Basic Clothes Dryer Operation

Electric dryers operate by forcing hot air through the clothes in the drum then through the dryer lint filter to the vent.

Most dryer heaters operate on 220 volts AC and generate approximately 4000 watts of heat. A strong hair dryer could have about 1000 watts of heat. Dryers use timers or electronic controls to control the time the dryer operates. Dryers use thermostats or thermistors to control the heat by sensing the heat in the airflow and cycling the heater on and off.

The basic dryer airflow direction for all dryers is the same. Air enters the back of the dryer near the motor and passes through the motor to keep it cool. This is why you should never operate a dryer without a vent! If a dryer does not have a vent the humid, dusty air exits the dryer and immediately reenters via the air inlet. Lint builds up on the motor creating a fire hazard and premature motor failure.

Under normal conditions cool air passes through the motor and is forced by the blower past the heater into the drum. The now hot air passes through the clothes and enters the filter. It then leaves the dryer via the air duct that exits out the back of the dryer where you connect the vent.