Excessive Drying Time

[shanenc14]

I have a Whirlpool Direct Drive washer (Model GSW9800PW2) mfg approx 2005, and a Maytag 7.0 cu. ft. electric dryer that's about 15 months old (Model MEDX655DW1). I don't know what the exact spin speed is on the direct drive models, but I know that it's significantly slower than modern machines, and extracts less water.

I'm wondering if my drying time is normal. A full load of bath towels not overloaded takes about 90 minutes on high heat to dry, and a typical full load of clothing takes around 60 minutes on high heat. When I installed the dryer, I replaced the exhaust ducts, and yesterday I removed the back panel and checked the blower housing for excessive lint, and it had very minimal amount of lint. Airflow seems good at the exhaust vent outside, as the duct length is only about 4 feet.

Do these drying times seem normal with my setup? Seems a bit excessive to me.

Washer: https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/GSW9800PW.html
Dryer: https://www.maytag.com/washers-and-...-ft.-dryer-with-sanitize-cycle.medx655dw.html

 

[DADoES]

 
DD spin is 640 RPM IIRC (vs. belt-drive being 500 to 515).

Check the dryer's exhaust air temp at high with no clothes.

4' duct length .... refers to what exactly?  Post a pic of the exhaust arrangement behind the dryer, looking down over the top with it sitting in normal position (not pulled away from the wall) to confirm the ducting isn't crushed or kinked.

 

[shanenc14]

Exhaust ducts

Two angles of the exhaust ducts inside. I also went outside under my home to check for any issue with the exhaust line and airflow output is great. I set the dryer temp to sanitize, and the exhaust was HOT, not very much cooler than what a hair dryer would be on high setting. Overall I can't see any reason for the long dry times. The washer also has a clutch, coupler, pump, and neutral drain kit replaced about 6 months ago.

 

[lowefficiency]

>> A full load of bath towels not overloaded takes about 90 minutes on high heat
>> to dry, and a typical full load of clothing takes around 60 minutes on high heat.

Just to be clear-
Are these the amount of time it takes the dryer to sense that the clothes are dry and click off?
Or are these the amount of time it takes for the items to feel dry to you?

The difference would indicate whether the dryer is taking a long time due to performance reasons (clogged duct, etc), or taking a long time because it is simply running too long and over-drying (moisture sensor system fault, etc).

 

[shanenc14]

Auto Dry

I always use the Automatic setting. I put the timer between "Energy Prefered" and "More Dry" for towels/bed sheets, and on Energy Prefered setting for clothes.

 

[eurekastar]

My Speed Queen takes about 1 hour to dry a regular load on medium heat using PP Auto-sensing cycle.  Towels are usually about 70 minutes on high heat, so your dry time for towels does seem on the high side.  I had a Maytag Commercial Dryer before the SQ and it usually ran for about an hour.  I would set the dial about where you do.  However, have a couple of heavy cotton rugs that never got fully dry, so I would have to run them through two dry cycles.  That would take almost two hours.  On my SQ, they require about 80 minutes are fully dry. 

 

[combo52]

Slow Drying

Hi Shane, Whats the other end of the exhaust run look like including any wall vent hood.

 

What is the voltage at the dryer outlet with the dryer running while heating, some homes have lower voltage, and some areas only have 208 volts instead of a more common 240 volts, your dry times would be right on the money for a 208 volt installation.

 

Try and figure out if the heater is cycling off too soon on its high limit, It should not cycle off for at least the first 45 minutes of a one hour drying cycle.

 

If you don't have the ability to test if the heater is cycling off too soon you might be able to just watch your electric meter if nothing else large is running while testing the dryer.

 

John L.

 

[washdaddy]

fabric softener

If you use liquid fabric softener in your towels that will extend your drying time.

 

[shanenc14]

208 vs 240

I'm not what I would consider "electrically savvy". I don't have a multimeter handy to check the outlet voltage. All I can tell ya is that I know it's a 4 wire connection/4 prong outlet. The outlet and the cables from the outlet to to breaker box were both replaced by an electrician approx 8-12 months ago. The old outlet (also 4 prong) took a dive -- the outlet burned out, inside literally partially melted! Thank God I was awake, at home, and smelled it when I walked by the laundry area! The electrician told me that at some point, someone who didn't know what they were doing had used wiring that was not thick enough to carry the current, therefore caused a major fire hazard!

