Whirlpool Dryer Mod GGW9868KQ0

[md40022]

Hello everyone....

 

Dealing with a Whirlpool gas dryer, model GGW9868KQ0. Was working fine up until this morning. Now when we turn it on the drum will spin, but the clothes do not dry. Popped off the bottom panel, did some basic cleanup and lint removal. Turned it back on with the bottom panel off.... I am finding the burner will glow orange and then ignite. We have a flame and all appears good for a few minutes.

After a few minutes though, the flame shuts off. A few minutes later the burner will again glow orange, but it does not ignite. After about 30 seconds the glow disappears. A few minutes later, once again the burner will glow orange for 30 seconds or so, but it will not ignite. This repeats over and over again for the duration of the cycle.

It seems to ignite fine when first turning the dryer on. This would lead me to believe the igniter and burner are good? So this led me to thinking a bad flame sensor is not detecting the flame and therefore the flame shuts off after a few minutes. But if that were the case wouldn't the burner re-ignite when it makes its next try a few minutes later? But the burner never reignites after the first time. So that had me wondering about limit switches or solenoids?  I have some basic DIY knowledge, but have never repaired a dryer before and don't want to be swapping parts left and right....... Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction based on these symptoms?

[Scottekarate]

I would check for continuity of the flame sensor with one of its wires disconnected. If that checks out, replace the coils. There is also a hi limit that could be weak and short cycling on you. It will have a red and a blue wire and would probably be in the back of the unit. My main suspect would be coils.

[Vance R]

+1 for coils. 

[Budget Appliance Repair]

No need to check the flame sensor - it is doing it job correctly or the ignitor would continue to glow.

You have bad gas valve coils, replace them as a set.

This is how they fail - will work fine when cold and when they heat up they break down internally and open so no more gas to light the burner.

[md40022]

I appreciate the responses. I threw two new solenoid coils in about 20 minutes ago and I "think" everything is good now, but I have a follow up question here....

 

So upon installing the 2 new solenoid coils the burner ignites when I first turn the dryer on. Flame is present for about 5 minutes. Flame then shuts off for a few minutes. After being off for a few minutes, the burner then glows orange again (this is all the exact same as what was happening yesterday) but now today after it glows orange, it does in fact ignite again. This did not happen yesterday. This cycle happens over and over again every few minutes now, with the flame igniting and running for a few minutes, then shutting off for a few minutes, then reigniting a few minutes later.

So I "think' everything is good.... but my follow up question would be is it considered normal for the flame to cycle on and off over the course of the dryer cycle??  Or is the flame supposed to be on thru the entire cycle?? Because if it's supposed to be on thru the entire cycle, then there is still a problem. But if cycling on and off every few minutes is normal then it looks like all is good, because yesterday is was cycling the same way, it just wasn't reigniting after the first cycle.

I appreciate all of the feedback, you guys nailed it with the coils it appears!

[Vance R]

Was the dryer empty when you tested it? The flame goes off when the dryer come up to temp. Cycling on - off is normal.  Usually with a load the flame stay on much longer the first time. The dryer works by air flow, so if the vent is restricted the flame will short cycle and the off period will be longer than the on cycle.