HD949M*429 General Electric Dryer

I confirmed the dryer wasn't making any heat by running it for a few minutes, then opening the door. The air was cool, so I knew it wasn't making heat. I searched on Google and discovered that it could be the thermostat control or heating element. I began by unplugging the dryer from the 220 plug and moving it into the garage. I then ... Read more unscrewed the top four Torx screws that hold the control panel in place. I immediately started to take lots of pictures of the wiring with my digital camera because I have no idea how to read a wiring diagram and knew I would never be able to remember which wire plugged into the appropriate control. Trust me, this is the smartest thing I've ever done. I unplugged all connections and draped the wires out of the way. Then removed the control panel completely and put it on my workbench. Then I unscrewed the top panel which exposes the drum. I was really surprised to learn how simple a dryer really is. I then unscrewed the front panel with the door. There are 3 or 4 wires that you will need to disconnect on the left side of the door. You can then remove the front door panel and set it up against a wall or whatever. At this point the front of the drum is NOT supported so it will rest on the small bottom panel in the front. Then you have to release the tension of the belt around the drum, which is easy enough to do. Just reach through the front, under the drum and pull the tension toward the right side of the dryer. This will release the tension and you should be able to slide the belt off of the roller. You may also have to unscrew the sides of the dryer panels in the front so that you can pull the drum out. It's fairly lightweight, just big and awkward. Once the drum was out, I could clearly see that both heating coils were burnt in two. There are some wires you'll need to disconnect on the element housing then there are 4 screws that hold the housing to the back of the dryer. Unscrew these and pull the element out. From there, I just followed the directions that came with the heating coil parts and reinstalled new coils. Once the coils are in place, just work backward putting things back together. Now, when you take the dryer apart, it's a GREAT idea use compressed air or a vacuum to blow or suck out all of the lint inside. I also blew out the electric motor and got everything all nice and clean inside. I also vented my dryer directly into my garage. It's an electric dryer so no dangerous fumes. Plus side to this is that I'll have heat in my garage during the winter months. Also, instead of the dryer venting 50+ feet out the side of the house, it now vents 3 feet to the garage. The dryer will now dry a full load of clothes on MEDIUM heat in 50 minutes. It used to take 80 minutes on high heat. This is a difficult fix, but if you take your time and lots of pictures, you can do it and save yourself a ton of money.

First, I loosened the the top control panel and then loosened the top flat roof panel which allowed me access to the inside of the dryer. Then, I removed the front panel which allowed access to the drum. I was amazed at the amount of lint that was inside the dryer itself. Most of my time was spent in the disassembly and cleaning of the in ... Read more ternal cavity around the drum. I reached below the drum and removed the belt from the pulley wheels and then unscrewed the drum (from the inside) from the back of the dryer and bearing kit. I removed the diffuser and cleaned it thoroughly. Then I replaced the entire drum bearing kit - the old one was almost completely dissentigrated. I probably should have applied some kind of non-flammable lubricant to the new bearing kit - the instructions did not include this step but after about 3 loads a slight squeak (different). I put everything back together - applying the new drum kit will require 2 sets of hands (my 9-year old daughter did great at this). I re-assembled the dryer and it works great, again except for the slight squeak that's still there. I may disassemble it again and apply some lubricant but I do not know what kind to get; I need to check that out.

Everything is cleaned as it is removed.

Remove the two screws holding the top down.
Disconnect two wires from door switch.
Remove the two hex screws holding the front on.
Remove the 4 screws holding the access panel on the back and disengage idler pulley to loosen the belt.
Remove the drum.
Label the wi ... Read more res then remove the heating element.
Check orientation of ground strap before disassembling rear bearing.
Remove four screws holding rear bearing to back of heating element.
Install rear bearing and ground strap on to heating element.
Reinstall heating element.
Reconnect wires.

Most Important : Get help putting parts back on drum! I didn't and that's why it took over 2 hours.
I will describe how I did it.

Unscrew bearing from inside of drum.
Wrap screwdriver with tape to a little larger than the screw hole.
Use small screwdriver to line up the drum, shim and deflector.
Don't forget the brass shim. It wasn't on the parts diagram.
Start two screws don't tighten them yet.
Remove Screwdriver and start third screw. Tighten all three down.
Put belt on drum.
Install drum and belt.
Reverse disassembly.
When putting the front on make sure drum rests in the felt.

I rated this a bit difficult because I did it myself. With help this is a fairly easy repair.