Whether or not your dryer should feel hot on the outside depends on the degree of hotness. All appliances at work will definitely get a little bit hot or warm during or after performing some certain work.
It’s not really a big deal for your dryer to get hot at all but when you begin to notice an unusual hotness, then you should know that something is probably wrong somewhere.
However, particularly focusing on the question on if the outside of your dryer should feel hot.
Normally, the exterior part of the dryer is expected to be warm to a certain extent. If this is exceeded then you obviously have a lot of troubleshooting and maintenance to do.
Why Does My Dryer Feel Hot On The Outside?
There are numerous things that can influence the degree of hotness of your dryer on the outside, whether or not it is being utilized.
Nevertheless, the heat temperature of a dryer is roughly between 125 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
Perhaps the heat temperature of your dryer is above this normal level, then it is certain that there is a problem lurking around with the appliance.
Here are a few reasons why your dryer might feel hot on the exterior part.
- The dryer’s filter or hose is clogged up.
- Contact with the cycling thermostat.
- A faulty heating element.
- A faulty thermistor.
- Issues with the blower wheel or motor.
- The high limit thermostat.
#1. The Dryer’s Filter Or Hose Is Clogged Up
The filter of your dryer is clogged up, slightly dirty or has wax built up around it. If it does, this could potentially stop the appliance from breathing out substances properly.
Perhaps the dryer cannot breathe properly, it will begin to overheat as it would not be able to exhaust hot air out fast enough.
In addition to this, if the wall vent pipe or perhaps the ventilation of the dryer is blocked. This might be a reason why the temperature of the dryer is high and it usually happens if warm air is having difficulty getting out.
#2. There’s Contact With The Cycling Thermostat
Whenever the cycling thermostat in the dryer comes in contact with the inside of the dryer and gets fused together.
This can lead to an overheating process of the dryer and is perhaps another reason why your appliance is sometimes hot on the outside.
It is required that the cycling thermostat which is a major component of your dryer, functions properly for an overall good performance of your dryer.
If this component gets faulty or broken, it affects the regulation of temperature in the appliance and thus gets overheated.
#3. The Heating Element is faulty
An heating element is responsible for heating the air inside any particular dryer. Most of the time, it usually in form of a coil of strip of wire that emits heat in the appliance.
Note that if this particular part of the dryer is either malfunctioning or faulty, it can therefore lead to intense overheating of your dryer. This is basically another possible reason why your dryer might be hot on the outside.
Actually, there are tip on how to get this problem fixed. All you have to do is continue scrolling through the content.
#4. Blower Wheel Or Motor
The major function of the blower wheel in a dryer is to increase the airflow, circulate and replace the air that is moist with fresh one.
If it becomes faulty and unable to carry out its functions such as proper airflow, the dryer tends to become pressured and start to heat up while at work.
#5. Faulty Thermistor
Another reason why the exterior part of your dryer tends to get hot is due to a faulty thermistor. A thermistor works alongside the control panel of your dryer.
Without a doubt, a high number of dryers usually comes with a thermistor and I think yours too could have this component.
If your dryer is unusually hot, there are chances that the thermistor is at fault. A faulty thermistor affects the normal working input of other parts of the appliance.
#6. The High Limit Thermostat
The moment the high limit thermostat starts to display a sign of change in functionalities, it won’t be able to perform its function of tripping whenever the dryer reaches a certain high level of temperature.
Thus, the dryer starts to overheat as the temperature rises.
What Should I Do If The Outside Of My Dryer Feels Hot?
Depending on the manufacturer of the brand you are using, the rate at which it gets hot might differ.
If yours is a type of dryer that has a filter that comes out the top or some other types, their temperature might vary but have similar reasons why they are hot on the outside.
In a slightly different perspective, one of my dryers also began to heat up unexpectedly.
Regardless of that I didn’t really worry so much about it, I just applied a few tricks and was able to get the problem solved in no time.
Below are a few things you need to do should the outside of your dryer suddenly start getting hot.
Check for any sign of a block ventilation.
This was the first step I took while troubleshooting my dryer.
I made use of a ventilation cleaning kit to clean the exhaust hose in case there is dirt, ducts or substances blocking it.
The most important point to take out here is that I ensured that the ventilation duct or exhaust hose was not clogged.
Check the heating element and inspect if the coil is faulty.
Inspect the heating element if it is burnt or getting in contact with anything.
Find a way to fix this or replace that coil of the heating element.
Check if the cycling thermostat is damaged.
If the cycling thermostat is the faulty component of the appliance.
Use a multimeter to check, test and measure the appropriate functioning of the cycling thermostat.
Perhaps you discover that it isn’t working properly, you can then decide to replace.
If you are not able to remove the gas line from the dryer before replacement, reach out to a repairman.
Test both the high limit thermostat and cycling thermostat
Carefully make use of a multimeter to test both the cycling thermostat and high limit thermostat.
Just ensure that you don’t break the continuity in the process.
If there is no continuity, it simply means there’s something wrong with the high limit thermostat.
At this point, you need to be aware that this part of the dryer needs a replacement in order to avoid further overheating of the dryer.
Wrapping Up…
While we were going through this content, we highlighted detailed information on whether or not the outside of the dryer should feel hot.
In simple words, the outside of the dryer should only be warm to an extent while it is being used.
Perhaps you notice any sign of abnormal overheating, follow the above tips as it will definitely guide you through.
