Causes of Electric Dryer Outlet and Cord Failures

As is in most homes today, you probably have either a gas or electric clothes dryer. In the case of the electric clothes dryer, it is convenient when it works properly. If you're having issues with your dryer and finding that it's not drying clothes, you must first know what to look for.

Causes of Electric Dryer Outlet and Cord Failures

Go to the electrical panel and see if either the fuse or circuit breaker feeding the clothes dryer is blown or tripped. If so, this could indicate a wiring problem either in the machine itself, a broken and shorted heating element, a dryer cord problem, a dryer outlet problem, or an issue with one of the many electrical wire connections from the electrical panel to the dryer itself.

If your electric dryer outlet and cord are getting hot but your dryer is not, it may be because of loose electrical connections. It could be an electrical fire just waiting to happen. Poor electrical connections, both at electrical terminals and the connection point of the cord and outlet, are often the cause of electrical fires in homes.

Like a loose wire connection, another factor that can do similar damage is the connection between the cord plug and the outlet itself. As with any outlet, if you plug the cord into the outlet and it seems to want to fall back out of the outlet, that's a telltale sign that the finger grips are worn out and that the outlet should be changed.

If you look in your local electrical supply shop or the electrical department of your hardware store, you are likely to find a tension-checking tool that can be used to check the finger grips in your outlets. This is an easy tool to use and check every outlet in your home. It determines if these outlets have the appropriate amount of tension. Simply plug it in, pull it out, and look at the tension amount. The guide supplied will give you the entire details. It's a nice tool to have in the old electrical toolbox.