 

[shanenc14]

Single phase 240v

I did a little googling and discovered that you can check your electric meter outside to find out if you're running on single phase 240v or 3-phase 208v power. I'm running on single phase 240v 3 wire, so I would assume that it would ONLY be possible for my dryer to be running on 240v.

 

[combo52]

Slow Electric Dryer

Hi Shane, It diffidently your dryer is operating on 240 volts, In my work we find a variation from around 230-245 volts on single phase systems.

 

Next thing to determine is if the heater is cycling before the clothing are nearly dry.

 

John L.

 

[shanenc14]

Cool Down Times

Thanks for confirming combo. I'm assuming the only way to determine this is to remove the rear cover of the dryer and run a load looking for the glow from the bottom of the heater box, correct? Would you happen to know what the length of the no heat cooldown period is at the end of an automatic sensor dry cycle?

 

[jerrod6]

If you bought your dryer this year it might be following Energy Star's guidance for electrical usage.
I bought an Electrolux 527 or something like that last year and what used to take my natural gas Miele 30 minutes to dry now takes 54 minutes or more and the Miele had a smaller burner than my Electrolux does. Miele's burner would at least run for a few minutes, but the Electrolux spends a lot of time with the burner cycling on and off, more time off than on. I can also tell by walking outside and feeling the exhaust that the heat is not as hot as what was coming out of the previous dryer. Even so, the previous dryer never over-dried the clothes.

Might not be anything wrong with the dryer, or your setup, just the way it works under Energy Star rules.

 

[lowefficiency]

>> but the Electrolux spends a lot of time with the burner cycling on and off, more time
>> off than on. I can also tell by walking outside and feeling the exhaust that the heat is
>> not as hot as what was coming out of the previous dryer.

That would be a shame if that was by-design. In the big picture, that might not be more efficient for the end user, as the increased time with the blower running could be pumping more conditioned air out of the building. You save money with the dryer, but pay it back double with the air conditioner (for example).

 

[shanenc14]

I don't see an Energy Star logo, and it has the same part number 5400 watt heating element as my previous Whirlpool, compared it to a spare element that I bought when I had the WP, and the part #'s match. The gov't putting their noses into our washers is bad enough (The reason I have a WP DD, and sold the hunk of junk Maytag HE), but when they go sticking it into the way we DRY our clothes too -- this is just way too far.

I'm even considering buying up another DD top loader in a little better shape than the one I currently have, (preferrably one without auto temp control - I hate it on my current machine!), and storing it!

Maybe wrap it in some of those Space Saver bags, taped together with gorilla tape and suck all the air out of it until it's needed!

 

[jerrod6]

I might have found your dryer at Lowes. Is that where you bought it? The model at lowes in the specification part says that it is Energy Star certified. I would keep researching because it might still have a problem.

 

[shanenc14]

Model Specs

I did purchase the dryer at lowes, here's the link to my model

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Maytag-7-cu-ft-Electric-Dryer-White/50259737

I don't see selected in the spec listing, thankfully. My neighbor has a new GE dryer that's Energy Star rated and she says hers takes nearly twice as long as her old dryer, and that's with the matching washer! Go figure... I'm starting to think I may just have to live with it.

 

[appnut]

Shane, have you tried drying towels on the automatic cycle at energy star preferred setting and set the temperature knob to sanitize temperature?  I have a feeling the temperatures have been dumbed down.  Here's my guess of what  your temperatures correlate to older dryers

 

 

new dryer                                      older dryers

low                                                  extra low

medium                                          low

high                                                medium

sanitize                                           high.

 

 

 

[mark_wpduet]

This shows how long it's been

since I've researched dryers. I didn't realize they could energy star electric or gas dryers.

My dryer is from 2005. A Duet 7.0 cu ft and a big load of towels CAN take 90 minutes! Sometimes a large load of mixed can take a little over 60 min's. (NO clog in the vent) but it's a 14 foot run up through the roof.

About the Air conditioning.....when it's hot out, I try to do laundry at night or super early in the morning. Never in the mid-day or afternoon/ or early evening.

I can't believe dryers are taking twice as long to dry if they are energy star.