Three Dryer Parts Your Old Maytag Dryer Cannot Do Without (And Where To Get Them)

Clothing dryers are complicated things. They have to work hard to aerate, tumble and blow hot air onto wet clothes all at once. Dryers such as the Maytag brand are designed to use only Maytag dryer parts, which can complicate things further if your Maytag dryer ever needs to be repaired. The following three dryer parts are the most commonly repaired or replaced parts on these machines (if and when they break down, which is not all that often).

The Heating Element

For Maytag dryers, the heating elements typically look like several springs attached to a foil-covered metal plate. When the heating element goes, one or more of these "springs" will appear to be broken or detached. Your dryer will produce little to no heat at all, making it impossible to dry even a lone sock. 

Dryer Drum Drive Belt

Besides being a mouthful to say, the dryer drum drive belt is responsible for spinning the dryer drum. Without a fully functioning belt, the drum cannot spin and cannot give your clothes enough space to dry out. These belts do wear down over time, and you will be able to tell when your Maytag's belt is limping out. Your clothes will take much longer to dry even when there is adequate heat, and the drum will not turn or turn as fast as it once did. There may even be some banging or thudding sounds as the drum wobbles and hits the sides of the machine while it attempts to spin.

Dryer Drum Baffles

If you have ever reached into a dryer and banged your hand, arm or elbow on a protrusion inside the dryer drum, you have made contact with a dryer baffle. These protrusions are necessary for turning your wet laundry and flipping it as the drum spins, thereby aerating the laundry. While baffles are tough to damage, they should be replaced immediately when they are banged up. Their uniform shape is necessary to the proper movement and balance inside the drum, and when they are damaged, they can throw your dryer off and cause some laundry to get stuck.

Where to Get Parts for Older Maytag Dryers

Since the Maytag brand is known for its longevity, the dryer you have may be almost as old as you. To get parts for these older machines, you may have to contact Maytag directly. There may be some contemporary parts that are very similar to the older parts, which Maytag may suggest you use in place of the defunct parts you currently have. If that is the case, then you can buy these newer parts from just about any appliance store that sells Maytag products. For more information, contact a company like Automatic Appliance.