Dryer Repair
More than half of the dryer calls we take are not really about the dryer. They are about the duct behind it. Long vent runs through finished basements and second floor laundry rooms are ordinary in this part of Illinois, and a run that has silted up with lint will make a perfectly healthy machine behave as though its heater has failed. We measure airflow at the outside hood on every dryer visit, because a restricted vent is a fire matter and not something to work around.
Unique Repair Services has been carrying out dryer work in the northern suburbs since 1994, and the way we approach it has not changed much in that time. The appliance is read before it is quoted. A technician takes live readings, looks at whatever error history the machine has stored, and only then names a part, because on this appliance the difference between an inexpensive repair and a costly one usually comes down to a single measurement.
What happens during the appointment
You are given a two hour arrival window rather than an open ended day, and the technician calls ahead. Once the dryer has been tested you are told plainly what has happened and given one price that includes both the part and the work. Nothing is opened up before you have agreed to that price.
Around three quarters of dryer repairs are finished during that first visit, because our vans are stocked from our own records of what actually goes wrong on this appliance in these towns. Where something has to be ordered we tell you the date before we leave and book the return appointment then rather than calling you back about it later.
Manufacturers that build this appliance
Every make on our roster that produces this appliance type is listed further down the page, Miele, Asko, LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Maytag among them. The manufacturer matters more than most owners expect. A Miele and a GE can show an identical error for completely different reasons, and the route to the answer is different on each of them.
Is it worth repairing?
You will get a straight answer to that question. The rule we apply to our own decisions is this: when a repair would cost more than half the price of a comparable new appliance and the unit is already past two thirds of its expected service life, replacement is normally the better use of the money. Below that line, and on almost any built-in or professional appliance, repair wins comfortably. We would rather turn a job down than sell a part that is not worth buying.
Where we carry out this work
Dryer Repair is available across all eleven towns we serve: Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Glenview, Northbrook, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Barrington, Winnetka and Wilmette. Prices, warranty and arrival windows are the same in every one of them, and there is no travel charge added anywhere inside the ZIP codes listed on our service area pages.
Book dryer repair
Same day slots are available for calls placed before the middle of the day. Two hour arrival window, and a flat price agreed before the work starts.
Included in this repair
- Full diagnostics rather than a parts swap
- Manufacturer parts wherever available
- Thirty days on labor, in writing
What the dryer is telling you
More than half of the dryer calls we take are not really about the dryer. They are about the duct behind it. Long vent runs through finished basements and second floor laundry rooms are ordinary in this part of Illinois, and a run that has silted up with lint will make a perfectly healthy machine behave as though its heater has failed. We measure airflow at the outside hood on every dryer visit, because a restricted vent is a fire matter and not something to work around.
The dryer runs but produces no heat at all
On an electric dryer this is the heating element or one of the two thermal cut-offs, and it is worth knowing that a blown cut-off is a consequence rather than a cause: something restricted the airflow first. On a gas dryer it is normally the igniter or the flame sensor.
Loads need two or three cycles to come out dry
Restricted venting, nearly every time. Lint accumulates along the duct, at elbows and behind the outside flapper, and the machine then recycles moist air it cannot expel. Clearing the run properly restores the original cycle time.
A squeal or a rumble that follows the drum
Drum rollers, the idler pulley or the rear drum bearing, depending on the platform. These are inexpensive parts, and replacing the whole set at once is worth the small extra price because they wear together.
The machine starts and then shuts down after several minutes
A thermal limit is opening as the cabinet heats, or the motor is dropping out on its own overload. Both point back to airflow, so the duct is checked before anything is ordered.
The drum does not turn although the motor is running
The drive belt has parted. It is a same visit repair on most machines, and we check the idler and the rollers while the cabinet is open, since a seized roller is what usually takes the belt out.
A burning smell during the cycle
Stop using the machine and call us. This is lint that has reached the heater housing or the motor, and it is the one dryer error that should never be left until the weekend.
Manufacturers that build dryer appliances
These are the makes on our roster that produce this appliance type. Each brand page sets out the full range that manufacturer builds and the problems we run into most often on it.
How the appointment runs, start to finish
Every visit follows the same shape, whichever appliance it is and whichever town you are in.
- A two hour arrival window, confirmed by phone or text
- A flat price approved by you before anything is opened
- Nothing billed that you did not approve first
Tell us what the appliance is doing
Book online or call and describe what you are seeing. The brand, the model number if it is to hand, and what actually happens when the machine runs. The more detail you give, the more likely the right part is already on the van.
We run proper diagnostics
A technician arrives inside a two hour window, reads whatever the appliance has logged, tests the circuit it points at, and explains in plain language what has happened.
You approve one flat price
You are given a single price for the finished repair before anything is opened up. Approve it and most repairs are completed the same visit, with 30 days on labor printed on your invoice.
Dryer Repair near you
We provide service in eleven towns across Cook and Lake Counties. Choose yours to see the neighborhoods and ZIP codes our vans reach and the appliance problems specific to that area.
dryer repair questions
How often should a dryer vent be cleaned?
Once a year for a short straight run, and twice a year for a long run with several elbows or a second floor laundry room. Households that dry bedding and towels daily reach that point sooner. The clue to watch for is cycle time creeping upward over a season.
Is a heat pump dryer worth having?
They are gentle on fabric and use much less energy, and Miele and Bosch build very good ones. They also run cooler and therefore slower, and they have a condenser that has to be rinsed on a schedule. If nobody in the house is willing to do that rinse, a vented machine will be less trouble.
Can you service a dryer stacked over a washer?
Yes. The pair has to be separated to reach the drum and the heater, which takes longer than a freestanding machine, so we book the appointment with that time allowed. Bringing the pair back together and leveling them is part of the visit rather than an extra.
Book a dryer visit
Call before the middle of the day for a same day slot, or book online and choose your own two hour arrival window.