DDE7500BAL Hotpoint Dryer - Instructions

This is the third time for a belt on this 28 year old dryer. Not too much to it. Unplug the dryer. Open the door. Remove the screws holding on the front panel and loosen the screw at the bottom. Disconnect the wires to the door switch and lift off the front panel and start up the shop vac to clean out the lint - there is a lot to be found in various places. Slide the new belt over the front of the drum and make sure there are no twists. You can now reverse the order to mounte the front panel but don't close the top so you have light to see inside. Go around to the back panel and remove the machine bolts holding on the access panel at the back. This allows access to the motor and belt tensioner. Get the shop vac out here and get to some more lint. Google the model number to find a diagram on how to route the belt. Put the belt on the motor shaft and around the tensioner as depicted. Occaisionally the plastic idler pully is worn and this can be the cause of the brokent belt. If the idler wheel does not spin freely, squeads or is cracked it should be replaced or you will be right back replacing the belt again. If all is fine it is time for a test run. CAUTION - you can plug the dryer in but keep your hands out of the cabinet as there are live exposed 220 volt terminals exposed. This allows you to observe that all is working and not binding during a test run with NO heat. If all is fine, unplug the dryer and put the covers back on. Reconnect the exhaust hose (now is a good time to clean that and the vent to outdoors as well).

I followed the instructions in your detailed online video. Fortunately on my model there was a removable panel on the back of the dryer which provided easy access to install the drive belt on the motor pulley and the idler pulley. Great video and very easy repair.

Remove top panel and front panel. 12 Screws. Be sure to vacuum entire inside of cabinet free of lint.

After identifying the issue, the biggest issue was trying to identify how to get the belt around the drum tumbler. After looking through the back hatch, I figured the best way was through the top. I removed the top just enough to work the belt in between the drum and the front sheet metal. Then I turned it on its side and worked the belt from the back hatch. I pulled the pulley back on the tensioner and slipped the belt under neath. Put it back together, been working great.

Removed filter as for cleaning. Replaced with new filter. NO TOOLS REQUIRED!

The instructions that came with the bearing were limited and the illustrations were too dark to see. However, after reading the reports of others on this website, the repair was very easy.

Prior to disassembly, remove theaccess panel on the rear of the dryer. Pull the belt drive pulley arm up and the belt will easily slide off of the motor pulley. The belt can be left on the drum.

Then, remove two screws at the inside top of the dryer door. The top of the dryer will then lift up at the front and slide forward to remove. This will allow you access to two bolt head screws on each side of the front panel. Remove these two screws and then lift the panel slightly up and forward. The front panel will then be free and the dryer drum will slide forward and out. Remove the four bolt head screws (behind the electric elements) from the heater element on the inside back of the dryer box.

You can now exchange the bearing on the drum and the bearing insert on the dryer heating element simply by removing the old and reinstalling the new just as the old was removed - four screws for each.

You will need an assistant to re-install the bearing. Someone needs to hold the three pieces behind the drum as you insert the three screws. You'll also need a star wrench set for this.

The drum is easily reinserted - just be careful to get the front of the drum placed into the front bearing surface when reinstalling the front panel. One word of caution, My wife tried to remove the felt bearing on the bottom of the front panel thinking that it was lint.

I found that the inside of my ten year old dryer was unbelievably full of lint. I'm sure that the efficiency improvements by cleaning the air passages will be substantial and I've just saved $400 on the price of a similar dryer ($900 if my wife and I decided to upgrade to the "new" model that we wanted but really didn't need.

Key starting point is to remove top cover by removing two long screws located at the front of the cover
Remove control panel and it's bottom and side supports.
Remove short vent pipe by bending retainer tab.
Support the drum at the top using piece of rope.
Remove main rear cover (leave bottom attached).
Remove electric heating unit and install new bearing carrier from kit.
Reinstall the the heating unit
Remove three screws (inside the drum)to release the inner drum cover and release the bearing carrier.
Install new bearing carrier. Note: the three holes in the bearing carrier are not tapped, I suggest that the screws be installed (threads cut) into the bearing cover before attempting to install the bearing carrier.
Install the new bearing carrier. Note: pilot one of the holes using a small nail etc. then go on to install screws in the other two holes remove the pilot device and install the third screw.
Reassemble in reverse order.

The repair in retrospect was very easy. Not knowing alot about the dryer I made one mistake. I put the bearing in backwards and broke the rubber gasket. After ordering a new gasket and paying close attention to what I was doing it worked out fine. Saved me about $200 for a repairman.

This repair was a no brainer repair. The factory replacement knob that I bought from this site comes with a new "D"-Ring. Some other aftermarket parts houses sell the knob and the "D"-Ring as seperate parts. The knob from this site already has the "D"-Ring ring installed in the knob. My "D"-ring was broken and I simply removed it with my fingers. All I had to do was properly align the new know knob with the timer shaft and press it into place. If your "D"-ring is not broken and not still inside the old knob, you will need to pull it off the shaft with a pair of pliers before pressing the new knob onto the timer shaft. Dr. "B" The Hot Rod Doc

Just took it out and installed the new one--thanks so much

I wanted to be sure a replacement would be available when the need arose. The dryer might be 30+ years old. Within a very few minutes I found the filter and placed an order. It arrived in 2 days. Now I won't have to worry about it in this aging lifetime.

Took the top and front off. DO NOT TAKE DRUM OFF!! Lifted drum slightly and worked belt around drum. Replaced front and top. Took off rear panel at bottom near vent pipe. Put belt around motor and then tension pulley. Buttoned everything up and that was it!

I removed the 2 screws and lock assemblies from both sides on the back. Then i removed 4 screws (two from each side) on the control panel and lifted that up as i tipped the cover forward to disconnect the wires from the door switch. I found the wiring diagram inside the control panel cover, which included a belt routing diagram (very helpful, being the belt was laying in the bottom. I then removed 3 torx srews holding the drum to the bearing, and removed the drum. Let the fun begin! i proceded to put the belt onto the motor pulley and around the tensioner. i needed some help from my wife to set the drum back in as i held the belt up around it. once the drum was back in, i found the beld had fallen away from the tensioner. I lifted the front of the drum up just enough to get both arms below it and move the tensioner back to slip the belt over it correctly. With the new belt on i started to put the screws back in the drum. This got very frustrating, as you have to correctly line up all the holes again, while holding the drum in the correct angle to start the screws. this was the hardest part, not physically, but wears on a person's nerves quickly! Once all the screws were in and tight, i took a deep sigh of relief before i tipped the front cover up just enought to get the wires hooked back up for the door. I turned the unit on to verify the repair before re-assembly. Yep! works again, for well under $20.00! Thanks PartSelect!

Found excellent instructions and diagrams online by searching under the model number. Best of all was the service from PartSelect. Belt arrived 24 hours after ordering. It was the right part, it was easy to install, and the dryer is running beautifully.

Remove the bottom cover of dryer to look at the motor, see belt hanging remove broken belt. Remove screws from the top and front, slide belt over drum put small piece of tape to hole belt in place replace screws go back to the rear pull belt over the motor pulley close back panel