Faulty Dryer - Fisher & Paykel

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Dulouz

883 posts

Ultimate Geek

#126831 21-Jul-2013 12:44

I've got a F&P dryer which is having some issues. If you put a standard load in it refuses to start turning. Just makes a whirring sound like it is trying. If you give it a whack on the side or take a few items out it then starts working again.

Is there any easy fix or does it require a new motor or something.

Amanon

nickb800

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#862973 21-Jul-2013 12:56

I'd make sure that it is clear of lint, if possible shove the vacuum cleaner hose up the hole where the output duct attaches to.

Often lint surrounds the temperature sensor, which makes the machine stop some functions as it thinks that it's overheating

jeffnz

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#862986 21-Jul-2013 13:00

google is your friend

Galaxy S10

Garmin Fenix 5

Dulouz

883 posts

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#863000 21-Jul-2013 13:23

jeffnz: google is your friend

Cheers - that's a good one.

Amanon

Niel

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#863031 21-Jul-2013 14:56

I've had a few F&P dryers and every time the bearaing or brushes packed up, will never again get one. Get a Bosch and all your troubles go away.

You can never have enough Volvos!

mattwnz

20164 posts

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#863039 21-Jul-2013 15:09

Only have one for emergencies myself. F&P, 30 + years old, but the new ones look cheaper made. Mine has a stainless steel drum , but he new ones look to be just power coated. But do know that a whack is never a good thing to do, and sounds like a connection or sensor somewhere, or just dust. I know when my fan heater stopped working, I foubnd it as just dust in the bimetallic strip.

timmmay

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#863130 21-Jul-2013 17:54

F&P service fee is around $100 for a callout, plus parts, from memory. I've had trouble with my F&P drier, I wouldn't buy another one. It's 5 years old, has needed repairs 3 times, and is squeeking pretty badly. I may fix one last time before replacing.

Can you hang Bosch ones on the wall?

DarthKermit

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#863139 21-Jul-2013 18:10

We have a F & P dryer as a handmedown from a relative.

By christ when it starts squeeking, it's loud enough to wake the dead. I took it apart and tried to clean it and lube it; it didn't really help.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

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Niel

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#863184 21-Jul-2013 19:48

F&P dryers most often squeak because of bearing slowly dying, and you have to replace the whole motor.

Bosch appliances cannot be hung on the wall because they are properly made/insulated and thus too heavy for wall mount (unlike the cheap stuff). You can however stack the drier on top of their front loading washer and get the very handy optional pull-out drawer for holding a basket in front of the drier (apparently very strong). We have (and love) a Samsung top loader washing machine so currently our Bosch dryer is on top of a 60cm plinth, to be replaced with a half height filing cabinet. In our old house the dryer was on top of our dishwasher (old AEG, also solid built).

If you must have a wall mount drier, then you have to settle for rubbish.

You can never have enough Volvos!

surfisup1000

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#863197 21-Jul-2013 20:05

Dulouz: I've got a F&P dryer which is having some issues. If you put a standard load in it refuses to start turning. Just makes a whirring sound like it is trying. If you give it a whack on the side or take a few items out it then starts working again.

Is there any easy fix or does it require a new motor or something.

Possibly a blown capacitor on the motor -- if you can look inside, there will be a whopping great big capacitor which is used to kick start the motor into turning -- the intial energy to get the dryer turning is quite high and the capacitor provides this extra juice.

You can maybe visually tell if the capacitor is blown by all the capacitor juice oozing out .

At least, the same thing happened to our dryer like you describe -- we could start the dryer by giving it an intitial helping hand but the permanent fix was to install a new capacitor -- didn't cost too much from memory -- call-out fee + $30? Something like that.

Incidentally -- our F&P smart drier is 10 years old and the cap. thing is the only thing to go wrong -- unlike our other bosch/european appliances which have had tons of issues.

pctek

807 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#864805 24-Jul-2013 08:37

Incidentally -- our F&P smart drier is 10 years old and the cap. thing is the only thing to go wrong -- unlike our other bosch/european appliances which have had tons of issues.

My Kelvinator dryer is 35 years old.
Squeaks a bit sometimes when rotating, that's it. Never had a repair ever.

BTR

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#865031 24-Jul-2013 13:41

Could be a loose drive belt and pulling some clothes out is enough to make the belt get some grip.

trig42

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#865071 24-Jul-2013 14:26

My F&P which is about 10 years old makes a bit of a racket now, but still stops and starts just fine. I would buy another F&P.

As for the OP, sounds like a bearing, or the capacitor as mentioned. May be worth a call out?

kaydubya

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#865816 25-Jul-2013 12:52

BTR's solution sounds the most likely to me. The whirring sound may be the drive pulley slipping within the belt because of overloading. Possibly the belt or the drive pulley needs replacing or adjustment.