I have a 1996 Kenmore 80 Series gas dryer, model #11097588210 75882. What is a normal temperature range for the top exterior of the cabinet? Is 113°F excessively hot?
Dryer Cabinet Temperature Question
- Thread starter kc27
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repairguy
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Normal range is hard to say because there are too many variables involved. The length of the vent run, the possibility of it being clogged, the vent behind the machine being smashed between the dryer and the wall, the vent cap on the exterior plugged or smashed, and the condition of the rear drum seal and air duct seals inside the dryer to name a few. Dryers with long exhaust runs will run warmer than one that exits immediately behind the machine even when the vent is clean.
Not only venting can play on how warm a dryer cabinet gets, but the temperature the cycling thermostat(s) are rated at. When I installed an adjustable cycling thermostat on my Maytag DE806 last year set to 175F, the cabinet got quite warm to the touch, wasn’t hot to the touch, but quite warm. Since the cycling thermostat is a double throw switch thermostat which is a L120-15, only gets lukewarm to the touch.
There’s many variables that play on how hot the cabinet of a dryer will get. Wonder how hot a Whirlpool/Kenmore gas dryer gets with the 37,000 btu burner in it.
There’s many variables that play on how hot the cabinet of a dryer will get. Wonder how hot a Whirlpool/Kenmore gas dryer gets with the 37,000 btu burner in it.
Thanks for the replies. Laundry had been placed on top of the dryer. When I picked it up, I was surprised at how warm it was. It was probably within the acceptable range of heat coming off the cabinet, whatever that is. My first post was to get an idea of what that range might be.
The dryer is in a basement next to an exterior wall. It has a 6' run of rigid metal duct with two 90 degree bends to the exterior vent. The dryer and the duct are clear of lint - I cleaned and visually inspected them this past week. The machine was drying a medium size load of laundry on auto-dry at the highest heat setting. The warmest point was the center of the top of the dryer, right up against the console. Again, probably within the normal range, I had just never paid attention to it before.
The dryer is in a basement next to an exterior wall. It has a 6' run of rigid metal duct with two 90 degree bends to the exterior vent. The dryer and the duct are clear of lint - I cleaned and visually inspected them this past week. The machine was drying a medium size load of laundry on auto-dry at the highest heat setting. The warmest point was the center of the top of the dryer, right up against the console. Again, probably within the normal range, I had just never paid attention to it before.
Top surface temperature on an older Kenmore gas dryer
I would say that’s completely normal to be uncomfortably warm keeping in mind that you put a pile of insulation on top of the dryer. The proper way to check the temperature would be to check the temperature the top with nothing on top of the dryer.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with piling clothing on top of the dryer, but it is a pile of insulation which allows it temperature of the surface to get a lot hotter. You would have the same effect if you put a pile of clothing on top of electric range and use the oven for an hour. The top of the range would get too hot to touch as well.
John
I would say that’s completely normal to be uncomfortably warm keeping in mind that you put a pile of insulation on top of the dryer. The proper way to check the temperature would be to check the temperature the top with nothing on top of the dryer.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with piling clothing on top of the dryer, but it is a pile of insulation which allows it temperature of the surface to get a lot hotter. You would have the same effect if you put a pile of clothing on top of electric range and use the oven for an hour. The top of the range would get too hot to touch as well.
John
