Hotpoint TD heating element

corblimey

My 8 year old Hotpoint tumble dryer isn't drying (but is still tumbling) as well as it used to. The clothes come out damp at best. It's still heating the clothes, but nowhere near as hot as it was. I've cleaned out both filters and the water tray was about half full. So I'm thinking of getting this. My questions would be:

1. Does this really sound like an issue with the element? I suppose I could see about changing the stats on their own, but it looks like a lot more trouble for not much price difference

2. Is there anywhere in Ireland (or pref Cork) where I could pick up this part? Partmaster.co.uk was suggested to me by Currys.

corblimey

ETA: Iona Appliances have the part, they say, so now just need to check whether it's worth getting

The Red Ace

why would you go fitting an element if you don't know if the one in the machine is faulty or not, it needs to be checked with a meter,it is far more likely that the condenser is all clogged up and the water pump at the back be removed and cleaned

corblimey

Well mostly cos I've not got a clue what the problem might be and a quick Google search for the symptoms suggested it might be the element. And plus I reckon I'd be able to change the part myself, but checking meters, declogging condensers and cleaning water pumps sounds like it needs a professional, and I might just be putting off the inevitable and might aswell get a new machine anyway.

The Red Ace

without seeing your td its hard to diagnose whats wrong but assuming it is a condenser dryer it is much easier and cheaper to remove the condenser and give it a good washing under the tap and the removal of the pump at the back rh side to check for sludge is no harder a diy job than fitting a new element and will cost you nothing bar time involved. your td has the symptoms of a blockage rather than a heating issue, hope this spares the expense of a replacement td

corblimey

The Red Ace wrote: »

without seeing your td its hard to diagnose whats wrong but assuming it is a condenser dryer it is much easier and cheaper to remove the condenser and give it a good washing under the tap and the removal of the pump at the back rh side to check for sludge is no harder a diy job than fitting a new element and will cost you nothing bar time involved. your td has the symptoms of a blockage rather than a heating issue, hope this spares the expense of a replacement td

It is a condenser dryer, hotpoint cdt00 to be specific - I cleaned out both filters last weekend - the one at the bottom (which I believe is actually the 'condenser') hadn't been cleaned since I got it, so that took a while, but I'm not sure what you mean by the pump - what does it look like and do I need to remove any covers from the machine before I can see it? I'm willing to give anything a go, I can't make it any worse, but I'd like to know what I'm looking for? A google search for "tumble dryer pump" wasn't very helpful.

castle_lover

Happened to mine a couple of months ago. Guy was putting in faulty elements and when he eventually put in a new one it was still bad. We had to put the clothes on for half the time we normally would and then put them on again for another half instead of the full cycle.

Try it? Can't hurt.

The Red Ace

the pump is at the back where the two hoses enter at the base, it will prise up, normally they are full of sludge and need a really good cleaning, the heating element has two circuits in the one unit, maybe one is down but you would need a meter ideally to check it, its not the stats as you would have no heat if they fail

Mizu_Ger

The Red Ace wrote: »

the pump is at the back where the two hoses enter at the base, it will prise up, normally they are full of sludge and need a really good cleaning, the heating element has two circuits in the one unit, maybe one is down but you would need a meter ideally to check it, its not the stats as you would have no heat if they fail

My hotpoint tumble dryer (>7yrs old) has just stopped heating altogether yesterday. From your description it sounds like the stats may need replacing. How can I check if they are good or not (and where are they)?

Mizu_Ger

Found this on Youtube:

Looks straightforward enough.

Where's the best place to get new stats in the Dublin area?

The Red Ace

the two stats are mounted on top of the heating element, one looped onto the other nearly always the one on the left, again ideally a meter is the perfect way to check for continuity. for anybody reading these posts nearly always the cause of heater failure in dryers is switching off the dryer while heating, if left to run the selected time the last ten minutes are cold running which allows the heating unit to cool down

Mizu_Ger

Finally got a new set of stat's from a seller on eBay. I ordered direct from Hotpoint twice using their website, but both times the parts were returned to them undelivered, which was a pain in the arse. Customer service wasn't much use either. anyway, I got the parts from eBay fitted them and the dryer is heating again.

Installation was straight forward. The frame that the stat's sit on is screwed onto the back plate instead of the dryer itself making things a bit fiddly, but otherwise okay.

The Red Ace

Nice to see you got it sorted, by the way don't switch it off while working or you will be replacing them again as this causes to high a rise in temp, it normally cools down for 10 min before finishing.