermittent/crease-reducing spins at the end of its programme tonight, although of course it couldn't actually spin, try as it might, poor little thing. It was trying its best! Glad it hasn't burnt out then! Will leave it Nil By Mouth until the doctor does his rounds on Tuesday! Many thanks again! xx
     
  6. Nurse Hazel

    Nurse Hazel New Member

    Sorry....meant to say - yes, it is very easy to spin by hand - much easier than usual. I read about this issue in a previous post (think you yourself probably mentioned it!), and tested it, which is what led me to believe that it is the belt probably. That, and the fact that when I have switched it on, though it makes a noise like it is working, when I opened the door, the items were sitting in the exact same place, having not spun at all. So hopefully it will be straightforward to fix. The cost is not a big problem as the nice chap on the Hotpoint line today said I can either pay about £100 now for the repair/callout etc, or about £12 a month for this repair (or like for like replacement if it is dead!) and any future issues - so I am doing that! xx
     
  7. Nurse Hazel

    Nurse Hazel New Member

    Ha! I wish we had DIY skills in this household, but alas we do not, despite having very multi-skilled fathers - unfortunately both are either busy or unwell or far away at the moment! Thank you for the reply - do you think mine could still be a motor issue or does sound like the belt, in view of the drum being easy to spin, etc? xx
     
  8. Phil the Paver

    Phil the Paver Screwfix Select

    I bet the guy at hotpoint said you could pay £100.00??, you can buy a new tumble dryer for not a lot more, (White Knight) proberly the best on the market for value for money, I can't imagine a belt is much more than a tenner and take about ten minutes to fit.
     
  9. Phil the Paver

    Phil the Paver Screwfix Select

  10. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    It's a shame really. 99% certain it's the belt. Might have even just slid off(can happen maybe if uneven heavy load is put in there). Shame that it might even be possible to tip the machine, slip the belt back on, and carry on - cost, nothing.

    Mr. HandyAndy - Really
     
  11. Teki

    Teki Screwfix Select

    Not sure if you have had your dryer repaired yet?

    Here is a video showing how to replace a drive belt on a Hotpoint tumble dryer:



    It may not be exactly the same model as the one you have but gives you an idea of what is involved.
     

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