Common Dryer Moisture Sensor Problems

Dyers are a lot ‘smarter’ today than they’ve ever been. It used to be that dryers would simply deliver a constant flow of heat to your clothing for however long you’ve set the timer. Dryers today, however, are much more efficient thanks to newer, more high-tech components like dryer moisture sensors.

Simply put, moisture sensors continually check to see how wet your clothes are in the dryer. Once they’re dry enough, the sensor tells the dryer to stop working immediately.

While that does save you money in the long run, the dryer moisture sensor itself isn’t without its fair share of problems.

Some common dryer moisture sensor problems that you might run into include shutting the dryer even though clothes are still wet, continuing to run even when clothes are already dry, or the dryer being stuck on ‘Sensing’.

In this article, we’re going to explore some of these common problems to help you understand what’s going on with your dryer.

We’ll also look at common symptoms that people often face and tell you what that might mean for your dryer.

Let’s get to it!

Let’s start with the big picture: what is a dryer moisture sensor?

As the name suggests, it’s a dryer component that focuses on measuring the moisture levels inside the dryer. 

So, when you put your wet clothes inside it, the sensor will tell the dryer to deliver the heat necessary to dry them. Once the sensor detects that everything is dry, it’ll tell the dryer to cut off power and end the drying cycle.

As with most components, the moisture sensor can get fault from time to time, causing the dryer not to work as it should. 

Where Do I Find The Dryer Moisture Sensor?

You can find the sensors in your dryer very easily. Typically, they take the form of two metal bars located inside the drum itself. Some manufacturers place the sensor in the same housing as the lint filter, so look in there.

If you still can’t find it, the best thing to do is refer to the appliance’s user manual and look for a diagram highlighting its location. Don’t worry if you’ve lost the manual; some manufacturers upload digital copies to their websites for you to download.

How Does A Dryer Moisture Sensor Work?

As mentioned before, the moisture sensor typically consists of two metal bars. When your wet clothes touch the bar, it creates a certain electrical resistance that tells the dryer to continue working or it’s time to finish.

However, as clothes lose their moisture, that electrical resistance becomes bigger and bigger, telling your dryer to stop drying.

When there’s less moisture in the drum, the dryer’s timer will go lower and eventually stop entirely when the sensor finds that everything is dry.

When a dryer’s moisture sensor is faulty or connection to it, the problems that come from it can manifest in many different ways. Here are some of the most common symptoms that you might experience as a result of that. 

Your Clothes Are Dry But The Dryer Keeps Running

That is probably one of the most common signs of a moisture sensor problem. If your clothes are already dry, but the dryer keeps running, you’ll need to stop the machine manually and take a closer look.

There are two possibilities here:

• The moisture sensor bars have short-circuited.
• The moisture sensor bars might have a buildup.

Remember: the sensor detects moisture when wet clothes cause an electrical circuit to form. If the dryer keeps running even when clothes are dry, that means something other than wet clothes is causing that circuit to form.

The first possibility is that the sensor bars may have short-circuited. That means that no matter how dry the inside gets, the sensor will still tell the dryer to continue working indefinitely because it thinks that there’s moisture inside.

If this is the case, then you’ll need to get the moisture sensor replaced.

Before you do that, inspect the moisture sensor up close. Using your fingers, touch the sensor to see if there is any wax-like buildup.

You see, sometimes, excess fabric softener from your clothes will build up around the sensors. Over time, they’ll form a waxy buildup that’ll complete the circuit at the sensor no matter how dry your clothes get.

If this is the case, all you have to do is wipe the sensors clean with a cloth and some water. You can also use rubbing alcohol to help clean off that waxy buildup and any other dirt that may be around the sensor.

Dyers are a lot ‘smarter’ today than they’ve ever been. It used to be that dryers would simply deliver a constant flow of heat to your clothing for however long you’ve set the timer. Dryers today, however, are much more efficient thanks to newer, more high-tech components like dryer moisture sensors.

Simply put, moisture sensors continually check to see how wet your clothes are in the dryer. Once they’re dry enough, the sensor tells the dryer to stop working immediately.

While that does save you money in the long run, the dryer moisture sensor itself isn’t without its fair share of problems.

Some common dryer moisture sensor problems that you might run into include shutting the dryer even though clothes are still wet, continuing to run even when clothes are already dry, or the dryer being stuck on ‘Sensing’.

In this article, we’re going to explore some of these common problems to help you understand what’s going on with your dryer.

We’ll also look at common symptoms that people often face and tell you what that might mean for your dryer.

Let’s get to it!

Let’s start with the big picture: what is a dryer moisture sensor?

As the name suggests, it’s a dryer component that focuses on measuring the moisture levels inside the dryer. 

So, when you put your wet clothes inside it, the sensor will tell the dryer to deliver the heat necessary to dry them. Once the sensor detects that everything is dry, it’ll tell the dryer to cut off power and end the drying cycle.

As with most components, the moisture sensor can get fault from time to time, causing the dryer not to work as it should. 

Where Do I Find The Dryer Moisture Sensor?

You can find the sensors in your dryer very easily. Typically, they take the form of two metal bars located inside the drum itself. Some manufacturers place the sensor in the same housing as the lint filter, so look in there.

If you still can’t find it, the best thing to do is refer to the appliance’s user manual and look for a diagram highlighting its location. Don’t worry if you’ve lost the manual; some manufacturers upload digital copies to their websites for you to download.

How Does A Dryer Moisture Sensor Work?

As mentioned before, the moisture sensor typically consists of two metal bars. When your wet clothes touch the bar, it creates a certain electrical resistance that tells the dryer to continue working or it’s time to finish.

However, as clothes lose their moisture, that electrical resistance becomes bigger and bigger, telling your dryer to stop drying.

When there’s less moisture in the drum, the dryer’s timer will go lower and eventually stop entirely when the sensor finds that everything is dry.

When a dryer’s moisture sensor is faulty or connection to it, the problems that come from it can manifest in many different ways. Here are some of the most common symptoms that you might experience as a result of that. 

Your Clothes Are Dry But The Dryer Keeps Running

That is probably one of the most common signs of a moisture sensor problem. If your clothes are already dry, but the dryer keeps running, you’ll need to stop the machine manually and take a closer look.

There are two possibilities here:

• The moisture sensor bars have short-circuited.
• The moisture sensor bars might have a buildup.

Remember: the sensor detects moisture when wet clothes cause an electrical circuit to form. If the dryer keeps running even when clothes are dry, that means something other than wet clothes is causing that circuit to form.

The first possibility is that the sensor bars may have short-circuited. That means that no matter how dry the inside gets, the sensor will still tell the dryer to continue working indefinitely because it thinks that there’s moisture inside.

If this is the case, then you’ll need to get the moisture sensor replaced.

Before you do that, inspect the moisture sensor up close. Using your fingers, touch the sensor to see if there is any wax-like buildup.

You see, sometimes, excess fabric softener from your clothes will build up around the sensors. Over time, they’ll form a waxy buildup that’ll complete the circuit at the sensor no matter how dry your clothes get.

If this is the case, all you have to do is wipe the sensors clean with a cloth and some water. You can also use rubbing alcohol to help clean off that waxy buildup and any other dirt that may be around the sensor.