How to fix a clothes dryer?

Things tend to break at the most inopportune moment. Most often this happens when the item is desperately needed, but there is no time to run to the store for a new one or call the workshop. With linen dryers, this happens quite often - the rods and legs fall off exactly when you start hanging clothes. We have to urgently repair. How to fix a clothes dryer will be discussed in our article.

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Why does it break?

It would seem that the dryer is so simple that it should not break at all. Those that were made half a century ago, and to this day adorn the loggias and balconies. But you can’t say about some modern products - they break down sometimes in a year, or even earlier.

The reason is simple: in old dryers, all parts are made of high-quality metal, in modern ones, plastic is often used. For example, in cheap models with an adjustable rope, it is precisely the plastic gears that carry the cord. Such parts are quickly erased, and the rope begins to jam - neither here nor there.

What else could be the repair of a clothes dryer? The rods periodically fall off if the model is made of bad metal. And with the legs at the floor dryers all sorts of troubles occur. In a word, this item is not as simple as it seems, respectively - it needs care, attention and timely repair.

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What are the dryers?

The simplest dryer is a frame made of metal or plastic, on which rods are fixed. Depending on the placement, models are:

• floor;
• ceiling;
• wall mounted;
• mounted.

Important! The first two species are most popular, they most often break. On sale you can find quite sophisticated high-tech products with a micro-lift, remote control, etc. They are quite expensive, and almost always have to be repaired by electronics, so it is better to contact a service center.

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Most frequent damage

A home master most often has to deal with three types of breakdowns:

• gear wear;
• separation of the rod;
• failure of one of the legs.

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Gear wear

How to repair a clothes dryer if the rope does not want to move? In this case, you will need a new gear. In principle, you can buy it in a store where they sell all kinds of fasteners. If at home there is an old sewing machine that nobody needs, but it is a pity to throw it away, you can remove the necessary part from it - it was used to wind the threads.

Important! This is better, because old machines used high-quality metal components, so your gear will last for more than a dozen years in its new quality.

If you have obtained the necessary part, then proceed in the following order:

1. Find the metal stud that holds the wheel.
2. Get her out - it's easy to do with pliers.
3. A worn gear is in special grooves - pull it out of there.
4. Place the new part in the same grooves.
5. Check if the structure works.
6. If you hear a creak, lubricate the shaft with engine oil.

Important! Do not use vegetable oil for such purposes - it is an organic substance and is not particularly useful for metal.

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We repair the crossbars

In dryers, mainly crossbars of two materials are used:

• plastic;
• metal.

Important! In some models, there are also wooden ones, but this is relatively rare, and it’s much easier to repair such a dryer than others. Wood can simply be glued together - most special adhesives hold such a load perfectly. Such crossbars, as a rule, do not fall off the frame. As for plastic, any repair will be done at once, so it is better to simply replace a cheap dryer with a new one.

There are several ways to fix a metal bar:

• with the help of nylon ties;
• using wire;
• cold welding method;
• in some cases, it can be soldered;
• replace the bar with a longer one and fasten it with screws;
• to weld.

Nylon ties

The easiest, but also the least reliable way. In order to repair a clothes dryer in this way, you will need:

• nylon cord;
• epoxy resin;
• drill;
• drill for metal.

As a result, you should get something like a fastener made of composite material. The method is not the most convenient, but the repair will not take much time. For some time, the dryer will also serve:

1. Drill the same through holes in the frame and in the rod.
2. Thread the cord through them and tighten them properly.
3. Make several turns on the crossbar and on the frame - it is better crosswise.
4. Fill the mounting location with epoxy.
5. After the structure has dried, the dryer can be used.

Wire

This method is also unreliable, in addition, the attachment point looks extremely unaesthetic, and you will have to hang clothes with caution. But still, consider this option of repairing the dryer with your own hands:

1. Drill through holes.
2. Insert a thin steel wire into them.
3. Screw the rod to the frame.

Important! The wire should be used only from stainless steel, otherwise - you can spoil the linen.

Cold welding

It is done with the help of a special composition. In fact, this is a special glue that provides a fairly strong connection. You can buy it at a hardware store, but you must act strictly according to the instructions. In this case, you do not need to drill anything. True, those who have used dryers that have been repaired in this way claim that the connection does not last very long, and heavy clothes should not be hung on this rod.

But you can connect two ways:

1. We drill holes in the frame and rod.
2. We apply the composition to a piece of steel wire.
3. Pass the wire through the holes.
4. We wrap the sections of the frame and the rod.
5. Let's freeze.

Soldering iron

It is very tempting to attach the rod using soldering. In some cases, this is possible and gives a good result. For example, if the crossbars and the frame are made of stainless steel - there are no problems, this metal joins in this way quite easily and firmly. But for aluminum, this method is not suitable.

Screws, screws and the rest

The crossbar can be screwed with any fasteners that are at hand. A good fastening method, but if the connection is not done very carefully, there is a risk of tearing the laundry.

To fix a dryer for your own hands, you will need:

• narrow steel strip;
• self-tapping screws or screws with nuts;
• vise;
• drill;
• drill bits for metal;
• marker.

The strip must be bent at an angle of 90 ° and drill 2 holes at the ends. Then we act like this:

1. Attach the crossbar to the frame as it stood when it was in good condition.
2. From the bottom, attach a metal strip so that its angle coincides with the junction of the rod and the body.
3. Mark the space for the holes.
4. Drill through holes.
5. Fasten the entire structure with screws or self-tapping screws.

Important! For greater strength, you can plant a strip on universal glue or epoxy.

Bend the rod

If it is possible to bend or flatten the rod, increase it or replace it with a longer one, you can do this:

1. Bend the edge of the bar down 5-10 mm.
2. Drill a hole in the frame so that it aligns with the bend.
3. Insert the bent end into the housing.
4. Coat all this with electrical tape or pour epoxy.

Important! The most reliable method is spot welding: you can boil joints of other crossbars for prevention.

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We repair the legs

This is a more complicated process than repairing the crossbars. There are only two options:

• welding;
• replacement.

Welding

Welding is good because you do not have to change all the legs. It is necessary to weld only one, and at the same time to carry out prophylaxis, that is, to strengthen problem areas using the same welding. If you had to resort to this method, do not forget to do two more things:

1. Curved tubes must be leveled, best with a hammer.
2. The product, so that it looks good, is best painted.

Leg Replacement

Before you fix the dryer for the floor, you will have to take a walk to the hardware store. You will need:

• wooden slats (approximately 7 linear meters);
• carpentry tools;
• metal plates.

When everything you need is at hand, the rest is done in this order:

1. Saw 4 rails of 150 cm.
2. Make 2 of them identical crosses.
3. Screw one side of each leg to the body using a metal plate.
4. In the second - make in the middle of the recess, as was done with the old ironing board.
5. From the remaining segment, make 2 jumpers.
6. Screw one between the rails on the side of the legs that is screwed to the body, the other between the free ends.

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Stock footage

As you see, each method of repairing a clothes dryer involves a number of activities that require both skills and time. Therefore, if you have a budget model, it would be wiser to just buy a new fixture, if the system is expensive and still solid, then everything is in your hands!